Accounting Manager CV Example

An accounting manager CV should be two pages, reverse-chronological, and built around quantified outcomes in month-end close, audit coordination and team leadership. UK recruiters and finance directors scan for three signals in the first ten seconds: your chartered qualification (ACCA, CIMA or ACA), the size of the team you manage, and a hard metric proving you own the close cycle.

Format and structure

Lead with a personal statement that names your qualification, years of experience, team size and one headline result (close-time reduction or audit record). Follow with contact details, then skills, experience, education and certifications. Stack promotions at the same employer as separate dated entries so progression into management is visible at a glance.

What to include in each section

Keep the CV to two pages. Finance directors do not read past page two, and a three-page CV for a manager-grade role signals poor prioritisation.

Every bullet for an accounting manager role needs a number. The research is clear: generic duty statements kill your CV. Hiring managers want proof you own outcomes, not a list of tasks you were responsible for.

The result-plus-metric pattern

Start with the outcome, add the method, finish with the metric. Month-end close bullets should state the before-and-after day count, not just a percentage. Audit bullets should name the opinion (clean, unqualified) and flag zero findings if true. SOX and controls bullets need a compliance percentage or accuracy rate.

Before (duty statement, no metric):

Responsible for month-end close process and financial reporting. Helped improve accuracy of financial reporting and supported the external audit.

After (outcome with metric):

Decreased month-end closing time from 10 days to 4 days by automating account reconciliation in Oracle NetSuite, enabling earlier management reporting and decision-making.

Before (vague):

Led the external audit and ensured compliance with accounting standards.

After (specific outcome):

Coordinated the external audit and prepared consolidated statutory financial statements under IFRS, securing a clean opinion with zero major findings for the third consecutive year.

Do/don't table for experience bullets

Action verbs for accounting managers

Use verbs that signal ownership and leadership: led, managed, coordinated, implemented, reduced, secured, prepared, integrated, mentored, automated. Avoid passive or vague verbs like helped, supported, assisted, involved in, responsible for.

For a UK accounting manager, your education section should lead with your chartered qualification: ACCA, CIMA or ACA (ICAEW). Full membership signals you are ready to own the function. Part-qualified status is fine for a senior accountant, but hiring managers expect a manager to hold or be finalising the full designation.

List your professional qualification first, then your degree. If you completed your ACA or ACCA while working, note that in the bullet points to show you balanced study with full-time work. Include your degree class (First, 2:1) if it is strong.

Certifications that matter

ERP certifications carry weight because they prove you can lead a system, not just use it. If you have completed SAP certification, Oracle NetSuite SuiteFoundation, or Microsoft Dynamics training, list it. Implementation or migration experience is even stronger: call it out in both your experience bullets and your certifications section.

Other valuable credentials include advanced Excel (if certified), sector-specific qualifications (Charity SORP for not-for-profit accounting managers), and any internal-audit or risk-management certifications if you own SOX or controls work.

Do not list part-completed qualifications unless you are within six months of finishing. If you are studying for ACCA or CIMA, state how many exams remain and your expected completion date.