What does a controller/director of finance do?
A controller/director of finance is responsible for overseeing the company's financial operations and strategizing techniques that would minimize financial losses and risks. Controllers/directors of finance identify cost-efficient plans by reviewing financial reports and identifying opportunities that would generate more revenue resources for the business and increase profits. They resolve high-level account reconciliations and bank disputes and ensuring that all transactions are organized and documented in the system. A controller/director of finance must have excellent communication and analytical skills to establish financial control and stabilize the business' performance in the market.
Controller/director of finance responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real controller/director of finance resumes:
- Manage and direct all aspects of accounting and finance functions in accordance with applicable laws, regulations, and U.S. GAAP.
- Manage SOX documentation, quarterly attestation, design & implementation of control deficiency remediation and scorecard reporting.
- Establish, manage and monitor accounting and finance duties including the annual operating budget, financial statements and account reconciliations.
- Upgrade treasury management functions by building an electronic cash flow project needs analysis template.
- Develop and implement best practice accounting procedures for the newly centralize corporate accounting/finance department including SOX (Sarbanes-Oxley) implementation.
- Administer treasury activities in the areas of cash planning and forecasting through the use of short and long term financing instruments.
- Provide management reporting, financial direction, and oversight.
- Develop accounting policies and procedures to ensure internal accounting controls and accurate financial reporting in accordance with GAAP.
- Improve the Sarbanes-Oxley control environment and documentation at multiple sites through simplify control environment by standardizing key controls across sites.
- Develop an innovative and customize financial reporting, overhead tracking and extensive KPI reporting packages.
- Develop KPI reporting, tighten inventory controls on non-standard inventory processes, coordinate global standards updates.
- Develop comprehensive franchisee training program that encompass accounting procedures, financial statement preparation and QuickBooks setup.
Controller/director of finance skills and personality traits
We calculated that 6% of Controller/Directors Of Finance are proficient in Oversight, Internal Controls, and CPA. They’re also known for soft skills such as Analytical skills, Detail oriented, and Math skills.
We break down the percentage of Controller/Directors Of Finance that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Oversight, 6%
Provided management reporting, financial direction, and oversight.
- Internal Controls, 6%
Direct preparation of quarterly reports on effectiveness of internal controls over financial reporting for review by Audit Committee and Senior Management.
- CPA, 6%
Process all month end closings, proof and deliver to our entire management team and our CPA accounting firm.
- Payroll, 6%
Prepared and presented all costing information related to inventory control for regional payroll print and delivery operations.
- GAAP, 5%
Developed accounting policies and procedures to ensure internal accounting controls and accurate financial reporting in accordance with GAAP.
- External Auditors, 5%
Prepared combined annual and quarterly financial statements using self-developed Excel-based models Interacted with Board Members and external auditors (PWC).
"oversight," "internal controls," and "cpa" are among the most common skills that controller/directors of finance use at work. You can find even more controller/director of finance responsibilities below, including:
Analytical skills. The most essential soft skill for a controller/director of finance to carry out their responsibilities is analytical skills. This skill is important for the role because "to assist executives in making decisions, financial managers need to evaluate data and information that affects their organization." Additionally, a controller/director of finance resume shows how their duties depend on analytical skills: "prepare financial reports to develop a more informative database for improved management decision-making and critical evaluation of work activities. "
Detail oriented. Another soft skill that's essential for fulfilling controller/director of finance duties is detail oriented. The role rewards competence in this skill because "in preparing and analyzing reports, such as balance sheets and income statements, financial managers must be precise and attentive to their work in order to avoid errors." According to a controller/director of finance resume, here's how controller/directors of finance can utilize detail oriented in their job responsibilities: "presented detailed analytical financial reports to senior managements and others to recommend and allow teams to make informed strategic decision. "
Math skills. This is an important skill for controller/directors of finance to perform their duties. For an example of how controller/director of finance responsibilities depend on this skill, consider that "financial managers need strong skills in certain branches of mathematics, including algebra." This excerpt from a resume also shows how vital it is to everyday roles and responsibilities of a controller/director of finance: "led due diligence and valuation analysis for three acquisitions based on qualitative and quantitative factors. ".
