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Controller
Free template · 2026

Controller Job Description Template

A ready-to-use Controller job description for 2026, with the interview scorecard and questions to hire one. Copy it as is or customize it free in about 15 seconds.

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Includes the job description, an interview scorecard and questions for every round.

Mid-level in Latin America
$3,875/mo
Same role in the US
$10,875/mo
You save
Up to 64%

All-in monthly cost, 2026 rates.

Job description template
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Controller

We are hiring a Mid-level Controller to own key month-end and finance operations functions with a focus on accurate reporting and dependable controls. You will partner with cross-functional teams to ensure financial statements are prepared on time, reconciliations are completed, and insights are delivered to support leadership decision-making.

Responsibilities

  • Lead month-end close activities, ensuring timely and accurate financial reporting
  • Own balance sheet reconciliations and investigate variances to resolution
  • Maintain and improve financial controls, including documentation of processes and review steps
  • Prepare and review key financial statements and management reporting (e.g., income statement, balance sheet, cash position)
  • Support budgeting, forecasting, and variance analysis with clear drivers and actionable insights
  • Coordinate audits and support external reporting requirements as needed
  • Partner with stakeholders to ensure accurate coding, classifications, and financial data integrity

Must-have qualifications

  • Hands-on experience running month-end close and producing accurate financial statements
  • Strong balance sheet reconciliation experience with root-cause variance investigation
  • Working knowledge of internal controls and finance process documentation
  • Experience preparing management reporting and partnering with stakeholders on variance explanations
  • Ability to work independently on well-defined finance deliverables with strong attention to detail
  • Experience supporting audits or compliance activities with external parties

Nice to have

  • Experience with revenue accounting or complex accruals
  • Experience with ERP systems and financial reporting tools (e.g., NetSuite, QuickBooks, SAP, Oracle)
  • Background in US GAAP or IFRS financial reporting

What success looks like in 12 months

  • On-time, accurate month-end close
  • Balance sheet reconciliation quality
  • Improved financial controls and process reliability
  • Decision-ready management reporting
  • Audit readiness and issue resolution

Logistics

  • Full-time (40 hours a week), remote from Latin America.
  • Working hours overlap with US business hours.

About the company

[About your company: what you build, your stage and team size]

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Interview scorecard

Score every candidate against the same bar

Ensure accurate, timely financial reporting and robust internal controls that enable leadership to make confident decisions.

Outcomes to measure

What this hire should deliver in the first year. Replace [N] with your own targets.

  • On-time, accurate month-end close. Measure: close books within [X] business days for [Y]% of months
  • Balance sheet reconciliation quality. Measure: complete required reconciliations with documented resolution for [X]% of accounts each month; reduce unresolved reconciling items aging beyond [N] days to [X]% or less
  • Improved financial controls and process reliability. Measure: implement or update [X] finance control/process documents and achieve [X]% adherence based on review outcomes
  • Decision-ready management reporting. Measure: deliver monthly management reporting pack by [day/time placeholder] with variance explanations covering [X]% of material line items
  • Audit readiness and issue resolution. Measure: support external/audit requests with average turnaround of [X] business days and resolve [X]% of audit findings within agreed remediation timelines

Competencies and weights

What to evaluate, how much it counts and what a strong answer looks like.

Month-end Close Ownership · 26%
The role’s core is reliable month-end execution and accurate financial statements. Evaluated in Round 1.

  • Weak: Produces close deliverables late and requires repeated rework to correct posted items
  • Meets the bar: Completes close tasks on time with occasional follow-ups to address reconciling items
  • Strong: Coordinates close end-to-end, resolves issues quickly, and delivers accurate reporting with minimal rework

Reconciliation And Variance · 22%
Balance sheet accuracy and root-cause analysis are critical to trustworthy reporting. Evaluated in Round 2.

  • Weak: Documents reconciliations without identifying or resolving root causes
  • Meets the bar: Identifies likely drivers for variances and resolves routine items with evidence
  • Strong: Finds root causes for variances, implements fixes to prevent recurrence, and communicates clear findings

Internal Controls Execution · 16%
Robust controls reduce errors and improve confidence in financial statements. Evaluated in Round 2.

