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Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Financial Controller Assistant

💰 $ - $

AccountingFinanceController OfficeCorporate Finance

🎯 Role Definition

The Financial Controller Assistant provides hands-on accounting and reporting support to the Controller and finance leadership. This role is responsible for executing month-end close activities, preparing and reviewing journal entries, performing detailed reconciliations, supporting audits and compliance, assisting with budgeting and forecasting, and improving accounting processes. The ideal candidate combines technical accounting knowledge (GAAP/IFRS), ERP system proficiency, and strong analytical and communication skills to produce accurate financial statements and management reports that inform business decisions.

Key SEO/LLM keywords: Financial Controller Assistant, month-end close, financial reporting, accounting, GAAP, IFRS, ERP (NetSuite, SAP, Oracle), reconciliations, budgeting, cash flow forecasting, audit support, internal controls.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Staff Accountant
  • Accounts Payable / Receivable Specialist
  • Junior Financial Analyst

Advancement To:

  • Financial Controller
  • Senior Accountant / Senior Financial Analyst
  • Finance Manager

Lateral Moves:

  • FP&A Analyst
  • Internal Audit / Compliance Associate
  • Treasury Analyst

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Prepare and post accurate and fully supported month-end journal entries (accruals, prepayments, amortizations, and intercompany eliminations) to ensure timely close and reliable financial statements for management and external stakeholders.
  • Reconcile general ledger accounts, bank statements, and subsidiary ledgers (AP, AR, payroll, fixed assets) on a monthly basis, investigate reconciling items, and drive timely resolution with process owners.
  • Assist in the preparation of consolidated financial statements and management reporting packs, including P&L, balance sheet, cash flow statements, and variance analysis versus budget and prior periods.
  • Support the Controller in monthly, quarterly and year-end close schedules and maintain the close checklist to meet strict reporting deadlines while continuously identifying opportunities to shorten the close cycle.
  • Maintain and update fixed asset registers, calculate and post monthly depreciation, coordinate asset disposals and capital project accounting, and ensure capitalization policies are consistently applied.
  • Perform detailed accounts payable and accounts receivable analyses, ensure timely invoicing and collections, review aging reports, and coordinate corrective actions to improve DSO and payment cycles.
  • Assist with cash flow forecasting and working capital analysis, prepare weekly/monthly cash forecasts, monitor short-term liquidity, and coordinate with Treasury or banking partners as required.
  • Support budgeting and forecasting processes by preparing templates, consolidating departmental budgets, performing variance analyses, and presenting findings to finance leadership.
  • Prepare and support statutory and management tax filings by gathering required schedules, preparing supporting workpapers for VAT/GST, sales tax, and coordinating with external tax advisors for compliance.
  • Execute and document internal control procedures and SOX (or equivalent) controls, support control testing, and maintain process documentation and accounting policies to ensure compliance and audit readiness.
  • Coordinate and support internal and external audits by preparing schedules, providing reconciliations, responding to auditor inquiries, and implementing auditor-recommended improvements.
  • Lead ad-hoc financial analyses and modeling to support strategic initiatives such as pricing reviews, cost center performance, project profitability, and M&A due diligence tasks as assigned.
  • Manage intercompany accounting and reconciliations, prepare intercompany billing and settlement documentation, ensure appropriate eliminations for consolidated reporting, and resolve imbalances.
  • Review and analyze revenue recognition and contract accounting matters, apply ASC 606 / IFRS 15 principles where applicable, and prepare supporting schedules for revenue cutoffs and contract-based accruals.
  • Administer expense reporting and corporate credit card reconciliations, enforce policy compliance, review receipts and approvals, and process reimbursements timely to employees.
  • Assist in payroll reconciliation and related accruals, coordinate with payroll providers, and ensure payroll-related liabilities are accurately reported in the general ledger.
  • Maintain chart of accounts hygiene by proposing and implementing GL account changes, correcting mis-postings, and ensuring mapping consistency across reporting systems and ERP integrations.
  • Support ERP and accounting system configuration, testing, and optimization efforts (e.g., NetSuite, SAP, Oracle), including assisting with month-end automation, data imports, and report customization to improve efficiency.
  • Monitor KPI dashboards, prepare periodic analysis of gross margin, operating expenses, and headcount variance to budget and forecast, and present insights to support management decision-making.
  • Assist Finance leadership in policy development related to accounting, travel and expense, procurement, and asset management, ensuring policies are communicated and adhered to across the organization.
  • Coordinate with cross-functional teams (operations, sales, HR, procurement) to obtain data, explain accounting treatments, and drive closure of open items and business questions.
  • Prepare supporting documentation and schedules for finance committee meetings and investor/board packs, ensuring accuracy and clear commentary on financial performance and trends.
  • Identify process improvement opportunities, implement best practices and automation (macros, reporting tools), and lead small projects to streamline accounting operations and reduce manual effort.
  • Ensure confidentiality and security of financial data, maintain appropriate access controls, and support IT and compliance teams on finance-related security or data privacy matters.

