Employer Guide: Creating a Job proposal for Accounting Job Titles

Employer Guide: Creating a Job Proposal for Accounting Job Titles

Job proposals are formal documents that outline your team, department or company’s need for a specific type of assistance. The help comes in the form of a new hire, but you may need to make a case to senior leadership or other decision-makers about the value this position will bring to the organization.

When it comes to accounting job titles, you often need to convince finance-minded leaders of the need for a position. A job proposal that includes a well-structured business case goes a long way in persuading these individuals that a new hire is warranted.

Things to consider when building an accounting job proposal template

While your job proposal should speak directly to the needs of your organization and business, there are some common things to consider before creating a template for writing a proposal.

Team strategy

Take a big-picture approach to the proposal that accounts for how the new position will fit into and impact the team. Ensure that your proposal is aligned with company and team goals, and detail how the new position will provide added support in reaching those objectives. At the same time, keep the focus of the team in mind. If you’re proposing a tax planner position, your document probably shouldn’t focus heavily on revenue-generation goals, for example.

Whenever possible, include specific information about current gaps and how you estimate the new position can close them. For instance, if your organization currently pays 70% of invoices past the discount period, resulting in losses of $30,000 in discounts a month, you might propose an accounts payable specialist role. You could note the intention of reducing the past discount period rate to 20% and saving $20,000 or more a month.

Job title hierarchy

Consider how the new position fits with the existing team hierarchy. Clerk and specialist roles typically fall under manager or senior accounting roles, for example, but you may choose to have a senior accountant position that is in charge of processes and not people. Ensure you are clear about the job hierarchy now and how it may evolve as your business grows.

Business case

Make compelling business cases for the position that align with your audience. Remember that your job proposal may have multiple audiences, as you may need approval from various levels.
Include relevant information for:

Directors and senior directors
These executives focus on efficient operation and team performance. Get them excited about your business case by showcasing the benefits, and include the following in your job proposal:

Job description
Justification for its creation
Impacts on performance
Budget and resources required
Timeline for recruiting and hiring

VPs and senior VPs
These executives align departmental goals with your company’s overall strategy and financial considerations. Boost chances of approval by demonstrating how the new role supports broader business objectives, and include the following:

Strategic alignment with specific goals
Financial justification for a new hire
Risk assessment for missed opportunities
Comparative analysis against competitors

Chief HR officer
Chief HR officers (CHROs) focus on your organization’s health, talent management and HR strategy alignment with company goals. Get them interested in your job proposal by adding the following elements:

How the role fills skill gaps
Impacts on succession planning
Company culture improvements
Improvement in HR KPIs and metrics

Board of directors
Members of the board of directors are responsible for the long-term vision of companies, focusing on governance and maintaining overall financial health. Convince them with a job proposal that includes the following:

Executive summary of the role
Strategic and stakeholder impacts
Financial projections with ROI
Risk management assessments
Governance and compliance considerations

Example accounting job proposal template

Title: Business case for (insert accounting job title)
Executive summary: Write one to two sentences letting your audience know what they’ll find in the document.
Background: Briefly summarize the current state of the team and what challenges you are dealing with. Include specific metrics when possible.
Objectives: Include a bulleted list of objectives you have in creating the new position.
Key responsibilities: List the key duties for the new position.
Cost/benefit analysis: If possible, include estimates for cost savings or other financial wins.
Candidate qualifications and skills: Define the skills and qualifications you desire from the person filling the position.

In-demand accounting job titles

These are the top 50 most common accounting jobs posted on Indeed in 2023.¹

1. Accountant

Accountant makes up 5.39% of all accounting jobs posted on Indeed.

Accountant job descriptions may differ significantly by organization, but common duties include managing and preparing financial records and statements and ensuring compliance with tax regulations. You may need an accountant if your business deals with frequent financial errors or struggles to create accurate financial reporting. If your company is growing and experiencing new accounting regulatory requirements, this is also an indication it may be time to hire an accountant.