21 Oct Controller Job Description: A 2026 Template
Controller Job Description: A 2026 Template
A controller job description you can copy today, plus what changes between a $20 million company and a $200 million one, and the lines that quietly drive strong candidates away.
Quick Takes
A controller runs the company’s day-to-day accounting. They prepare the financial statements, manage the yearly audit, and close the books each month. The CFO focuses on where the company is headed, while the controller focuses on the company’s current financial numbers.
Start with a short summary of the role, who it reports to, and where the job is based, including whether it’s on-site, hybrid or remote. Then list six to eight main duties, the experience you need, and a salary range. Candidates look for those details first.
Our 2026 Salary Guide puts controller base pay at $138,000 to $271,000 at government contractors, depending on company size, and $108,000 to $264,000 at nonprofits.
A CPA isn’t usually required, though it helps. Hands-on experience closing the books and managing an audit matters more than the license.
A controller makes sure the company’s books are accurate and complete. A CFO uses those numbers to plan the company’s future, from budgets and forecasts to raising money.
Most controllers have seven to ten years of accounting experience, often including their time as an assistant controller or accounting manager. Larger companies typically want someone who has already closed the books at a business their size.
What Does a Controller Job Description Look Like?
Copy this and edit the brackets:
Job title: Controller
Reports to: [CFO / CEO]
Location: [City, State] · [On-site / Hybrid / Remote]
Summary: We’re looking for a Controller to own [Company]’s accounting operations, from the monthly close to the annual audit.
Responsibilities
- Lead and develop the accounting team
- Lead a monthly close of [X] business days
- Prepare monthly financial statements and management reports
- Maintain internal controls and accounting policies
- Manage the annual audit and work with external auditors
- Oversee AP, AR, payroll and reconciliations
- Support the budget and forecast with the CFO
- [GovCon: maintain a DCAA-compliant accounting system, indirect rates and incurred cost submissions]
Qualifications
- [7–10+] years of accounting experience, including management
- Bachelor’s in accounting; CPA preferred
- Experience with [ERP system; for GovCon, Deltek Costpoint]
Salary: $[X] to $[Y], plus benefits (required in DC, Maryland and Virginia)
How Does the Role Change at $20 Million vs $200 Million?
At a $20 million company, the controller is hands-on. They close the books and reconcile the accounts themselves, or usually with a team of one to three. Often, they act as the company’s top finance person.
At a $200 million company, the controller oversees a bigger team, leads accounting across several business units, and keeps the audit running smoothly. Write the job description for the role you actually need, not the one in a generic template. Pay follows the same split. At a government contractor under $100 million, our Salary Guide puts controller base pay at $138,000 to $205,000; above $300 million, it’s $216,000 to $271,000.
What Lines Scare Off Strong Candidates?
The most common is no salary range. DC, Maryland and, since July, Virginia all require one in job postings, and candidates skip postings without it. Others include a list of 25 duties mixing clerk and CFO work, “wear many hats” with no scope, and an unclear reporting line.
The Bottom Line: What Makes a Controller Posting Work?
A clear scope, an honest salary range and duties sized to your company. That’s what gets strong controllers to apply.
SpectrumCareers 2026 Salary Guides (Government Contracting and Nonprofit) ·
Virginia SB 215 (2026), Chapter 996, effective July 1, 2026
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