M5M5 — Senior Director
Controller
Directs all general accounting activities for the organization (often multiple legal entities). Supervises managers and defines department structure.
What this level means
Leads multiple functions or a large department; drives multi-year strategy.
- Scope
- Multiple functions or a large department
- Autonomy
- Owns multi-year strategy for the area
- Complexity
- Org-level trade-offs and investment
- Impact
- Multi-function results
- Decision rights
- Owns investment and org design across functions
- Leadership
- Leads directors and managers
- Typical experience
- 12–18 yrs
What you'd do
- Ensures accurate consolidated financial reporting and compliance with GAAP/SEC requirements
- Leads annual budget close process with Finance
- Directs general accounting activities
- Supervises accounting managers
- Defines department structure
- Ensure GAAP/SEC compliance
- Lead budget close processes
- Supervise accounting managers
Skills, knowledge & tools
- Consolidated financial reporting
- GAAP/SEC compliance
- Leadership
- Negotiation
- Departmental management
- GAAP/SEC requirements
- Consolidated financial reporting
- Leadership in accounting
- Negotiation strategies
- Biotechnology financial compliance
- Enterprise Perspective
- Strong leadership presence
- Negotiation
- GAAP/SEC compliance
- Departmental leadership
What good looks like
- 10–15 years, often including a stint as Controller
- CPA is usually expected
Common titles
Senior Director, General Accounting ManagerGeneral Accounting Manager Senior DirectorController
What it pays
Market-pay benchmarks for this family × level are being recalibrated across all survey sources and will return shortly.
O*NET / SOC: 13-0000 — Business & Financial Operations Occupations (inferred)