Senior Accountant Resume Example
Hiring managers evaluating senior accountants look for ownership of internal control frameworks measured by reporting efficiency, not routine task execution like reconciliations.
This resume is for senior accountants who own complex general ledger maintenance and lead month-end close processes, but aren't yet responsible for department-wide financial strategy or managing an entire accounting department. It also works for corporate accountants or FP&A analysts transitioning into this specialized senior reporting role.
- Ownership of complex financial reporting and internal control frameworks
- Evidence of process automation or efficiency gains in the close cycle
- Demonstrated ability to mentor staff and resolve high-value discrepancies
- Experience section organized by reverse chronological tenure
- Technical skills categorized by software and functional expertise
- Bullet points lead with specific financial outcomes and metrics
Ryan Stewart
Summary
Experience
- Owned general ledger maintenance for a key business unit, identifying and correcting $1.6M in revenue recognition errors prior to the fiscal year-end audit.
- Optimized fixed asset depreciation schedules within SAP, resulting in $420K in annual cost savings through identified tax strategy adjustments.
- Mentored 4 staff accountants on complex account reconciliation and journal entry documentation, increasing team reporting accuracy by 38%.
- Prioritized the overhaul of internal control documentation over non-critical reporting during an audit window, successfully clearing 12 high-priority findings with zero deficiencies.
- Streamlined the month-end close process by automating 12 manual data entry workflows in Excel using Power Query, saving 24 hours of labor per month.
- Owned the reconciliation of 40 high-volume bank accounts, resolving $215K in historical discrepancies within the first 6 months of tenure.
- Spearheaded a cross-functional initiative with the procurement team to refine the accrual process, cutting month-end variance by 31%.
- Managed full-cycle accounting for 4 regional distribution centers, ensuring all financial statements met strict GAAP standards.
- Executed over 150 monthly journal entries for diverse client portfolios, maintaining a 99.5% accuracy rate during peak audit seasons.
- Recovered $82K in duplicate vendor payments by implementing a new verification protocol for accounts payable ledgers.
- Established a standardized working paper template for annual audits, adopted by 3 engagement teams to improve documentation consistency.
Education
Skills
General Ledger · Financial Reporting · Month-End Close · GAAP · Excel · SAP · BlackLine · Account Reconciliation · Internal Controls · Audit Coordination · Journal Entry · Fixed Assets · Oracle · Process Improvement
What makes this resume effective
- This resume meets the hiring bar for senior accountants by demonstrating technical leadership in audit coordination, process automation, and mentorship of junior staff, as seen in the 38% accuracy increase at Exxon Mobil.
- Notice how Ryan Stewart highlights a specific $1.6M revenue recognition correction at Exxon Mobil, proving the high-stakes oversight expected at this level.
- See how the Sysco experience uses concrete tools like Power Query to quantify a 24-hour monthly labor saving, showing technical proficiency beyond basic ledger entry.
How to write better bullet points
Helped with the month-end close process.
Streamlined month-end close by automating 12 manual workflows in Excel Power Query, saving 24 labor hours monthly.
It replaces a passive task description with a specific technical solution and a measurable time-saving outcome.
Trained new staff on accounting procedures.
Mentored 4 staff accountants on complex account reconciliation, increasing team reporting accuracy by 38%.
It quantifies the scale of leadership and provides a clear metric for the success of the mentorship.
Responsible for fixed asset management.
Optimized fixed asset depreciation schedules in SAP, generating $420K in annual savings through tax strategy adjustments.
It shifts the focus from simple responsibility to a high-value financial impact and software proficiency.
Senior Accountant resume writing tips
- Showcase a specific instance where you identified and corrected a high-value financial discrepancy or error, such as the $1.6M correction at Exxon Mobil.
- Detail a workflow you automated, specifying the tool used (like Power Query at Sysco) and the hours saved per month.
- Quantify your impact on junior team members, such as improvements in their reporting accuracy or documentation quality (e.g., 38% accuracy increase).
Common mistakes
- Focusing only on daily tasks like reconciliations without showing process improvements makes you look like a staff accountant; highlight how you optimized those workflows.
- Omitting your involvement in audit coordination or internal controls can signal a lack of readiness for senior-level compliance responsibilities.
- Listing mentorship as a soft skill instead of a measurable outcome fails to prove you can lead a team effectively.
Frequently asked questions
Is this resume right for someone with only 3-4 years of experience? Yes, if you can prove ownership of complex projects and mentorship, but avoid this template if your work is still limited to assigned tasks.
Yes, if you can prove ownership of complex projects and mentorship, but avoid this template if your work is still limited to assigned tasks.
Yes, if you have already taken ownership of complex projects or mentored others. No, if your experience is still strictly limited to executing tasks assigned by a senior or manager.
What if my background is in a different industry than the energy or food sectors shown here? Yes, because GAAP compliance and internal control principles are universal; simply swap the industry-specific business units for your own.
Yes, because GAAP compliance and internal control principles are universal; simply swap the industry-specific business units for your own.
The core accounting principles like GAAP compliance and internal controls are universal across industries. You can swap the specific business units for your own while keeping the focus on high-value corrections and process improvements.
What if I don't have metrics as large as the ones in this example? Focus on the mindset of improvement; even smaller wins like saving 24 hours a month demonstrate the high-stakes oversight managers expect.
Focus on the mindset of improvement; even smaller wins like saving 24 hours a month demonstrate the high-stakes oversight managers expect.
In this resume, Ryan Stewart uses a mix of large-scale corrections and smaller efficiency wins like saving 24 hours a month. Even smaller metrics are effective if they demonstrate that you are looking for ways to improve accuracy and speed.
How much of the technical skills section should I change? Update specific ERP systems like SAP or BlackLine to match the job description, but keep core functional skills like GAAP and internal controls.
Update specific ERP systems like SAP or BlackLine to match the job description, but keep core functional skills like GAAP and internal controls.
The software listed, such as SAP or BlackLine, should align with the specific ERP systems mentioned in the job description. Core functional skills like 'Internal Controls' and 'GAAP' should remain as they represent the essential competencies of the role.
What do hiring managers focus on most for this level? They prioritize the ability to work independently on complex reconciliations and the initiative to fix systemic errors before audits begin.
They prioritize the ability to work independently on complex reconciliations and the initiative to fix systemic errors before audits begin.
They look for evidence that you can work independently on complex reconciliations and can be trusted with audit preparation. The signal they want is the ability to find and fix problems before they reach the controller.
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