Senior Finance Executive

Senior Finance Executive is a transitional seat, and treating it as merely a pay rise is the most common career mistake in Singapore finance. The technical work looks similar to the previous role; the accountability does not. You are now the person the close depends on.

Three things change. You own a timetable rather than a task list. You review other people's work before it becomes the company's numbers. And you are expected to explain a variance to someone outside finance without retreating into accounting language.

Employers use this seat as an audition for management. Candidates who spend it perfecting reconciliations tend to stay in it; candidates who take on consolidation, a systems migration, an audit relationship or a business partnering line move to Assistant Finance Manager within two to three years.

Where this sits: the previous role is Finance Executive and the next step is Assistant Finance Manager. Alternative directions from here are FP&A Analyst for commercial work, or Accountant for a deeper technical reporting track.

• Own the month-end close timetable end to end and hold the team to working-day deadlines.
• Review journals, reconciliations and schedules prepared by executives and assistants before submission.
• Prepare the management reporting pack, including variance analysis and written commentary.
• Prepare consolidation inputs, intercompany eliminations and foreign currency translation where applicable.
• Lead first-line responses in the statutory audit and manage the audit request list.
• Prepare GST returns and support corporate tax computations and transfer pricing documentation.
• Support budgeting and rolling forecasts with actuals, drivers and challenge on assumptions.
• Act as finance contact for one or more business functions on cost, accrual and approval questions.
• Drive process improvement — close acceleration, control gaps, ERP and reporting automation.

• A Degree in Accountancy or Finance is standard, and strong diploma holders with deep experience remain competitive in SME environments.
• Part-qualified or qualified ACCA, Singapore CA or CPA Australia is expected where the role is a management pipeline.
• Four to seven years of relevant experience including at least two full annual audit cycles.
• Evidence of reviewing rather than only preparing work is what separates candidates at this level.
• Exposure to multi-entity or regional reporting is the single most valuable differentiator for the next promotion.

• Lead with the close you own. Working days, entities, standards, and what breaks when something goes wrong.
• Prove review, not preparation. Give a specific example of an error you caught in someone else's work and how you changed the process afterwards.
• Bring a variance story. Explain a movement you investigated, what caused it and what the business did as a result.
• Show one project. A close acceleration, a system migration or a control fix — projects are what distinguish this level from the last.
• Ask about the management path. Whether the role has direct reports, review authority and audit exposure predicts your next promotion far better than the salary does.