Financial Controller CV example (UK)
A Financial Controller CV has one job: prove you can own the numbers — close, controls, cash and reporting — while showing enough commercial judgement that a CFO or MD trusts you in the room. Below is a complete example, followed by what makes it work and the keywords recruiters search for.
Example CV
Professional Summary
Hands-on Financial Controller with 10 years across SaaS and e-commerce scale-ups. Built finance functions from first hire, cut month-end close from 15 to 5 working days, and led board reporting through Series A–C. Commercially minded: partners with founders on pricing, runway and unit economics, not just the ledger.
Experience
- First finance hire; built the function from scratch — Xero, Dext and a 12-sheet reporting pack now used at board level monthly.
- Reduced month-end close from 15 to 5 working days by automating bank reconciliation, supplier invoice matching and accruals.
- Own a 13-week rolling cash flow forecast credited by the board with averting a covenant breach during 2023 funding gap.
- Cut payment-processing costs £86k/year by renegotiating PSP terms and restructuring settlement timing.
- Led Series B financial due diligence; clean data room delivered in 3 weeks with zero post-close adjustments.
- Manage and develop a team of 3 (AP, AR, management accountant).
- Produced monthly management accounts, variance analysis and departmental P&Ls for a £9m ARR business.
- Implemented revenue recognition for SaaS contracts under FRS 102; passed first external audit with no adjustments.
- Built KPI dashboards (churn, CAC payback, net revenue retention) adopted in monthly board packs.
Skills & Systems
Month-end close · Management accounts · Statutory accounts (FRS 102) · Cash flow forecasting · Budgeting & FP&A · Board reporting · VAT & HMRC compliance · Audit management · Internal controls · Xero · Dext · Sage · NetSuite (working) · Advanced Excel (Power Query, modelling)
Qualifications
ACCA Qualified (2015) · BSc Accounting & Finance
Why this CV works
- Every bullet has a number. Days saved, £ saved, team size, revenue context. "Responsible for month-end" tells a recruiter nothing; "cut close from 15 to 5 days" wins interviews.
- It shows scope, not just tasks. Company size and revenue appear next to each role — an FC at £18m revenue is a different job from one at £200m, and recruiters filter on it.
- Commercial impact sits beside technical control. Cash forecasting and covenant management next to PSP renegotiation — the blend FDs and MDs actually hire for.
- Two pages, single column, standard headings — parses cleanly through Workday, SuccessFactors and agency systems alike.
Keywords ATS systems and recruiters search for
Match these to the advert in front of you — if it says "consolidation" or "multi-entity", those exact words need to appear against real experience.
Frequently asked questions
How long should a Financial Controller CV be?
Two pages, UK convention. Senior candidates sometimes stretch to three; better to cut older roles to one line each and spend the space on the last five years.
Should I put ACCA/CIMA at the top or bottom?
Both: the designation in your summary line ('ACCA-qualified Financial Controller' or equivalent), full detail in Qualifications. Many recruiters filter searches on the qualification.
How do I show progression to Financial Controller from Management Accountant?
Show the promotion inside one employer where possible ('Management Accountant → Finance Manager'), and let the bullets escalate in scope — from producing accounts to owning the function.
What's the most common mistake on FC CVs?
Listing responsibilities instead of outcomes. Every Financial Controller does month-end; interviews go to the ones who say what they improved, saved or built.
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