How to hire a unit controller

How to hire a unit controller, step by step

Here's a step-by-step unit controller hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a unit controller job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new unit controller
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a unit controller do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a unit controller, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a unit controller to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a unit controller that fits the bill.

   The following list breaks down different types of unit controllers and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Unit Controller	Description	Hourly rate
   Unit Controller	Financial managers are responsible for the financial health of an organization. They produce financial reports, direct investment activities, and develop strategies and plans for the long-term financial goals of their organization.	$33-73
   Manager Finance Planning And Analysis	A manager finance planning and analysis oversees the daily operations of a company's financial planning department. They typically have administrative duties such as setting goals and guidelines, establishing timelines and budgets, delegating tasks among teams and staff, and reviewing financial reports regularly... Show more	$36-71
   Business Manager-Finance Manager	A business manager/finance manager is responsible for handling the financial transactions of an organization, analyzing financial reports, and monitor investment activities. Business managers/finance managers strategize effective techniques to boost the organization's financial performance and identify business opportunities to increase revenues... Show more	$35-73

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Financial Analysis
   • Payroll
   • Financial Reports
   • Internal Controls
   • Close Process
   • Financial Data
   • SOX
   • GAAP
   • Balance Sheet
   • Financial Performance
   • Fixed Assets
   • General Ledger
   • Financial Controls
   • Accruals

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage global consolidation of month end closing including review/analysis of financial statements ensuring adherence of GAAP guidelines.
   • Maintain and update the ERP system and average actual batch costing.
   • Provide training to finance and operation staff for the new ERP system.
   • Implement online expense report system and online account reconciliations along with lead the accounts payable outsourcing project.
   • Assess and close A/P & A/R ledger on a monthly basis, validate content and resolve various issues.
   • Prepare consolidated financial statements in accordance with GAAP.

   More unit controller duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your unit controller job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A unit controller salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, unit controllers' average salary in nebraska is 37% less than in district of columbia.
   • Seniority. Entry-level unit controllers earn 54% less than senior-level unit controllers.
   • Certifications. A unit controller with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a unit controller's salary.

   Average unit controller salary

   $104,008yearly

   $50.00 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level unit controller salary

   $70,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 14, 2025

   Average unit controller salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$134,237	$65
   2	District of Columbia	$125,141	$60
   3	Illinois	$118,471	$57
   4	Connecticut	$117,869	$57
   5	New York	$115,295	$55
   6	Maryland	$111,501	$54
   7	Washington	$107,495	$52
   8	North Carolina	$103,443	$50
   9	North Dakota	$102,311	$49
   10	Michigan	$99,069	$48
   11	Virginia	$98,098	$47
   12	Massachusetts	$96,764	$47
   13	Texas	$95,500	$46
   14	Pennsylvania	$95,460	$46
   15	Oregon	$94,699	$46
   16	Ohio	$94,322	$45
   17	Arizona	$88,746	$43
   18	Florida	$85,904	$41
   19	Louisiana	$83,988	$40
   20	Missouri	$83,524	$40

   Average unit controller salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Wacker Chemie	$119,121	$57.27
   2	MAT Holdings	$115,591	$55.57
   3	UBS	$109,562	$52.67	1
   4	AMETEK	$108,607	$52.21	6
   5	World Wide Technology	$107,530	$51.70
   6	Brose North America, Inc.	$106,961	$51.42
   7	ITW	$106,173	$51.04	5
   8	Pilgrim's	$103,603	$49.81	16
   9	Aramark	$99,854	$48.01	44
   10	StandardAero	$99,206	$47.70
   11	GA Telesis	$97,546	$46.90
   12	LB Foster	$97,100	$46.68
   13	Elkay Manufacturing	$97,071	$46.67
   14	Silicon Valley Bank	$97,066	$46.67
   15	JBT FoodTech	$96,997	$46.63
   16	Elkay Plastics	$96,806	$46.54
   17	Culligan	$95,040	$45.69
   18	Mfg.com	$94,080	$45.23
   19	Watlow	$94,069	$45.23
   20	KBR	$93,288	$44.85	8

4. Writing a unit controller job description

   A unit controller job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. Below, you can find an example of a unit controller job description:

   Unit controller job description example

   Principle Accountabilities:
   
   Serve as business partner to BU personnel and assist in providing strategic and tactical direction for the long-term financial success of the unit. Provide early warning on all business trends that affect the performance of the unit related to Engineering and Administrative spend - including P&L, balance sheet, and operational issues, while identifying probable causes and solutions.
   3. Oversee, manage and consolidate all financial reporting and accounting functions at the BU level. Accountable for timely and accurate month-end closing, forecasting, quoting, working capital, and fixed asset management.
   4. Coordinate the annual budget and long-range planning (LRP) process in a participative and strategic fashion leads to objective and reasonable Engineering and Administrative spending.
   5. Implement proper cost center reporting for Functional department reporting. Communicates and schedules regular reviews of Functional departments vs. budget/forecast and assists in the identification and implementation of corrective actions to secure target achievements.
   6. Implement clear and comprehensive Department controlling structure in SAP - including work to establish or improve existing systems/processes.
   8. Will Act as SOX Coordinator for Business Unit, ensuring an effective internal control environment with polices/procedures that comply with US GAAP, ICFR (Internal Control over Financial Reporting) and Company Policy requirements.
   9. Develop strong collaborative relationships within the BU related to peers in Operations and Engineering to drive strong communication and financial reporting.
   10. Effectively manage, evaluate, monitor and develop employees under your influence to drive maximum operational performance and further employee career advancement. Seek to be a net exporter of finance talent.
   11. Must remain objective and unbiased.
   Other projects and responsibilities as deemed appropriate by the BU.
   
   Internal Use Only: Salary
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5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right unit controller for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your unit controller job on Zippia to find and recruit unit controller candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting unit controllers requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new unit controller

   Once you've found the unit controller candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new unit controller. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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How much does it cost to hire a unit controller?