Controller / Chief Accounting: skills & capabilities the market requires
Based on 301 real Controller / Chief Accounting job postings, here is what companies actually require for this role today: the capabilities that define it, the hard skills named most often, the scope expected, typical experience and pay. The market leans hardest on Risk, Security & Compliance (64%) and Data & Analytics (61%).
Open the interactive Skill Check to filter by country, industry and company size.
Core capabilities for a Controller / Chief Accounting
- Risk, Security & Compliance — required in 64% of postings
- Data & Analytics — required in 61% of postings
- Strategic Leadership — required in 38% of postings
- Operational Excellence — required in 34% of postings
- Executive Communication — required in 31% of postings
- Stakeholder Management — required in 25% of postings
- Financial Acumen — required in 24% of postings
Most-required hard skills
- Financial Reporting
- Internal Controls
- General Ledger Management
- Financial Statement Preparation
- Tax Compliance
- Accounting
- Financial Analysis
Leadership & soft skills
- Leadership
- Communication
- Cross-Functional Collaboration
- Stakeholder Management
Scope, experience & pay
Controller / Chief Accounting roles expect deal / M&A experience in 7% of postings, IPO or capital markets in 9%, and transformation in 18%. Typical stated experience: 10 years. Pay signal from postings (base): $197K–$212K.
Want to know where you stand against this? Join TOPHEADS for your personal Skill Check.