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Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Head Controller

💰 $180,000 - $250,000+

FinanceAccountingLeadershipCorporate Management

🎯 Role Definition

The Head Controller is a pivotal senior leadership position, serving as the organization's chief accounting officer. This individual is the ultimate guardian of the company's financial integrity, responsible for directing the full scope of accounting operations, including financial reporting, policy-setting, internal controls, tax compliance, and treasury management. Beyond the numbers, the Head Controller acts as a strategic partner to the executive team and business unit leaders, translating complex financial data into actionable insights that guide sound decision-making and fuel sustainable growth. This role demands a blend of technical mastery, strategic vision, and inspirational leadership to build and mentor a high-performing accounting team while ensuring the company's fiscal health and regulatory compliance.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Corporate Controller / Assistant Corporate Controller
  • Director of Accounting / Senior Accounting Manager
  • Director of Financial Reporting

Advancement To:

  • Vice President (VP) of Finance
  • Chief Financial Officer (CFO)
  • Chief Accounting Officer (CAO)

Lateral Moves:

  • VP of Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A)
  • Treasurer
  • VP of Corporate Strategy

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Oversee Financial Reporting: Direct the complete, accurate, and timely preparation of all internal and external financial statements and reports in strict accordance with GAAP and/or IFRS standards.
  • Manage Month-End Close Process: Lead the accounting team to execute a swift and precise month-end, quarter-end, and year-end financial close process, ensuring all balance sheet accounts are reconciled and substantiated.
  • Develop and Enforce Internal Controls: Design, implement, and maintain a robust framework of internal controls (including SOX compliance for public companies) to safeguard company assets and ensure the integrity of financial data.
  • Lead Annual Audits: Serve as the primary liaison for external auditors, managing the entire annual audit process, including planning, fieldwork, and final reporting, to ensure a clean and timely audit opinion.
  • Direct Technical Accounting: Research, interpret, and implement complex technical accounting pronouncements and standards, providing guidance to the organization on their financial and operational impact.
  • Cash Flow and Treasury Management: Oversee daily cash management, develop reliable cash flow forecasting models, and manage banking relationships to optimize liquidity and capital resources.
  • Tax Strategy and Compliance: Manage all aspects of corporate tax, including federal, state, and local income tax compliance, sales & use tax, and property tax, while partnering with tax advisors to develop effective tax strategies.
  • Budgeting and Forecasting Partnership: Collaborate closely with the FP&A team to provide historical financial data and insights that inform the development of the annual budget and rolling forecasts.
  • Accounting Policy and Procedure: Establish, document, and enforce comprehensive accounting policies and procedures across the organization to drive consistency and efficiency.
  • Team Leadership and Development: Recruit, train, mentor, and develop a high-caliber accounting team, fostering a culture of accountability, continuous improvement, and professional growth.
  • ERP and Systems Oversight: Assume ownership of the financial modules within the company's ERP system (e.g., NetSuite, SAP, Oracle), ensuring data integrity and optimizing system functionality.
  • Financial Risk Management: Identify and mitigate financial risks to the company, including those related to credit, liquidity, foreign exchange, and operational processes.
  • Cost Accounting and Inventory Valuation: For manufacturing or retail businesses, oversee all cost accounting functions, including standard costing, variance analysis, and inventory valuation to ensure accurate product margin analysis.
  • Executive and Board Reporting: Prepare and present clear, concise financial summaries, variance analyses, and key performance indicators to the executive leadership team and Board of Directors.
  • Payroll and Equity Administration: Provide high-level oversight of payroll processing and stock/equity administration to ensure accuracy, compliance, and proper accounting treatment.

Secondary Functions

  • Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A) Support: Lead the financial due diligence process for potential acquisitions, providing critical analysis, valuation support, and post-merger integration planning.
  • Strategic Project Leadership: Act as the finance lead on cross-functional strategic initiatives, such as new market entries, major capital expenditures, or business model transformations.
  • Business Partnership: Serve as a financial advisor to operational leaders, helping them understand their P&L statements, manage costs, and identify opportunities for improved profitability.
  • Systems Implementation: Champion and direct the selection and implementation of new financial software, tools, and ERP systems to drive automation and enhance reporting capabilities.
  • Investor Relations Collaboration: Partner with the CFO and investor relations team to provide accurate financial data and narrative for earnings calls, press releases, and SEC filings.
  • Contract Review: Review significant customer and vendor contracts to assess financial implications, revenue recognition treatment, and potential risks.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • Expert GAAP/IFRS Knowledge: Deep, authoritative understanding of U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles and/or International Financial Reporting Standards.
  • SEC Reporting & SOX Compliance: Proven experience with public company reporting requirements (10-K, 10-Q) and establishing/maintaining Sarbanes-Oxley internal control frameworks.
  • Advanced ERP Systems Proficiency: Hands-on expertise with large-scale ERP systems like Oracle NetSuite, SAP, Microsoft Dynamics 365, or similar platforms.
  • Financial Modeling & Analysis: Strong ability to build and interpret complex financial models for forecasting, valuation, and what-if scenario analysis.
  • Corporate Tax Principles: Solid working knowledge of federal and multi-state corporate income tax, sales tax, and other relevant tax regulations.
  • Treasury and Cash Management: Skills in cash flow forecasting, working capital optimization, and managing banking and debt covenants.

Soft Skills

  • Strategic Leadership: The ability to not only manage a team but to inspire, set a vision, and align the accounting function with the company's overarching strategic goals.
  • Exceptional Communication: Capable of articulating complex financial concepts clearly and persuasively to both financial and non-financial audiences, from analysts to the Board of Directors.
  • Business Acumen: A deep understanding of the business's operations and market dynamics, enabling the translation of financial data into strategic business insights.
  • Unwavering Integrity and Ethics: A strong ethical compass and commitment to transparency, acting as the moral backbone of the company's financial practices.
  • Problem-Solving and Decisiveness: The ability to dissect complex problems, analyze options, and make sound, timely decisions under pressure.
  • Collaborative Influencer: Adept at building strong relationships across all departments and levels of the organization to drive change and achieve common objectives.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or a closely related field.

Preferred Education:

  • Master of Business Administration (MBA) or Master's in Accounting (MAcc).
  • Active Certified Public Accountant (CPA) license is strongly preferred and often required. A Certified Management Accountant (CMA) is also highly valued.

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Accounting
  • Finance
  • Business Administration

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 12-15+ years of progressive accounting experience, with a minimum of 5-7 years in a significant leadership or management role (e.g., Controller, Director of Accounting).

Preferred: Experience in a "Big Four" or large regional public accounting firm is highly desirable, combined with substantial experience within a corporate accounting department. Experience in a similar industry and with a company of a similar size/complexity (e.g., public vs. private, high-growth startup vs. established enterprise) is a significant plus.

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