A financial controller essentially is a company’s lead accountant. They oversee accounting activities and ensure that ledgers accurately reflect money coming in and out of the company. Strategic controllers also impact decision making, forecasting, and budgeting at the company level, based on accounting data.
“A controller is responsible for the accounting and record keeping of an organization. Additional responsibilities can include management of information technologies, insurance, GST, income tax reporting, managing statutory audits and financial reporting. Controllers are in essence responsible for the financial and regulatory compliance of the Company. Think of controllers as the ‘historians’ for the company.”
Responsibilities typically include:
● General accounting oversight
● Creating internal policies and spend controls
● Coordinating external auditors
● Setting up bank accounts
● Ensuring payment is received from customers and other debtors
In some instances, the role also includes a fair amount of project management. In smaller finance teams, the controller may also be the Head of Finance or Chief Financial Officer (CFO). They need to manage both these “control” aspects of the role, as well as creating financial reports, building budgets, and planning company spending.
So when companies are looking for a financial controller, the scope of the role can vary significantly.
