What a Financial Controller typically owns
- Full month-end, year-end and audit ownership
- Controls, policies and compliance
- Team structure, hiring and development
- Cash, banking and working capital
Typical profile
Qualified ACA, ACCA or CIMA with team leadership.
Every shortlisted Financial Controller is assessed against the Gravitate Baseline, with the role's technical must-haves agreed in the brief.
Salary guide 2026/27
Qualified hires, permanent base salary excluding bonus and benefits, South West excluding Bristol. Compiled October 2026. How we built these bands.
Get a salary benchmark and a hiring plan.
30 minutes, no obligation. Silver Search has no upfront fee.
Eliot: Financial Controller campaigns have been part of my work since my newly qualified desk, and a recent placement was a Financial Controller in Truro.
Book a callGetting a Financial Controller hire right
Site, group or first controller?
A site controller runs one operation's numbers; a group controller manages consolidation, auditors and several entities; a first Financial Controller in a growing business builds controls and the team from scratch. Each may call for a different profile.
Controls and cash
Ask for an example of a control they introduced and why, and how they've managed cash or working capital under pressure.
Example assessment
Describe a controls gap from a real month-end, such as an unreconciled balance or a manual journal, and ask what they'd do in their first 30 days.
Got a finance role to fill?
A 30-minute call: the role, a salary benchmark, a realistic timeline and which search option fits.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to hire a Financial Controller in the South West?
We run a structured two-stage interview process that targets shortlist to offer within two weeks. Sourcing and screening happen before the shortlist, and the timeline relies on prompt interview slots and decisions on your side. The start date then depends on the candidate's notice period, so allow for that in your plan.
What salary should I offer a Financial Controller in Devon or the South West?
Our Gravitate South West salary guide 2026/27 puts a qualified Financial Controller at £60k–£85k base in an SME and £75k–£110k in a larger or group business, excluding bonus and benefits. Sector, scope and qualification move it within that range, so we benchmark every role on the first call.
How much does it cost to recruit a Financial Controller?
Fees are agreed per role and depend on whether you choose Platinum, Gold or Silver Search. Silver Search has no upfront fee. Book a call and we'll share our terms.
Which areas do you cover?
Exeter, Devon, Cornwall, Somerset, Dorset, Wiltshire, Gloucestershire and Bath. We don't actively cover Bristol.