FinanceSenior

CV Financial Controller

Financial controller resume example showcasing GAAP accounting, financial close, internal controls, and team leadership.

ATS-optimizedFree to useFully editableUpdated for 2026

Catherine Morris

Financial Controller

[email protected](312) 720-4453Chicago, IL

Summary

CPA-designated Financial Controller with 10 years of experience managing accounting operations, financial reporting, and internal controls for organizations with $100M-$800M in revenue. Expert in GAAP compliance, month-end close optimization, and ERP systems (SAP S/4HANA). Reduced monthly close cycle by 4 days and achieved zero audit findings for 5 consecutive years.

Experience

  • Financial Controller

    Feb 2020 — Present

    Groupon · Chicago · IL

    • Lead accounting function for $600M revenue organization, overseeing team of 18 accounting professionals
    • Manage monthly, quarterly, and annual financial close (GAAP), delivering board-ready financials within 5 business days
    • Design and enforce internal control framework (SOX 404), achieving clean PCAOB audit for 3 consecutive years
    • Reduce month-end close cycle from 12 days to 8 days through automation and process standardization
    • Implement SAP S/4HANA ERP migration, eliminating 4,000 hours of manual reconciliation annually

  • Assistant Controller

    Jan 2016 — Jan 2020

    Morningstar Inc. · Chicago · IL

    • Supervised staff of 8 accountants preparing consolidations across 12 international entities under US GAAP
    • Managed revenue recognition compliance under ASC 606, restating $14M in deferred revenue appropriately
    • Prepared MD&A and financial statement footnotes for SEC filings (10-K, 10-Q, 8-K)

Education

  • University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

    Aug 2010 — May 2014

    Bachelor's · Accounting

    GPA 3.9/4.0, Beta Alpha Psi Honors Society

Resume guide

How to write a Financial Controller resume

A strong Financial Controller resume has to pass an Applicant Tracking System (ATS) and then convince a hiring manager in about seven seconds. Here is exactly what to include, how to make each section count, and the mistakes that keep otherwise-qualified finance candidates off the shortlist.

What to include in a Financial Controller resume

  • Professional summary — 2–3 sentences naming your specialization, years of experience, and one standout result.
  • Work experience — reverse-chronological, with quantified achievements (numbers, percentages, dollar amounts) rather than duties.
  • Skills — 8–12 hard and soft skills, mirroring the exact wording of the Financial Controller job posting.
  • Education & certifications — your highest degree plus any credentials valued in finance roles.

Financial Controller resume summary: good vs. bad

✗ Weak

“Hardworking Financial Controller seeking a position to use my skills and grow with a great company.”

✓ Strong

“Financial Controller with 5+ years of experience and a record of measurable results — for example, delivering a project 15% under budget or improving a key metric by 30%.”

Step by step

Write it in 5 steps

  1. 1

    Write your professional summary

    Open your Financial Controller resume with a 2–3 sentence professional summary that names your specialization, years of experience, and one standout achievement. This sets the context for everything that follows and is the first thing a hiring manager reads.

  2. 2

    List your work experience with quantified achievements

    Add your roles in reverse-chronological order. Write 3–5 bullet points per role starting with a strong action verb (Led, Built, Reduced, Grew) and include a specific metric for every achievement — numbers, percentages, dollar amounts, or time savings.

  3. 3

    Build a targeted skills section

    List 8–12 skills directly matching keywords in Financial Controller job postings. Include both technical skills (tools, software, methodologies) and soft skills (leadership, communication). Exact keyword matching is essential for passing ATS filters.

  4. 4

    Add education and certifications

    Include your highest degree, institution, and graduation year. List any certifications relevant to Finance roles. Certifications can offset experience gaps and are often required or preferred by employers in Finance.

  5. 5

    Optimize for ATS and download

    Use standard section headings (Experience, Education, Skills), avoid tables, columns, graphics, and text boxes, and save as PDF or DOCX. Run your resume through an ATS checker to verify keyword coverage, then download and apply.

FAQ

Financial Controller resume FAQ

What should a Financial Controller resume include?+

A Financial Controller resume should include six key sections: (1) A professional summary of 2–3 sentences that positions you for the role; (2) Work experience in reverse-chronological order with quantified achievements using numbers, percentages, and dollar amounts; (3) A skills section with both technical and soft skills matching keywords in Finance job postings; (4) Education listing your highest degree and institution; (5) Certifications relevant to the Financial Controller role; and (6) Optional sections such as projects, publications, or volunteer work if they strengthen your candidacy. Use standard headings and avoid tables, columns, and graphics so Applicant Tracking Systems can parse every section correctly.

How long should a Financial Controller resume be?+

A Financial Controller resume should be one page if you have fewer than ten years of experience, and two pages maximum for senior or executive-level professionals with extensive accomplishments. Every line should earn its place — cut roles older than 15 years, generic duties, and anything not directly relevant to the Financial Controller position you are targeting. Hiring managers spend an average of 7 seconds on an initial resume scan, so a tight, achievement-focused one-pager consistently outperforms a padded two-pager at the same experience level.

What skills should a Financial Controller list on their resume?+

A Financial Controller should list skills in two categories. Hard skills are the technical and role-specific competencies: tools, software, programming languages, methodologies, and domain knowledge required for the position — these come directly from the job description. Soft skills are the interpersonal and cognitive abilities that complement technical work: communication, problem-solving, collaboration, and leadership. Include 8–12 skills total, mixing both types, and mirror the exact phrasing used in Finance job postings so your resume passes ATS keyword matching. Avoid generic filler like "Microsoft Office" unless the role explicitly requires it.

What makes a strong Financial Controller resume stand out?+

A strong Financial Controller resume stands out through three characteristics. First, quantified achievements: every bullet point in your work experience should contain a metric — revenue generated, percentage improvement, team size managed, or cost saved. Vague duties tell hiring managers nothing; specific numbers prove impact. Second, ATS optimization: use the exact keywords, job titles, and tool names that appear in the Financial Controller postings you are targeting. Even a perfectly written resume will be rejected if it does not match the system's keyword threshold. Third, a targeted professional summary: a 2–3 sentence opening that names your specialization, years of experience, and one standout achievement immediately signals you are the right fit before the hiring manager reads a single bullet point. Clever CV's Financial Controller resume example demonstrates all three in a format designed to pass ATS and impress human reviewers.

Is the Financial Controller resume example on Clever CV free to use?+

Yes. The Financial Controller resume example on Clever CV is completely free to preview and use as your starting point. Click "Use this Example" to copy it instantly into the Clever CV resume builder, where you can edit every section — replace the sample content with your own experience, skills, and certifications — and download a polished, ATS-optimized PDF. Creating an account is free and gives you immediate access to the builder. Advanced features such as AI-powered bullet point generation, the ATS compatibility checker, and resume scoring are available on paid plans.

Build your Financial Controller resume in minutes

Start from this ATS-ready example, swap in your own details, and download a polished resume.