What is a Financial Controller:
A financial controller is head of accounting and is responsible for managing all finance and accounting operations. This can include but not limited to:
Regulatory and financial reporting
Budget and forecasts preparation
Compliance audits
Monitoring internal controls
Depending on the size of the company, the Financial Controller would usually report into the Finance Director or Chief Financial Officer.
How to secure a Financial Controller role:
A Degree or Post Grad in Accountancy followed by professional exams to become a qualified accountant such as ACA/ACCA/CIMA, is the most common way to start your career as a Financial Controller.
Following this you will need to build your experience within a finance role before progressing into a Financial Controller function. You may progress from a Financial Accountant, to a Senior Financial Accountant/Finance Manager to a Financial Controller.
Experience within a supervisory role is recommended to become a successful Financial Controller. The ladder to becoming a Financial Controller may take a few years, but it is necessary to get an in depth understanding of the finance function and grasp the different requirements of the position.
Future career prospects with this experience:
If you have successfully proved yourself as a Financial Controller, the next logical move would be to aim for a Finance Director role. The Finance Director is essentially number one or two in the finance team. After this, a CFO position would be the next move.
Salary Range:
€75,000 -€90,000