Secondary Functions

  • Provide ad-hoc analysis and reporting to business unit leaders to support strategic planning and operational decisions.
  • Support financial system upgrade projects by testing transactions, validating balances, and training end-users on new processes.
  • Assist with preparation of grant or subsidy reports and compliance schedules where applicable.
  • Help maintain vendor master data and support procurement-to-pay process improvements to optimize supplier relationships.
  • Participate in cross-functional projects (ERP implementations, cost transformation, integration activities) and act as the finance representative to ensure accounting requirements are embedded early.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • Strong working knowledge of GAAP and basic familiarity with IFRS accounting principles.
  • Hands-on experience with month-end close processes, journal entries, account reconciliations, and producing financial statements.
  • Advanced Excel skills (pivot tables, VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP, INDEX/MATCH, complex formulas, macros) for data analysis and reporting.
  • Proficiency with one or more ERP/accounting systems (NetSuite, SAP, Oracle, QuickBooks, Microsoft Dynamics) including GL navigation and reporting modules.
  • Experience preparing and supporting external and internal audits, including SOX control testing and documentation.
  • Knowledge of revenue recognition (ASC 606 / IFRS 15) and lease accounting (ASC 842 / IFRS 16) as applicable.
  • Cash flow forecasting, working capital management, and basic treasury coordination experience.
  • Accounts payable/accounts receivable processing and aging analysis expertise.
  • Fixed asset accounting and depreciation calculation experience.
  • Financial modeling and variance analysis skills for budgeting, forecasting, and management reporting.
  • Familiarity with tax compliance processes (VAT/GST, sales tax) and preparation of supporting schedules.
  • Experience with consolidation and intercompany accounting practices.
  • Competence in financial reporting tools and BI dashboards (Power BI, Tableau, Looker) is a plus.
  • Basic understanding of internal control frameworks and risk assessment methodologies.

Soft Skills

  • Strong analytical mindset with exceptional attention to detail and accuracy.
  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills; able to explain complex accounting matters to non-finance stakeholders.
  • High level of organization and ability to manage multiple priorities and tight deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
  • Problem-solving orientation with ability to investigate issues and propose practical solutions.
  • Collaborative team player who partners effectively across finance and business functions.
  • Proactive attitude with continuous improvement mindset and openness to process automation.
  • Professional integrity and confidentiality when handling sensitive financial information.
  • Adaptability and resilience to work through ambiguity during system changes or business growth.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field (required).

Preferred Education:

  • Bachelor’s degree plus progress toward or completion of a professional qualification (CPA, ACCA, CIMA) or Master’s in Accounting/Finance preferred.

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Accounting
  • Finance
  • Business Administration
  • Economics
  • Applied Mathematics / Statistics (for analytical focus)

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

  • 2–5 years of progressive accounting experience in corporate accounting, public accounting, or shared services environments.

Preferred:

  • 3–5+ years experience supporting controller functions, month-end close, financial reporting, and audit preparation; demonstrated ERP experience (NetSuite, SAP, Oracle) and proven track record of process improvement.
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