In order to ensure your professional resume will support your goals, use this accountant job description template to inform what you should highlight on your resume.

By reviewing job description examples, job seekers will be able to identify what technical and soft skills, credentials, and work experience matter most to an employer in your target field.

Accountant job description

Prepare balance sheets, profit, and loss statements, and other financial reports. Accountant duties and responsibilities also include analyzing trends, costs, revenues, financial commitments, and obligations incurred to predict future revenues and expenses. Reports organization's finances to management and offers suggestions about resource utilization, tax strategies, and assumptions underlying budget forecasts.

May require a bachelor's degree in accounting or an area of specialty and two to four years of experience in the field or in a related area. Accounting candidates must be familiar with standard concepts, practices, and procedures within a particular field. Rely on experience and judgment to plan and accomplish goals. Perform a variety of tasks. Work under general supervision. A certain degree of creativity and latitude is required. Typically reports to a supervisor or manager.

Accountant responsibilities:

  • Prepare asset, liability, and capital account entries by compiling and analyzing account information

  • Document financial transactions by entering account information

  • Recommend financial actions by analyzing accounting options

  • Summarize current financial status by collecting information; preparing balance sheet, profit and loss statement, and other reports

  • Substantiate financial transactions by auditing documents

  • Maintain accounting controls by preparing and recommending policies and procedures

  • Guide accounting clerical staff by coordinating activities and answering questions

  • Reconcile financial discrepancies by collecting and analyzing account information

  • Secure financial information by completing database backups

  • Verify, allocate, post, and reconcile transactions

  • Produce error-free accounting reports and present their results

  • Analyze financial information and summarize financial status

  • Provide technical support and advice on management

  • Review and recommend modifications to accounting systems and generally accepted accounting procedures

  • Participate in financial standards setting and in forecast process

  • Provide input into department's goal setting process

  • Prepare financial statements and produce budget according to schedule

  • Direct internal and external audits to ensure compliance

  • Plan, assign, and review staff's work

  • Support month-end and year-end close process

  • Develop and document business processes and accounting policies to maintain and strengthen internal controls

  • Communicate effectively with clients

  • Contribute to a strong client relationship through positive interactions with client personnel

  • Communicate with Manager and/or Director on work status and client issues that arise

Accountant requirements:

  • Thorough knowledge of basic accounting procedures and principles

  • Awareness of business trends

  • Experience with creating financial statements

  • Experience with general ledger functions and the month-end/year-end close process

  • Excellent accounting software user and administration skills

  • Accuracy and attention to detail

  • Aptitude for numbers and quantitative skills

  • Bachelor's Degree or Master's Degree in appropriate field of study or equivalent work experience

  • Intermediate understanding of accounting and reporting standards, gaining experience in researching as it relates to accounting issues

  • Experience with accounting software is a plus

Accountant skills & proficiencies:

  • Accounting

  • Corporate Finance

  • Reporting Skills

  • Attention to Detail

  • Deadline-Oriented

  • Reporting Research Results

  • Confidentiality

  • Time Management

  • Financial Data Entry Management

  • Basic Math

  • Accuracy

  • Planning and Organizing

  • Scheduling and Monitoring

  • Communication Skills

  • Problem Analysis and Problem-Solving Skills

  • Initiative

  • Teamwork

  • Active Learning

  • Clerical Knowledge

  • Proficiency in Microsoft Office

  • Professionalism

  • Risk Analysis

  • Interpersonal Skills

  • Analytical Thinking

  • Tax Returns

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