Head of Treasury Job Description and Profile

The head of treasury is in a senior management position. It is in financial institutions and large corporations.

They manage treasury operations. They oversee the organisation’s financial assets, liquidity, and risk. They do this to ensure the best cash flow, stability, and profit.

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This article provides an in-depth analysis of a head of treasury’s job description and profile.

Confidence, expertise, and maturity are at the core of a treasurer’s day. They are essential for financial stewardship. Unmatched financial diligence, a passion for leadership, and experience drive it.

Treasurers manage liquidity. They are responsible for cash management, forecasting, credit, investments, debt, and assets. They have a crucial role in ensuring liquidity and stability. As mentioned in our Qualifications and Skills Page for Treasurers, treasurers must be good at communication and obsessed with detail. They must also know enough about finance to manage cash flow in any company. Treasurers exist in all companies. They play a central role in managing finances and making strategic decisions.

Here Are Some of the Main Job Responsibilities for a Head of Treasury

• Strategic Planning. Treasurers forecast and prepare business plans, reports, and portfolios. They are a key financial partner in a company’s strategic leadership.
• Analysis. This role is also critical. It involves analysing mergers, acquisitions, pensions, and investments. Treasurers provide clear leadership, are key business decision-makers, and guide a company’s financial future.

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• Financial Reporting. Treasurers sit next to CEOs and CFOs. They provide guidance, analysis, and detailed financial and cash flow health assessments. They also provide sound and up-to-date data for senior leaders. Effective communication is a crucial part of this. The humble report is where treasurers make all the difference. They create methodical, clear, and relevant financial maps for other senior stakeholders.
• Risk and Tax Management. Treasurers are valued leaders who ensure any business is ready and well-placed to respond to changes in the industry, law, taxes, and sudden global finance. Tax management covers many things. These include meeting short—and long-term cash flow needs and adjusting capital structure, transactions, and tax duties.
• Overview and Operational. Treasurers advise boards at the director level and manage day-to-day treasury operations. This can be private or charitable. It can also go to public service directors in governments or community funding councils. The advice includes auditing, finance, law, investments, compliance, cash, and consolidation.
• Stakeholder Relationship Management. The head of treasury must maintain banking relationships, as well as relationships with senior lenders and financial analysts. This is part of their job. They must also maintain relationships with internal and external stakeholders.

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You work closely with top management, like the CFO and CEO. You manage cash, financial instruments, and foreign exchange. A successful head of treasury must focus on relationships and, thus, investor relations.

Head of Treasury Job Description

Job descriptions vary between organisations and depend on the role’s depth and scope. But all head of treasury jobs share some essential traits:

• Strategic financial planning. The head of treasury is crucial. They develop and implement financial plans aligned with the company’s goals. They assess market trends, drive financial risk management, and find ways to maximise cash flow. These tasks are part of their job. They also start treasury projects and models and find the best actions for investing cash or issuing financial instruments.
• Cash Management. No matter a business’s size, treasury activities always include cash management. This is part of their primary duties. They manage cash for daily operations and long-term planning. With help from treasury managers, the head of treasury would ensure the business has enough funds to operate. They would do this through cash forecasting. They would also manage cash pooling and oversee all treasury processes in line with company policies. They would also run bank accounts. They would also work with financial managers and other departments. They would make cash flow analyses.
• Financial Risk Management. Managing financial risks is a treasury function of paramount importance. The head of treasury assesses big-picture trends, including interest rate and foreign exchange fluctuations, among other risks. They use this assessment to develop strategies to reduce risk. This includes using hedging and various financial instruments, such as derivatives and insurance policies, to protect the company from bad market movements.
• Banking Relationships. They manage relationships with banks. They negotiate good terms for banking services, credit, and investments. They keep up to date with industry trends and new financial products and services that can benefit the organisation and its cash. Additionally, they track banking fees and performance. They do this to ensure the best banking services at low costs.

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• Capital Structure Management. The head of treasury plays a vital role in managing the business capital structure, which by default impacts its cash flows. They do this as part of their treasury activities. They check different sources of capital, like debt and equity, to find the best financing options. They assess the cost of capital. They optimise the capital structure to cut financing costs and boost shareholder value. They do this while maintaining the organisation’s ability to grow.
• Treasury Operations. The head of treasury oversees the day-to-day operations. These include cash disbursements, pooling, collections, reconciliations, and reporting. Their primary responsibilities include compliance with regulatory requirements, internal controls, and accounting standards. They also use technology and automation tools. These tools make processes faster and more efficient. They would rely on treasury and financial managers to manage treasury projects. They would have several direct reports in proportion to business needs.
• Financial reporting and compliance. The head of treasury works with the finance manager, financial controller, and accounting teams. They prepare accurate financial reports and must follow accounting standards and rules, including IFRS and the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. They also work with auditors on internal and external audits and advise on complex financial transactions and journal entries.

Head of Treasury Profile

No clear-cut profile makes job seekers the “right candidate” for Head of Treasury.

As usual, there will be an emphasis on analytical, solid, soft, communication, and interpersonal skills.

Qualifications

A Head of Treasury typically possesses a bachelor’s degree in finance, accounting, or a related field.

Advanced degrees, such as an MBA, are often preferred.

Also, Treasury managers must qualify. For example, being a certified Treasury professional is mandatory for those willing to progress to the top job.

Experience

Candidates for the head of treasury position usually have extensive experience in treasury management, finance, or related roles.

They have a proven track record of managing complex treasury operations, financial risks, and cash flow.

They would have spent much of their careers as treasury managers. So, experience at multinational financial firms is valued.

Technical Skills

A head of treasury should know financial markets well. They should also know risk management, cash systems, and banking.

You need to be skilled at financial modelling, analysis, and treasury software, as well as have analytical ability. These skills are crucial. You must also know the regulatory framework and compliance standards, which are vital to following the law.

Leadership and Communication

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Successful treasury managers must have these traits and skills. They need them to progress to head of treasury jobs. These traits and skills are about leadership and communication.

The head of treasury needs practical leadership skills. They need these skills to lead the treasury team and work with other departments. They should have great communication skills. They need to present complex financial ideas. They will present to senior managers and stakeholders.

Strong Analytical Skills

The head of the Treasury must have exceptional analytical thinking and problem-solving abilities. They should be able to assess complex finances, identify risks, and create mitigation plans. Strong attention to detail and making informed decisions under pressure are critical.

Progression From Treasury Manager

Treasury managers willing to advance to head of treasury jobs will likely have the needed qualifications. This is especially true if they work for financial institutions.

So, if they seek a different treasury role or want to become the head of treasury, they must compare their skills and experience to the above guidelines. If needed, they must gain exposure to areas such as capital structure or investor relations. They may not have encountered these areas yet, but they need them to meet all the requirements to be a well-rounded head of treasury.

The head of treasury manages an organisation’s financial assets, risk, and liquidity. Their financial planning is strategic. It includes cash management, risk mitigation, and banking relationships. These things help the organisation stay stable and profitable. This role requires qualifications, experience, technical skills, and leadership ability. It is a challenging but advantageous position.

Search other articles to learn more about treasurer careers:

CV Template & Examples, Salary & Pay, Qualifications, Skills, & Requirements, and How to Become.

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