Corporate Finance Career Path: Top Jobs to Explore

Management of corporate finance is a complicated subject best left to professionals. They are the right people for making complex financial decisions for the running and growth of an organisation. Before we discuss the best corporate finance jobs, let us look at the job scope in this arena. 

There are strong projections of a 7% growth in overall employment in financial and business occupations from 2021 to 2031. For a Financial Analyst, there is a projection of a 9% growth from 2021 to 2031 in overall employment. Prospects are even better if you have a CFA qualification. After completing your CFA course, several career options open up in corporate finance. 

Here we’ll look at some of the most lucrative job roles in corporate finance.

You can also check our blog: Some highest paying jobs in Finance & top skills required.

Understanding Corporate Finance

One of the essential things needed for running a business is adequate funds. Corporate finance is all about effectively managing these funds to reduce costs and maximise profits. 

Job roles and titles vary in corporate finance depending on the industry the business caters to. Some standard duties carried out by corporate finance professionals include long-term financial planning, advising company managers on project expenses and related costs, analysing business revenues, writing statements and financial reports, and so on. 

Best Corporate Finance Jobs 

The essential roles in corporate finance jobs deal with working capital management, capital structure and capital budgeting. Jobs in corporate finance are available at different levels. Let us take a look:

Entry-Level Corporate Finance Jobs

Here are some of the best entry-level Corporate Finance jobs:

• Business Analyst 

Business Analysts play a crucial role in the decision-making process of a business. These professionals implement IT and data analytics to identify the best practices for the company, assess various business processes and provide data-driven suggestions to stakeholders. 

The main aim is to take the business to new heights. These professionals can identify how making data-driven changes to services, hardware, software and processes in the business improve overall efficiency and boost productivity. 

One of the best corporate finance jobs at the entry level, the average salary range for a Business Analyst is $72,246 to $88,280 per annum. 

• Financial Analyst

After completing the CFA course, most candidates look to work as a Financial Analyst. This job role includes extensive research. Along with knowing the company’s business fundamentals, the professional should be well aware of the latest industry trends as well as the global and local economic conditions. 

Job responsibilities of a Financial Analyst include conducting business studies, preparing financial and business reports, evaluating budgets, developing forecast models and evaluating income statements. Business managers often seek recommendations from Financial Analysts for making business decisions. 

A Financial Analyst’s average salary is $69,116 per annum. 

Read our blog: Best 10 Tips To Become a Successful Finance Professional

Mid-Level Corporate Finance Jobs

After gaining experience of a few years at the entry level, candidates can move to mid-level best Corporate Finance jobs. Here are some attractive job roles at this level:

• Senior Financial Analyst 

The Senior Financial Analyst usually decides the investment strategy of the business. These professionals gather data and derive valuable insights for informed decision-making. Such analysts also take up the role of a supervisor in the finance department. 

Senior Financial Analysts help prepare recommendations and suggestions for a project within a fixed budget. Their main aim is to minimise expenses and increase the business’s profit margin. 

A Senior Financial Analyst’s average salary is between $86,689 and $104,379 per annum.  

• Cash Manager

Maintaining and managing a company’s cash flow is vital for its smooth operations. Cash Managers do just that. This management can be on a daily, weekly or monthly basis. 

The primary job role of the professional includes reducing the cash amount owed to the company. At the same time, the professional ensures maximising the time for paying out for services and goods. All of this is done by adhering to regulatory and industry guidelines. 

The average salary that a Cash Manager draws is in the range of $78,128 and $117,312 per annum. 

• Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A) Manager

One of the best corporate finance jobs at the mid-level is that of a Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A) Manager. Such professionals look for opportunities of acquiring, merging or divesting opportunities from other companies/businesses. The main aim of a merger is to help a company grow. 

Mergers and Acquisitions Managers must have a strategic mindset, where they keep on calculating how a merger will benefit the company. Along with creating strategies, managers oversee paperwork and negotiations required in deal closing and settlement. They have a crucial role in the systems and operations integration of two merging businesses.

A Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A) Manager’s average salary is between $139,598 and $190,277 per annum. 

Senior-Level Corporate Finance Jobs

Corporate Finance jobs at the senior level require vast experience in this industry. Along with experience, the candidate must also have advanced Finance degrees. 

Here are some job roles in this category:

• Chief Executive Officer (CEO)

A CEO is the topmost executive in an organisation. The CEO manages a business organisation’s overall resources and operations and makes major and crucial corporate decisions. 

The CEO of a company is mainly the public face of the brand. They act as a bridge for communication between corporate operations and the company’s board of directors. This job role is highly prestigious and comes with loads of responsibilities. 

A company CEO’s average salary ranges between $612,073 and $1,043,357 per annum. 

• Chief Financial Officer (CFO)

Attaining the position of Chief Financial Officer in an organisation is not a cakewalk. You must invest many years of your career in the finance industry and get professional certifications like CFA, FRM and the like.

A CFO is responsible for the minutest of financial operations of the company. This includes financial planning, accounting, taxation, cash flow tracking, financial reporting and so on. A CFO manages the accounting and the financial division. 

A CFO earns between $320,492 and $538,679 per annum. 

Conclusion

The demand for corporate finance professionals will rise in the coming years. 

Though at the entry levels, a graduate degree in finance suffices, as you go up the ladder, you will need a master’s degree along with other certifications like CFA, Financial Modelling and FRM to be successful in corporate finance. 

Do not forget to check our blog – CFA vs FRM: Which is Better? Salary and Difficulty Level & How is CFA related to Financial Modelling? 

To make a career in corporate finance as a Financial Analyst, you must check out the CFA course at Zell Education. You can also take courses in FRM and Financial Modelling to bag jobs in corporate finance. 

Zell Education prepares students with its advanced learning management system. Ready assistance is available from student coordinators, and the courses offered are from industry expert faculty. Enrol in the course of your choice today. Visit Zell Education for more information.