Financial Controller job description
A Finance Controller is a professional responsible for preparing a company’s financial reports, which include balance sheets and income statements. They also assist in compliance audits and monitoring internal controls to ensure that everyone does their job correctly.
This Financial Controller job description (Comptroller job description) template is optimized for posting on online job boards or careers pages and is easy to customize for your company. Modify this finance controller job description to include the duties and responsibilities pertinent to your hire.
Financial Controller responsibilities include:
- Managing all finance and accounting operations
- Coordinating and directing the preparation of the budget and financial forecasts and report variances
- Preparing and publishing timely monthly financial statements
Job brief
We are looking for an experienced Financial Controller, or Comptroller, to undertake all aspects of financial management, including corporate accounting, regulatory and financial reporting, budget and forecasts preparation, as well as development of internal control policies and procedures. Finance Controller responsibilities will also include financial risk management.
Responsibilities
- Manage all accounting operations including Billing, A/R, A/P, GL and Counsel, Cost Accounting, Inventory Accounting and Revenue Recognition
- Coordinate and direct the preparation of the budget and financial forecasts and report variances
- Prepare and publish timely monthly financial statements
- Coordinate the preparation of regulatory reporting
- Research technical accounting issues for compliance
- Support month-end and year-end close process
- Ensure quality control over financial transactions and financial reporting
- Manage and comply with local, state, and federal government reporting requirements and tax filings
- Develop and document business processes and accounting policies to maintain and strengthen internal controls
- Additional controller duties as necessary
Requirements and skills
- Proven working experience as a Financial Controller
- 5+ years of overall combined accounting and finance experience
- Advanced degree in Accounting
- CPA or CMA preferred
- Thorough knowledge of accounting principles and procedures
- Experience with creating financial statements
- Experience with general ledger functions and the month-end/year end close process
- Excellent accounting software user and administration skills
Frequently asked questions
- What does a Finance Controller do?
- A Finance Controller oversees the day-to-day operations of a company's finances. They are responsible for all accounting functions and bookkeeping, which gives them great power in the business’s success.
- What are the duties and responsibilities of a Finance Controller?
- Finance Controllers are the keepers of an organization’s accounting and regulatory compliance. They're responsible for managing information technologies, insurance, sales tax reporting, and federal income taxes, along with outside audits from CPA firms. They are often involved in detailed tasks that exceed their bookkeeping skills. In some environments, their duties extend to project management and other functions beyond accounting, like compliance.
- What makes a good Finance Controller?
- A good Finance Controller must communicate information with precision and make it easy to understand for everyone involved. They must solve problems, delegate, collaborate and work well under pressure. An essential quality of an efficient Finance Controller is strong leadership skills.
- Who does a Finance Controller work with?
- Finance Controllers often work closely with CFOs. They also work with business owners, accountants and bookkeepers.