​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