Hiring the right Financial Controller can transform your business’s financial operations, improve reporting accuracy, enhance strategic planning, and strengthen financial compliance.
At Richard Lloyd, we specialise in placing talented Financial Controllers into Sydney businesses, ensuring your new hire perfectly aligns with your financial and strategic needs.
In this comprehensive guide, we'll take you step-by-step through everything you need to successfully hire a Financial Controller, avoid common mistakes, and optimise your finance leadership.
Knowing when to recruit a Financial Controller can significantly impact your company’s growth. Key indicators include:
Hiring a Financial Controller ensures accurate reporting, risk mitigation, and effective financial strategy execution.
When hiring a Financial Controller, seek professionals capable of managing crucial responsibilities, including:
The ideal candidate should possess:
To attract high-calibre candidates, it's crucial to offer competitive compensation:
Typical salary range in Sydney: $160K - $250K + Super + Bonus (depending on company size and complexity)
Offering competitive remuneration packages ensures attraction and retention of the best candidates.
Follow these clear steps to streamline your Financial Controller hiring process:
Clearly outline required skills, experience, qualifications, and responsibilities. Include cultural-fit expectations and strategic contributions.
View our Financial Controller Job Description
Craft a job description highlighting the impact of the role, your company culture, career growth opportunities, and benefits.
Ensure salary and benefits align with market expectations to attract high-quality applicants.
Partnering with specialists like Richard Lloyd provides:
Learn About Our Executive Recruitment Specialists
Include behavioural and technical questions focused on:
Validate experience, qualifications, professional integrity, and previous job performance comprehensively.
Make a clear, fair, and competitive offer promptly to secure your preferred candidate.
Support your Financial Controller with structured onboarding, clear expectations, and access to necessary resources from day one.
Also hiring senior finance talent? Explore our Finance-manager guide or Finance-director tips.
Avoid costly recruitment pitfalls such as:
In periods of transition, interim Financial Controllers offer invaluable flexibility:
Richard Lloyd is Sydney’s trusted expert in financial recruitment, providing:
Read our Finance Leader Hiring Blueprint
Typically, 4–6 weeks, depending on role complexity and candidate availability.
A Financial Controller focuses primarily on financial reporting, compliance, budgeting, and team management. A CFO has a broader strategic remit, shaping overall business strategy and corporate finance.
Interim is beneficial during transitional phases requiring immediate expertise, while permanent hires are best for stable, long-term leadership needs.
When preparing for ASX or cross-listing, an experienced Controller tightens SOX-style controls, aligns audit packs and safeguards governance, freeing the CFO to focus on investors.
Ensure your business benefits from expert financial management. Let Richard Lloyd support your recruitment process and help you secure exceptional financial leadership.
Contact Richard Lloyd today and begin your journey to hire the ideal Financial Controller to drive your business success.
Written by Kent Maxwell, Senior Manager at Richard Lloyd 🔗 View Kent’s profile
Kent Maxwell is a Senior Manager at Richard Lloyd with a passion for making recruitment human. Known for his ability to adapt and stay ahead in the fast-moving finance sector, Kent brings creativity and insight to every placement. He thrives on uncovering individual stories and aligning them with meaningful opportunities.