WHAT DOES A FINANCE CONTROLLER DO?

Published: July 23, 2025 - The Finance Controller oversees all accounting functions, financial reporting, and tax compliance while ensuring alignment with local regulations and international accounting standards. This role leads organizational change initiatives, coordinates cross-functional projects, and serves as the primary liaison for audits, governance, and risk management. The controller also drives process improvements, supports treasury and cash operations, and advises leadership on statutory, tax, and carve-out accounting matters to enhance operational efficiency and compliance.

A Review of Professional Skills and Functions for Finance Controller

1. Finance Controller Duties

  • Team Management: Manage a small team responsible for the Group’s corporate centre financial reporting
  • Financial Reporting: Produce high-quality financial statements and other internal and external reporting, supported by appropriate analysis, of all relevant corporate centre legal entities
  • Control Environment: Review and maintain a robust financial control environment with regular monthly risk and control reporting, including implementing enhancements
  • Compensation Accounting: Assume full responsibility for share-based compensation accounting for the Group and related intercompany re-charges and BMA filings
  • Budget Forecasting: Own the forecasting and budgeting of corporate centre legal entities and their associated cash flow/recharging requirements
  • Process Automation: Streamline and automate finance processes, leveraging technology or other enablers
  • Project Support: Support ad-hoc finance projects (e.g., IFRS17) and other group reporting requirements (e.g., Solvency II, rating agency submissions, other statistical data requirements)
  • Financial Control: Drive a culture of excellence in Financial Control in Group Finance
  • Cash Management: Guard assets and manage cash flow to meet business needs, such as fixed assets, inventory, and receivables
  • System Utilization: Utilize the Dover Financial Planning (DFP) system to facilitate information flow and improve the forecasting process
  • Accounting Compliance: Maintain the organization’s accounting principles, practices, and procedures
  • Data Entry Oversight: Oversee the calculating, posting, verifying, and entry of data to obtain and record financial data for use in maintaining accounting records
  • Operational Leadership: Lead most day-to-day operations of accounting and present findings and recommendations to the CFO and executive management
  • System Proficiency: Remain proficient in the Dover reporting system and comply with Dover’s reporting requirements
  • Strategic Planning: Recommend and implement strategic changes in financial strategy

2. Finance Controller Details

  • Accounting Oversight: Lead/oversee the whole accounting, AR and AP processes
  • Organizational Leadership: Lead the needed organizational changes in his/her areas of responsibility in line with the Corporate strategies to build a more efficient and effective organization over time
  • Project Coordination: Lead and coordinate any project in his/her areas of responsibility, being the first contact in the Local Market to coordinate the different areas impacted (Corporate, local teams, legal/tax advisors, or auditors)
  • Financial Reporting: Own the group and statutory financial reporting process for the legal entities in Argentina
  • Regulatory Compliance: Ensure full compliance with internal and external (financial) reporting requirements, in line with the group accounting policies and the local regulations, with a clear understanding of the differences between them (i.e., IFRS, local, and US GAAP, tax)
  • Group Collaboration: Work with the Central (Finance), Shared Services, and Tax Accounting teams for group reporting and consolidation purposes
  • Tax Management: Direct and indirect tax, and timely identification and communication of tax risk and opportunities
  • Tax Compliance: Monitor tax compliance obligations in the responsible territory and arrange for the timely preparation of direct and indirect tax filings
  • Tax Liaison: Contact with the tax offices, assisting in the preparation of responses to queries from tax authorities in an efficient and timely manner
  • Audit Coordination: Act as overall audit engagement coordinator and primary point of contact for internal and external audit
  • Governance Management: Own the Local Governance, including the appropriate board meetings and minutes, information to key stakeholders, etc.
  • Business Advisory: Advise local management and Finance Co-Pilots on statutory and tax considerations in support of business decisions
  • Process Improvement: Upgrade or implement best-in-class procedures, processes and systems which, on the one hand, support the business for future growth, and on the other hand, are focused on compliance to deliver accurate, reliable, complete and timely financial statements
  • Carve-Out Accounting: Go-to person for accounting matters about the carve-out of the financial statements
  • Treasury Oversight: Ensure Treasury and Cash Management are in line with local business needs and with corporate guidelines
  • Risk Coordination: Coordinate legal and insurance obligations (risk management)

