chief financial officer.

working as a chief financial officer includes: 

• Financial responsibility: As chief financial officer, you have overall responsibility for the finance function. You lead the finance department where you allocate tasks and ensure that reporting, accounting, and financial follow-up work correctly.
• Legal accounting: You are responsible for preparing financial statements, annual reports, and other reports. In this role, you oversee tax returns, VAT, and tax matters.
• Budgeting and forecasting work: You prepare various budgets and make forecasts of income and expenses. The tasks include monitoring and analyzing deviations.
• Personnel responsibility: The chief financial officer leads the team in the finance department, which includes recruitment, skills development, and follow-up on employees' tasks.
• Financing: You manage capital requirements, liquidity, and investment assessments. The work may also include responsibility for risk management.

Your work environment varies depending on size, sector, and geographic location. As chief financial officer, you are responsible for the overall results of the finance department and report to management. The workload can be high, especially during audits, financial statements, and changes in operations. Tight deadlines are common, which means there is a risk of stress and heavy workload. Most of your work takes place in an office where you participate in meetings and communicate with various stakeholders. You often sit in front of a computer and handle documentation and systems. This requires a good work environment and ergonomics. There may be travel between different locations and operations combined with remote work. 

In your role, you are often responsible for other employees. You make decisions and handle conflicts as well as unexpected problems and events. Because of your significant responsibility as chief financial officer, you may need to be available even outside normal working hours. As a manager, you need to follow the Work Environment Act and examine the working conditions for your employees. You assess risks in the work environment and prevent illnesses and accidents. You may find yourself between different roles where you have to lead employees and at the same time report upwards in the organization.

Depending on who you work for, your colleagues may include accountants, controllers and lawyers. Other possible colleagues are managers, HR managers, lawyers, payroll administrators and IT technician.

As a chief financial officer, you usually work full-time. The role requires continuity and great responsibility. Part-time positions exist, but they are less common. The work is typically done during normal office hours on weekdays, but sometimes overtime is required, such as during year-end closing, audits, and business reports. In larger companies and corporate groups, the demands and workload can be so great that more flexibility is needed. This is required, for example, in cases of liquidity problems or other unexpected financial events. 

If your organisation has several offices spread out geographically, you may need to travel and attend meetings with customers, suppliers, and authorities. This can affect your working hours and your schedule. Many workplaces now offer remote work. This means your schedule can be more flexible.

The future prospects for chief financial officers look good, especially for those with specialist expertise. More and more companies and organizations are digitizing their processes, such as financial systems and accounting. Skills in technical financial systems, automation, and AI are becoming increasingly important. Chief financial officers with a focus on sustainability have an advantage in the job market. Authorities and investors are placing ever higher demands on reporting regarding climate impact and sustainability. If the economy improves, companies may invest in growth and hire more chief financial officers. It is becoming increasingly important to offer something beyond the ordinary, such as experience in international accounting, group accounting, and risk management. Those who choose to continue their education and have specialist expertise have better opportunities for senior roles and higher salaries.

There are many advantages to finding an open position as a chief financial officer through Randstad. 

• access to many and varied services
• a dedicated contact person who supports you during your employment
• a wide selection of available jobs in finance, accounting and controlling
• possibility for full-time and part-time work depending on the assignment 

Are you looking for a permanent position as chief financial officer? Working as a consultant can be an effective stepping stone to a permanent job with attractive employers. Every year, many of Randstad's consultants move on to permanent employment. In addition, many companies recruit their chief financial officers directly through Randstad.

Chief financial officers usually have post-secondary education in economics from a university or college. Sometimes, vocational college or extensive work experience and specialist courses in controlling, finance, or accounting may be sufficient.

In this role, you lead and coordinate the finance function. You are responsible for forecasts, analysis, and reporting to the board. The chief financial officer handles tax and VAT matters and has personnel responsibility for the finance department.

It's easy to apply for a job as chief financial officer. Start by searching among our available positions. When you find a position you want to apply for, click on apply and send your cover letter along with your CV if needed. The application process may include a personal interview. If you need help with your application, read our tips here.

A chief financial officer should be structured and analytical. You should be able to handle complex information and be clear and communicative. Important decisions are often required in finance and reports to management. You need to be flexible and able to handle stress as you manage periods of high workload. In the role, you need to be business-minded and strategic to understand the organization and how finance can help the organization achieve its goals.

Here you can find more information about the role of chief financial officer.