Finance Manager Kaiwhakahaere Pūtea

Finance managers oversee the major financial operations of an organisation.

Employers prefer to hire finance managers who are registered with a professional body such as Chartered Accountants Australia New Zealand (CA ANZ) or CPA Australia.

To become a Chartered Accountant (CA) or a Certified Practising Accountant (CPA) you must:

  • complete a degree from an approved university
  • complete three years of professional experience
  • complete qualifications set by CA ANZ or CPA Australia.

Finance managers may do some or all of the following:

  • oversee cash flow and account management
  • assess and manage risks
  • prepare budgets and documents such as annual reports
  • undertake financial forecasting
  • provide financial advice to the organisation
  • make decisions on how to invest the organisation's money
  • undertake operational reporting and analysis to ensure the organisation achieves financial targets
  • monitor and report on financial trends
  • supervise the finance team
  • ensure policies, procedures and legal requirements are followed correctly.

Useful Experience

Useful experience for finance managers includes:

  • financial or accounting experience
  • management experience.

Personal Qualities

Finance managers need to be:

  • able to lead others
  • able to think critically and analytically
  • accurate with high attention to detail
  • strong communicators
  • confident decision-makers.

Skills

Finance managers need to have knowledge of:

  • finance and accounting theory
  • budgets, financial modelling and financial reporting
  • computer and accounting software.

Conditions

Finance managers:

  • usually work regular business hours, but may work evenings or weekends to meet deadlines
  • work in offices, but may travel to visit clients.

Subject Recommendations

A tertiary entrance qualification is required to enter further training. Useful subjects include accounting, economics, business studies, English and maths.

Finance Managers can earn around $87K to $117K per year.

Pay for finance managers varies depending on where they work and who they work for.

  • New finance managers usually earn $87,000 to $117,000 a year.
  • Finance managers with experience can earn between $110,000 and $170,000 a year.

Source: Hays, 'FY 2023/24 Salary Guide', 2023.

Finance managers may progress to become managing directors or chief executives.

Years Of Training

3 years of training usually required.

To become a finance manager you need to have a Bachelor's degree majoring in finance or accounting.

Finance Manager