3. Finance Controller Responsibilities

  • Cost Management: Cost owner of several Greater China EF (enabling function) functions (IT/Government relationship/legal, etc.) day to day people cost and functional activity management
  • Stakeholder Partnership: Partner with Greater China key stakeholders and functional leaders to drive cost spending efficiency, drive the month-end closing process together with the accounting Ops team, in charge of quarterly planning and annual budgeting
  • Performance Review: Own FP&A monthly MPR (monthly performance review) review process, liaises with both finance and cross-functional teams to ensure on-time and first-time right submission
  • FP&A Support: Support other FP&A cycle and activities such as monthly end closing, reference deck preparation, quarterly planning and annual budgeting
  • Project Leadership: Coordinate/lead FP&A projects, both local and global Hoshin projects
  • Team Coaching: Right-hand person of Fin BP for EF & HT FP&A Lead to coach junior team members, drive EF / FP&A initiatives, adhoc FP&A support for Greater China MT
  • Sales Strategy: Strategy development and implementation of sales and financial plan
  • Performance Management: Commercial performance management
  • Sales Execution: Playing the key role in transactional sales stream under the leadership of Commercial Operation GM to drive the sales plan
  • Business Partnership: Be a business partner in other commercial activities
  • Risk Management: Be responsible for the credit and risk management
  • Financial Partnering: Strategic and Operational business partner of the RR Asia commercial and marketing team for financial topics
  • EBIT Optimization: Drive EBIT (DA) optimization and maximization together with the commercial team with action-oriented insights
  • Sales Analysis: Take responsibility for all financial analysis of sales, driving plans/results, insights/profit scenarios and commercial activities

4. Lead Finance Controller Job Summary

  • Financial Reporting: Delivering and presenting reliable financial data for management reporting each month
  • Flux Analysis: Preparing the monthly balance sheet and profit and loss flux analysis
  • Balance Reconciliation: Performing high-quality balance sheet reconciliations
  • Audit Coordination: Being the key contact point during audits and preparing files for internal and external auditors
  • Information Delivery: Ensuring timely delivery of information requested by auditors and building relationships with the tax authorities
  • Statutory Reporting: Preparing and filing statutory reports and other regulatory reports in close collaboration with external consultants
  • Process Improvement: Continuously driving improvement in quality and efficiency in new processes and systems to optimize the department's workflow and ensure SOX compliance
  • Analytical Support: Support the business with timely and relevant analytical support
  • Presentation Support: Supporting the Finance Director with reporting and preparation of presentation material
  • Tool Improvement: Drive improvements of financial processes and tools/templates
  • Global Responsibility: Take over/ driver for some global tasks and responsibility for the Accessories Business
  • Performance Measurement: Measure performance against bonus and commission plans
  • Investment Evaluation: Evaluate business-led investment requests for approval

5. Finance Controller Accountabilities

  • Working Capital: Analyze Working Capital, identify possible risks and opportunities and give steering recommendations to the business
  • Variance Analysis: Coordinate the explanation of variances, actual with plan, and provide comments on relevant metrics for the overall business development
  • Awareness Building: Improve and strengthen working capital awareness within Zalando, making sure common knowledge and tools are available for efficient NWC planning and steering
  • Decision Support: Provide insights and management support when it comes to deciding on the trade-offs between WC optimization and other company objectives
  • Liquidity Forecast: Support Treasury in-house cash decisions and contribute to the quality of the liquidity forecast
  • Process Deployment: Deploy and improve working capital management processes and systems across the company
  • Tool Oversight: Provide specifications and functional oversight for the improvement of IT tools supporting Working Capital Management
  • Accounting Control: Be responsible for the Financial and management accounting, including, amongst others, month-end close processes and reconciliations, revenue recognition
  • Payment Oversight: Oversight and control of purchases, payments, customer billing and collections
  • Financial Analysis: Development and present relevant financial analyses, highlighting areas of risk and/or opportunity, providing recommendations
  • Budget Forecasting: Active involvement in the budgeting and forecasting process
  • Control Environment: Ensuring a robust control environment
  • Compliance Supervision: Cooperation with 3rd third-party accounting company to supervise statutory financial reporting, tax compliance, and payroll
  • Banking Management: Management of the local banking relationships in Bucharest and Belgrade
  • Operational Support: Financial support of the operational teams in Belgrade and Bucharest