Organizational skills. For certain controller/director of finance responsibilities to be completed, the job requires competence in "organizational skills." The day-to-day duties of a controller/director of finance rely on this skill, as "because financial managers deal with a range of information and documents, they must have structures in place to be effective in their work." For example, this snippet was taken directly from a resume about how this skill applies to what controller/directors of finance do: "established key financial policies and procedures and drove process improvement to accommodate organizational 100% yoy growth. "
Communication skills. Another common skill required for controller/director of finance responsibilities is "communication skills." This skill comes up in the duties of controller/directors of finance all the time, as "financial managers must be able to explain and justify complex financial transactions." An excerpt from a real controller/director of finance resume shows how this skill is central to what a controller/director of finance does: "led the implementation of a robust planning and reporting mechanism to enable financial management and communication across multiple military aircraft sites. "
The three companies that hire the most controller/director of finances are:
- Silicon Valley Bank8 controller/directors of finance jobs
- Encompass Health3 controller/directors of finance jobs
- Eaton3 controller/directors of finance jobs
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Compare different controller/directors of finance
Controller/director of finance vs. Finance vice president
The vice president of finance is one of the highest-ranking executives in a company. He/She or she works under the chief financial officer, and both have similar duties that are often interchangeable. This executive's primary function is to oversee the company's financial records and project future financial plans and investments. The finance vice president ensures that the company's finances are managed suitably and effectively. This role's responsibilities include leading the team towards achieving the company's financial mission, monitoring the financial performance, preparing and presenting financial reports, and conducting audits on financial expenditures, assets, and liabilities.
While similarities exist, there are also some differences between controller/directors of finance and finance vice president. For instance, controller/director of finance responsibilities require skills such as "reconciliations," "r," "sox testing," and "financial controls." Whereas a finance vice president is skilled in "rehabilitation," "securities," "strong analytical," and "strategic plan." This is part of what separates the two careers.
Finance vice presidents really shine in the manufacturing industry with an average salary of $149,254. Comparatively, controller/directors of finance tend to make the most money in the manufacturing industry with an average salary of $142,225.The education levels that finance vice presidents earn slightly differ from controller/directors of finance. In particular, finance vice presidents are 0.8% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than a controller/director of finance. Additionally, they're 0.2% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Controller/director of finance vs. Finance manager
A finance manager is responsible for monitoring the financial system of a company. Their tasks include handling their organization's financial status, generating cost estimates and budget goals, identifying business opportunities to increase revenues and profitability, improving financial strategies, reducing costs, analyzing account statements, processing invoice as needed, analyzing market trends, searching potential partnerships, and presenting reports. A finance manager must have excellent analytical skills and knowledge of the accounting and financial industry. They are responsible for providing the best recommendations for the organization's growth.
In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, controller/director of finance responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "oversight," "risk management," "internal audit," and "real estate." Meanwhile, a finance manager has duties that require skills in areas such as "customer service," "hyperion," "financial models," and "strong analytical." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.
On average, finance managers earn a lower salary than controller/directors of finance. Some industries support higher salaries in each profession. Interestingly enough, finance managers earn the most pay in the finance industry with an average salary of $118,926. Whereas controller/directors of finance have higher pay in the manufacturing industry, with an average salary of $142,225.In general, finance managers achieve similar levels of education than controller/directors of finance. They're 3.4% less likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 0.2% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Controller/director of finance vs. Finance leader
The duties of a finance leader depend on one's place or industry of employment. Typically, their responsibilities revolve around monitoring the sales and financial operations in a company, preparing financial reports and statements, finding new sales opportunities, identifying the market and client needs, and maintaining records of all financial transactions. There are also instances where a finance leader may set and allocate budgets, perform audits in costs and expenditures, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations.
Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from controller/director of finance resumes include skills like "oversight," "cpa," "risk management," and "internal audit," whereas a finance leader is more likely to list skills in "strong analytical," "hr," "hyperion," and "business process. "
Finance leaders earn the best pay in the finance industry, where they command an average salary of $120,889. Controller/directors of finance earn the highest pay from the manufacturing industry, with an average salary of $142,225.Most finance leaders achieve a similar degree level compared to controller/directors of finance. For example, they're 1.7% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.3% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Controller/director of finance vs. Accounting manager/controller
An accounting manager/controller is responsible for spearheading and overseeing the daily operations in a company's accounting department. They monitor the company's budgets, including its costs and expenditures, and produce financial reports. It is also their duty to establish objectives and guidelines, manage accounting staff, monitor financial activities, review and assess financial statements, approve expenditures, and resolve issues promptly and efficiently. Furthermore, as an accounting manager/controller, it is essential to lead and encourage the workforce to reach goals, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations.
Even though a few skill sets overlap between controller/directors of finance and accounting managers/controller, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, a controller/director of finance might have more use for skills like "payroll," "risk management," "balance sheet," and "internal audit." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of accounting managers/controller require skills like "payroll taxes," "general ledger accounts," "balance sheet accounts," and "account reconciliations. "
In general, accounting managers/controller earn the most working in the technology industry, with an average salary of $89,839. The highest-paying industry for a controller/director of finance is the manufacturing industry.accounting managers/controller reach lower levels of education compared to controller/directors of finance, in general. The difference is that they're 6.9% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.4% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Types of controller/director of finance
Updated January 8, 2025
