Corporate Treasurer Job Description

In the role of corporate treasurer, you’ll be the watchdog for the company, making sure that all the numbers line up according to plan. You need to have your finger on the pulse of every aspect of the business to make sure no department is taking big risks that could lead to financial ruin. Corporate treasury oversight requires more experience than just being able to run the numbers and create spreadsheets.

To become a financial manager, you’ll need at least a bachelor’s degree and five or more years experience as a financial analyst, accountant, auditor or some other role that gives you a solid background in corporate finances. Because a corporate treasurer basically is a specialist in risk management, a background in securities, insurance and global economics will help you. Additionally, you can earn a Certified Treasury Professional certification from the Association for Financial Professionals to help you land a promising gig.

You’ll do much more supervising and oversight than actually creating financial statements. You’ll be involved in creating the company’s budget and then making sure everyone sticks to it. As treasurer, you’ll check out the company’s investments, oversee their progress and get involved in mergers and acquisitions, primarily to make sure they are financially good arrangements for your business interests. You’ll work with teams of financial professionals and provide oversight of staffing in those departments.

One of your main roles as corporate treasurer is to make investments that further the strategies and goals of the company. That means being deeply involved in research and keeping up with the many global stock markets and mergers and acquisitions taking place each day around the world. You’ll provide the research to support selling company bonds and stock to raise capital for the firm when the company needs funding to support its growth and expansions. With your input, the timing and pricing of those sales increases the company’s profitability.

In the role of manager, you might hold a seat on the board or be involved in top-level management meetings to report on the progress of your various departments and investments. You’ll consistently brief top management about the status of various investments and make recommendations when good investments appear on your radar. You’ll also be the point person when it comes to meeting with outside financial agencies to make sure your corporate papers are in order and you’re meeting all appropriate reporting guidelines.

Financial managers earned a median annual salary of $121,750 in 2016, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. On the low end, financial managers earned a 25th percentile salary of $87,530, meaning 75 percent earned more than this amount. The 75th percentile salary is $168,790, meaning 25 percent earn more. In 2016, 580,400 people were employed in the U.S. as financial managers.