6. Finance Controller Functions

  • Performance Metrics: Establish harmonized performance metrics for INSEE Commercial, both Marketing and Sales, to drive business decision-making with Variance Analysis depicting key drivers and highlighting aspects of the production process requiring decision-making
  • Reporting Structure: Establish a sustainable Reporting Structure for INSEE Operational Excellence Workstream, including but not limited to periodic Performance Dashboards, Harmonized Manufacturing Technical Indicator Dashboards, periodic audits/checks
  • Sales Analysis: Analyze Marketing and Sales results and provide automated/ online reports every month on the Group Manufacturing performance and initiative dashboard
  • Business Partnering: Act as the Finance Business Partner to support other members of the Commercial team to perform their duties and support the business plan elaboration
  • Process Compliance: Ensure that all Marketing and Sales processes and reporting comply with the INSEE Accounting and Reporting Principles
  • Finance Coordination: Provide coordination with other Finance and Controlling Functions (CAPEX Controllers, Financial Planning Personnel, Regional Controller, Accounting and Reporting teams, etc.)
  • System Support: Support INSEE Group Reporting and Information Platform Project (Project iGRIP) in establishing clear-cut reporting indicators in the Manufacturing Domain organization-wide
  • Monthly Reporting: Issuing monthly reporting P&L, Balance Sheet, Opex, Capex, Aging Report to the head office
  • Customer Review: Analyzing the check reports of customers
  • Tax Compliance: Oversee all tax and regulatory compliance issues
  • Statutory Submission: Prepare and submit information to statutory authorities
  • Account Preparation: Be responsible for the preparation of annual statutory accounts

7. Associate Finance Controller Job Description

  • Budget Preparation: Forecast and Budget Preparation of Logistics (P&L)
  • Cost Analysis: Analysis every month of the results of logistics costs- offers solutions to improve efficiency- suggests actions to optimize costs
  • Accrual Management: Calculate and consolidate accruals of logistics costs- provide templates for accounting for cost booking- control the correct reflection of data in the SAP Keystone system
  • Best Practices: Through analysis, identify the best practices for logistics costs
  • Loss Analysis: Analysis every month of the results, SC Losses- Inventory health- provision of risk stock provision
  • Period Closing: Participate in the closing of the period and is responsible for the block of preparation of financial statements, analysis and proposals for optimization of the block
  • Cost Reflection: Responsible for the correct reflection of logistics costs in management reporting systems
  • Report Provision: Provides a variety of reports for the management of the Company on demand
  • Performance Review: Performance reviews with business and management stakeholders to challenge and improve the bottom line on the short, medium and long term
  • Action Planning: Driving and coordinating analysis, recommendations, as well as action plan follow-up to improve financial performance
  • Financial Reporting: Preparation of monthly financial reports and it's presentation
  • Forecast Preparation: Preparation of the budget and forecast
  • IC Control: Be responsible for IC cost and revenue control

