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Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for a Regional Controller

💰 Market Competitive

FinanceAccountingManagement

🎯 Role Definition

The Regional Controller is a senior financial leader responsible for directing and managing all accounting and financial activities for a specific geographic region or a cluster of business units. More than just a numbers person, this individual serves as a strategic business partner to regional leadership, providing critical financial insights, guidance, and oversight to drive profitability and operational excellence. The role is a blend of hands-on accounting, financial planning and analysis (FP&A), compliance, and team leadership, ensuring the region's financial health and its alignment with overall corporate objectives.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Senior Finance Manager
  • Plant Controller / Site Controller
  • Senior Accounting Manager

Advancement To:

  • Corporate Controller
  • Director of Finance / Senior Director of Finance
  • Vice President (VP) of Finance

Lateral Moves:

  • Director of Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A)
  • Director of Internal Audit

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Oversee and manage the complete spectrum of financial and accounting operations for multiple entities or business units within a designated geographic region.
  • Ensure the timely and accurate preparation of monthly, quarterly, and annual financial statements in full compliance with US GAAP, IFRS, and relevant local statutory requirements.
  • Lead the regional budgeting, forecasting, and long-range strategic planning processes, partnering closely with operational leaders to establish targets and drive financial accountability.
  • Act as a pivotal business partner to Regional General Managers and department heads, offering robust financial guidance and strategic support to achieve ambitious business objectives.
  • Provide insightful financial analysis, detailed variance reporting, and KPI dashboards to regional and corporate leadership to support informed, data-driven decision-making.
  • Direct all facets of the regional accounting cycle, including the general ledger, accounts payable, accounts receivable, fixed assets, and inventory valuation.
  • Manage and continuously strengthen the internal control environment, ensuring unwavering compliance with Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) and corporate policies to safeguard company assets and mitigate risk.
  • Coordinate and expertly manage all external and internal audits for the region, serving as the primary point of contact and ensuring the timely resolution of any audit findings.
  • Oversee regional cash flow management and treasury functions, including meticulous cash forecasting and the optimization of working capital to support operational needs.
  • Ensure strict compliance with all local, state, and federal tax regulations, coordinating the preparation and filing of tax returns and other statutory reports.
  • Drive process improvement and transformation initiatives within the regional finance function to enhance efficiency, accuracy, and scalability for future growth.
  • Lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing regional finance and accounting team, fostering a culture of collaboration, continuous improvement, and professional growth.
  • Manage the financial aspects of capital expenditure (CapEx) projects, including conducting ROI analysis, budget tracking, and post-implementation reviews to validate returns.
  • Analyze and report on regional profitability by product line, customer, and channel to uncover trends and identify opportunities for growth and margin improvement.
  • Review and approve significant regional contracts, vendor agreements, and commercial proposals to assess financial risk and ensure alignment with corporate guidelines.
  • Support corporate development and M&A activities within the region, including financial due diligence, valuation modeling, and post-acquisition integration of financial systems and processes.

Secondary Functions

  • Evaluate and manage financial risks unique to the region, including foreign currency exchange exposure, credit risk, and operational vulnerabilities.
  • Serve as a key liaison between regional operations and corporate finance, ensuring clear, consistent communication and alignment on financial matters and corporate initiatives.
  • Support ad-hoc data requests and exploratory data analysis.
  • Contribute to the organization's data strategy and roadmap.
  • Collaborate with business units to translate data needs into engineering requirements.
  • Participate in sprint planning and agile ceremonies within the data engineering team.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • Expert-level knowledge of U.S. GAAP and/or IFRS accounting principles.
  • High proficiency with large-scale ERP systems (e.g., SAP, Oracle, Microsoft Dynamics, NetSuite).
  • Advanced financial modeling, budgeting, and forecasting capabilities.
  • Strong, practical understanding of internal controls and SOX compliance frameworks.
  • Experience with financial consolidation and reporting tools (e.g., Hyperion (HFM), OneStream, Anaplan).
  • Solid knowledge of local and international tax regulations and statutory reporting.
  • Advanced mastery of Microsoft Excel and familiarity with business intelligence (BI) tools like Power BI or Tableau.

Soft Skills

  • Exceptional leadership and team management skills with a proven ability to build and motivate high-performing teams.
  • Outstanding business partnering and stakeholder management abilities, capable of influencing senior leaders.
  • Excellent communication and presentation skills, with a talent for conveying complex financial information to non-financial audiences in a clear and compelling way.
  • A strategic and analytical mindset complemented by powerful problem-solving abilities.
  • Unquestionable integrity, professional ethics, and a deep sense of accountability.
  • Strong commercial acumen and the ability to connect financial results to operational drivers.
  • Adaptability and resilience to thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic, and often ambiguous business environment.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

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

Preferred Education:

  • Master's Degree (MBA or Master's in Accounting).
  • Active professional certification (CPA, CMA, or equivalent).

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Accounting
  • Finance

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 10-15+ years of progressive experience in accounting and finance roles.

Preferred:
A successful candidate profile typically includes significant experience in a controller or senior finance manager capacity, preferably with multi-site or regional oversight. Prior experience in a relevant industry (e.g., manufacturing, technology, CPG, professional services) is highly desirable. A background in public accounting ("Big 4" or national firm) is often a strong foundation and considered a plus.

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