Trade guide

Management Controller

What does it mean to be a management controller, and what are the qualifications and qualities required?
Broadly speaking, the management controller has to define budget forecasts for all internal departments,
develop management tools, define preventive actions and carry out regular economic analyses.
Training courses focusing on accounting and finance are preferable, see our article for more details.

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The business

What is a management controller?

Its role

The job of management controller involves managing a company’s economy by defining a clear direction and objectives, in order to ensure maximum profitability for the company.

Its field of action

Among their many tasks, management controllers must define budget forecasts for all internal departments, develop management tools, define preventive actions and carry out regular economic analyses. They are often required to develop financial strategies, but may also perform other functions, such as personnel management or administration.

The functions

What are the duties of a management controller?

They also support the company’s managers in their financial strategy and choices. They operate autonomously within the accounts department and must follow a precise roadmap to carry out their duties. In short, they have a multifaceted role:

Putting in place the tools needed to control the company’s management

Gathering and analysing company financial data from senior management

Define general budget forecasts for the company or a specific department

Write reports on the company’s activities.

Resolve problems of discrepancies between forecasts and the company’s financial reality

His or her tasks are varied and very important for the company’s financial health.
The position of “CDG” is one of the jobs that are recruiting in the finance sector.

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Qualifications

What qualities are required of a management controller?

Management controllers have a relatively complex remit. They must be extremely rigorous. They have to handle figures with great dexterity and an assured method of analysis. Their ability to calculate and quantify is at the heart of their work.

Because they wear so many different hats, management controllers come into contact with many different departments at the heart of the company. Their interpersonal skills must be sufficiently developed to enable them to work smoothly with all members of staff. Their diplomacy is matched only by their strength of character, which enables them to make contact easily and to act firmly when it comes to obtaining figures and answers. Management controllers must have a taste for human contact.

By virtue of their position, management controllers have access to all of a company’s confidential data. So, in order to protect the equilibrium of a structure, the greatest fidelity and reliability is required in the exercise of his functions. The greatest danger is that the data could end up in the hands of a rival company. His or her position is extremely sensitive and the utmost care is required.

Finally, depending on the period of work, working hours can vary considerably.

While most of the time they work within regulated time slots, there are times when they may exceed their usual quota, particularly when the company is going through a balance sheet period. This can be a very stressful time. Management controllers need to be able to withstand pressure and endure occasional work overloads.

The benefits

Why become a management controller?

There are many reasons to work as a management controller. The job has a number of advantages that make it an attractive career choice.

The management controller holds a central position at the heart of the company. Essential to a company’s financial health, many departments depend on their functions and analytical skills. As a result, their influence gives them a great deal of responsibility. Both autonomous and in close contact with employees, they work in collaboration with departments that are very different from one another, such as marketing, accounting, human resources, etc. It’s impossible for them to become monotonous as they blend in with the various administrative and financial teams.

Communication and analytical skills are at the very heart of the management controller’s role. Their ability to make contacts and gather the information they need gives the job a constantly renewed interest. This is why the job requires great human and interpersonal skills. Many people cite the notion of “knowing how to be” to be effective in this role.

Finally, the job of management controller requires adaptability and flexibility. The role of management controller is all-encompassing. The multiplicity of functions means that the job involves a wide variety of activities and particularly different tasks. Contact with the various departments is often offset by frequent trips to customer sites.

List of other opportunities in finance.

Remuneration

How much does a management controller earn?

The salary of a management controller varies greatly depending on the size of the company they work for. According to the recruitment agency Hays, a management controller earns on average between €2,667 and €5,833 gross per month, with a median salary of €4,250 gross per month.

A junior management controller starts at around 2,500 euros gross per month, with increases as he or she progresses within the company.

Do you have any other questions about finance, work-linked training or the diploma? Our Frequently Asked Questions section is sure to have the answer!

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Up to

5 833€

Salary per month

Training courses

How do you become an HR Manager?

Our training courses

Generally speaking, you need to have studied accounting, management or finance.
To become a management controller, you first need a Bac +2 equivalent diploma. Typical examples are the BTS in accounting and management, or the DUT in business and administration management (GEA).
The BTS in accounting and management is taught in many state schools and lycées. The teaching is both vocational and general. On completion of the course, students will be able to carry out accounting calculations relating to a company’s commercial operations.
The DUT also takes place over 2 years. While the first year is general, the second is much more technically oriented. It focuses on organisational management and the various tools needed for accounting management.
On completion of these two courses, students can go on to become junior management controllers or assistant management controllers in small and medium-sized organisations.
A management controller is considered to be fully qualified after 5 years’ study after the baccalauréat. There are a number of higher qualifications, particularly from business schools, to reach the level needed to enter the profession.
INSEEC, for example, offers a Bachelor of Finance (BAC+3), which can be followed by a Master of Science in Audit and Management Control. These 2 programmes are part of INSEEC’s finance department and can be completed on a sandwich course basis.
This course provides students with an education tailored to the needs of companies in the field of management control and internal audit.
Students must be able to make decisions based on in-depth analysis of financial statements. They will also be required to master the tools needed to assess the performance of a management department. Students will need to develop a wide range of skills, particularly writing and technical skills, in order to carry out financial analyses and make strategic recommendations.
After studying finance, other careers are also possible.