8. Finance Controller Overview

  • Financial Planning: Support management in the financial planning process for the corporate function and all wholesalers in the region
  • Performance Reporting: Secure bi-monthly reporting process in SAP and update management comments to relevant stakeholders on financial performance and fixed assets investment, including corporate functions and wholesalers in CN
  • Decision Support: Provide guidance and support to management and other stakeholders to achieve financial goals by analysing results, highlighting risks and opportunities, and providing recommendations to make appropriate decisions
  • Price Coordination: Coordinate pricing/territorial adjustment process for all wholesalers in the region, secure fair and correct prices to AP retailers, and ensure adequate profit level at wholesale companies
  • Profit Simulation: Carry out gross profit and full P/L simulations according to IKEA Pricing strategy, meanwhile ensuring the EBIT result is on track with the Transfer Pricing benchmark
  • Stakeholder Partnership: Build a strong partnership with cross-country, cross-business-unit stakeholders to understand their business and cost picture, ensure a transparent and straightforward cross-charge structure
  • Compliance Assurance: Follow external financial requests and internal procedures to ensure compliance
  • Project Contribution: Contribute to all projects that need Pricing and Financial controlling support
  • Capex Management: Manage Capex, Cashflow and analysis and reporting vs budget vs forecast
  • Financial Training: Training and broadening the knowledge of other members of the organization in the field of systems, control and reporting procedures related to financial aspects
  • Committee Collaboration: Collaborate with the organisation's committee and finance department on knowledge points with group procedures and local legal requirements

9. Finance Controller Details and Accountabilities

  • Team Management: Manage the finance control team to ensure that entity performance is planned, recorded and reported in line with JTI and local statutory requirements, including but not limited to management of external auditor, external tax advisor and dealing with questions from HQ and regions
  • Internal Controls: Ensure that the internal control environment of finance and related business processes is consistent with JTI Worldwide standards, thus mitigating business and control risk within the Korea business operations
  • Strategy Implementation: Work closely with the Finance Director and other Financial Management to ensure that financial strategies (tax, treasury, transfer pricing, cash flow, etc) are implemented and in line with JTI guidelines
  • Process Efficiency: Continuously seek to identify efficient solutions for handling planning, accounting, tax and treasury and logistics functions
  • Business Alignment: Work closely with other market functions to ensure that the overall business objectives are supported by well-defined functional strategies and programs compliant with Regional and Corporate strategies and guidelines
  • Control Execution: Control Owner Responsible for executing the control(s) assigned to him/her as required by the control description and to document the control execution appropriately
  • Failure Remediation: Control Owners are also responsible for reporting any self-identified control failures to the Internal Control manager, as well as for remediating all control failures in a timely and appropriate manner
  • Working Capital: Working capital analysis and cash flow preparation
  • Margin Reporting: Preparation of Contribution Margin Report and Aging Report
  • Loan Management: Calculate the tin capital, loan management and ensure financial sustainability
  • Forecast Preparation: Budget and prepare the forecast reports

10. Finance Controller Tasks

  • R&D Compliance: Ensures coherence with R&D Controlling standards, policies and procedures, adopts respective processes
  • Budget Monitoring: Planning, monitoring and reviews of R&D Turkey's budget, and provides and comments on Actual with Plan reports
  • Performance Analysis: Supervises financial performance, provides critical metric analyses, and prepares and comments on respective performance reporting and forecasts
  • EVA Control: Contribute and Control EVA calculations of new R&D Projects, and ensure timely updates
  • Sample Dispatch: Perform necessary tasks for the dispatch and export of sample prototypes and other supplies of R&D projects
  • Agreement Management: Ensures timely completion of yearly R&D Project agreements with R&D Headquarters
  • Incentive Reporting: Follows and executes all necessary tasks to fulfill the R&D incentive report and ensures the incentive preconditions are realized
  • Record Accuracy: Ensures the accuracy of R&D project books and records, including recording of such in the appropriate systems
  • Process Improvement: Financial process reengineering/improvement and financial project management
  • Tool Implementation: Processes/tools design, development and implementation
  • Legal Compliance: Avoid legal challenges by understanding the current and proposed legislation and implementing new procedures
  • BPO Execution: Executions will be supported by a third-party provider (BPO)
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