  • Weak: Cannot explain control purpose or consistently misses required review steps
  • Meets the bar: Maintains control documentation and performs reviews as expected
  • Strong: Improves control design/documentation and demonstrates consistent adherence with measurable reduction in exceptions

Management Reporting Partner · 14%
The Controller must translate numbers into actionable insights for stakeholders. Evaluated in Round 3.

  • Weak: Provides reports without clear drivers or asks follow-up late
  • Meets the bar: Explains variances and provides supporting context when requested
  • Strong: Proactively anticipates questions, structures insights clearly, and aligns on reporting assumptions with stakeholders

Audit Support And Compliance · 12%
Audit and compliance support requires organization, responsiveness, and accuracy. Evaluated in Round 3.

  • Weak: Relies on others to respond and struggles to provide requested documentation
  • Meets the bar: Responds to audit requests with appropriate documentation and timely follow-up
  • Strong: Organizes evidence early, tracks open items, and resolves issues efficiently with external parties

Independent Deliverable Management · 10%
Mid-level scope requires working independently while maintaining quality. Evaluated in Round 1.

  • Weak: Needs frequent guidance to progress and misses dependencies
  • Meets the bar: Manages well-defined tasks independently and escalates blockers appropriately
  • Strong: Plans deliverables end-to-end, surfaces risks early, and maintains quality with minimal supervision
Interview questions

Questions for every interview round

Each round has an owner, a time box and questions that test the competencies above.

Round 1: Finance Operations & Close
Controller Hiring Manager · 50 min

  1. Walk through your most recent month-end close: what you owned end-to-end, what you verified, and how you handled issues.
  2. Describe an example where you found a material error late in close—what signals you saw and how you corrected it.
  3. How do you plan close deliverables to ensure timing and accuracy? Give a specific approach you follow.
  4. Share an example of managing a well-defined finance deliverable independently—what did you do from start to finish?

Round 2: Reconciliations & Controls
Finance Operations Lead · 55 min

  1. Choose one balance sheet reconciliation you owned: what was the purpose, how you validated the numbers, and how you resolved discrepancies.
  2. Tell us about a time you identified a recurring variance driver. How did you investigate root cause and what changed afterward?
  3. Explain how you design, document, and execute internal control steps for recurring processes. Give a concrete example of a control you strengthened.

Round 3: Reporting, Stakeholders & Audit
Director of Finance · 55 min

  1. Describe how you produce management reporting for leadership. How do you ensure variances are meaningful and explainable?
  2. Give an example of partnering with a cross-functional stakeholder to improve financial data quality or classifications.
  3. Walk through your experience supporting audits or compliance requests: how you organized evidence, tracked questions, and ensured timely, correct responses.

Red flags to watch for

  • Repeated late month-end delivery or frequent rework due to preventable posting/reconciliation errors
  • Inability to clearly explain root-cause for material variances or reliance on others to resolve issues
  • Weak documentation of controls/processes or inability to describe how reviews are performed and evidenced
  • Consistent lack of responsiveness or poor organization during audit/compliance requests

How much does it cost to hire a Controller in Latin America?

In 2026, a senior Controller in Latin America costs $5,750 to $6,625 a month all-in, versus $14,125 in the US: up to 59% less. Mid-level starts at $3,875.

Country

Mid-level

Senior

Argentina

$3,875

$5,750

Brazil

$4,250

$6,375

Colombia

$3,875

$5,750

Mexico

$4,375

$6,625

United States

$10,875

$14,125

Monthly cost in USD, all-in: the talent's salary plus Teilur's flat 20% fee, from our 2026 rates. The United States row shows what the same role typically costs there.

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Frequently asked questions

What does a Controller do?

Typical responsibilities include: lead month-end close activities, ensuring timely and accurate financial reporting; own balance sheet reconciliations and investigate variances to resolution; maintain and improve financial controls, including documentation of processes and review steps. The full list is in the template above.

How much does it cost to hire a Controller in Latin America?

In 2026, a senior Controller in Latin America costs $5,750 to $6,625 a month all-in, versus $14,125 in the US: up to 59% less. Mid-level starts at $3,875.

Can I customize this Controller job description?

Yes. Teilur's free Job Description & Scorecard Generator rewrites it for your stack, seniority, time zone and hiring urgency in about 15 seconds. No sign-up needed.

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Where Should I Hire

See what a role costs in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia and Mexico, and what you save against the US.

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03
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