Here’s a Director of Accounting page that fits with the others and speaks directly to how they think.
Director of Accounting Roles
You are the person who makes sure the numbers are right, the controls are solid, and the team can execute—month after month—while the business keeps changing around you. As a Director of Accounting, you sit between strategy and execution: close enough to the details to fix what is broken, senior enough to shape how the whole function runs.
Why Directors of Accounting Talk To Me
Most Directors of Accounting I work with are already the “go‑to” person when something in the numbers does not add up. You might be asking yourself:
- Is my next move a broader, multi‑entity or global Director role—or a step toward Controller/CAO?
- Do I want more complexity (M&A, consolidations, systems) or more leadership (bigger team, more visibility)?
- How do I position my background so I am seen as a builder of the function, not just someone who keeps the lights on?
My role is to translate your experience—team leadership, close, audits, systems, compliance—into concrete options in companies where your impact is visible and valued.
What You Actually Do For A Business
On paper, the job description might sound simple: oversee accounting. In practice, the best Directors of Accounting:
- Own the preparation and review of accurate, timely financial statements under GAAP.
- Lead the accounting team across GL, AP, AR, payroll, and fixed assets, and make sure the close actually happens on schedule.
- Design and maintain accounting policies, procedures, and internal controls that can withstand growth and audit scrutiny.
- Coordinate internal and external audits, and ensure tax and regulatory compliance.
- Support budgeting, forecasting, and analysis with reliable data and practical insight.
You are the one who keeps the financial backbone of the company strong enough to support whatever the business wants to do next.
Example: Director Of Accounting In A Growing Company
Imagine a company that has outgrown “small business” status: multiple entities, maybe multiple countries, and a mix of new systems layered on top of old ones. The numbers get harder to trust every month.
A strong Director of Accounting steps in and:
- Standardizes the close process across entities and gets everyone onto the same calendar and expectations.
- Cleans up the GL, rationalizes the chart of accounts, and addresses recurring reconciliation problems.
- Leads or heavily influences the ERP or accounting system implementation or upgrade.
- Formalizes policies around revenue recognition, expenses, approvals, and accruals.
- Provides clear, consistent financial statements that management and auditors can rely on.
Suddenly, the Controller/CFO spends less time firefighting and more time on strategy—and that is directly because of your work.
Director Of Accounting vs Controller: Where You Sit
Titles vary, but a few patterns repeat:
- Director of Accounting – Often leads day‑to‑day accounting operations under a Controller, CAO, or CFO: managing the team, close, reporting, policies, and audits, and providing input into budgets and forecasts.
- Controller – Typically owns the entire accounting function end‑to‑end and is the final sign‑off on financials, controls, and audit relationships; often spans into more strategic responsibilities and works more directly with the CFO and leadership.
I work with both. For Directors of Accounting, the key questions are: what do you truly own today, and how much of the Controller/CAO scope do you want to grow into next.
Established Directors Looking For The “Next Layer”
If you are already a Director of Accounting, you may not be looking for “more of the same.” The real question is: what is the next layer of responsibility you want?
Common directions:
- Moving into a larger, more complex environment (multi‑entity, multi‑currency, or multinational).
- Taking on more systems responsibility—leading ERP upgrades, automation, and process redesign.
- Expanding your scope into more policy‑setting, technical accounting, or internal controls.
- Positioning yourself as a clear successor to the Controller/CAO.
When we talk, we will unpack where you already operate at “Controller level” and where you want the next stretch to be.
Senior Accountants & Managers Moving Into Director Roles
Many Directors of Accounting grow from within: Senior Accountant, Accounting Manager, then Director.
Typical steps:
- Mastering the technical and compliance side first: GAAP, reporting, reconciliations, audits.
- Taking on team leadership: supervising staff, running parts of the close, managing projects.
- Being the point person for auditors, tax advisors, or system implementations.
- Demonstrating that you can design and improve processes—not just follow them.
If you are at Accounting Manager or similar and starting to carry Director‑level responsibilities, we can look at roles where the title and compensation catch up to the work you are already doing.
What I Look At With You
Our conversation is about more than your software list and your close timeline. Together we dig into:
- Stage and structure: founder‑owned, PE‑backed, VC‑backed, or more mature corporate.
- Complexity: consolidations, multi‑entity, multi‑currency, revenue models, industry specifics.
- Your balance between hands‑on work and leading and developing a team.
- Whether you see yourself growing toward Controller/CAO, or deepening in a senior Director path.
From there, I can be candid about which searches fit you and which ones will not give you the growth or visibility you want.
How We Can Work Together
If this sounds like where you are in your career:
- Share your resume or LinkedIn profile, plus a short note on your current scope and what “better” looks like.
- If there is a live Director of Accounting or related leadership search that matches, we will move into specifics.
- If not, I will keep you in mind for confidential mandates and reach out when there is a role worth your time.
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