Find the perfect Financial Controllers in Germany in minutes from over 15,000 CVs with the power of AI
Need support with month-end close, management reporting, budgeting, cash flow planning, or IFRS and local GAAP topics? Find a Financial Controller who can step in quickly, work cleanly with finance, and deliver reliable numbers without delay.
About the role
What they do
A Financial Controller keeps the numbers reliable and useful. The work sits between accounting, reporting, and decision support. Strong controllers do not only close the books. They explain what changed, where the risk sits, and what management should do next.
- Month-end and year-end close support
- Management reporting and variance analysis
- Budgeting, forecasting, and rolling planning
- Cash flow tracking and working capital follow-up
- Cost centre, P&L, and balance sheet review
Typical projects
Companies bring in freelance Financial Controllers when the finance team is under pressure, a process needs structure, or a reporting package has to be improved fast. Common projects include new reporting cycles, support during audits, ERP changeovers, and interim cover during leave, turnover, or growth.
In Germany, this often means close work with local finance teams, group reporting lines, and stakeholders who expect clear, precise English and German documentation. The role is common in manufacturing, industrial groups, e-commerce, services, and mid-sized companies with demanding reporting needs.
Core skills
A strong Financial Controller combines accounting knowledge with calm business judgment. The person should be able to challenge data, spot inconsistencies, and keep deadlines under control without creating noise.
- IFRS, local GAAP, and group reporting logic
- Excel, Power BI, and ERP systems such as SAP
- Strong variance analysis and KPI interpretation
- Clear communication with finance and non-finance teams
- Structured approach to close, controls, and documentation
Good fit signals
Freelance support makes sense when the company needs speed, flexibility, or a very specific reporting skill set. It also helps when a permanent hire would take too long, but the finance function cannot wait.
A good fit is a controller who can work independently, ask the right questions, and leave behind clean templates, better controls, and a process the team can keep using.
How strong controllers stand out
A strong financial controller does more than prepare reports. They understand the business model, connect operational drivers to financial results, and keep the reporting line consistent across teams and systems.
Look for someone who:
- finds the root cause behind deviations
- builds reports people actually use
- improves processes without overcomplicating them
- stays precise under close deadlines
Working style
Freelance controllers often work hybrid or remote, but on-site time can matter during close, handovers, or system work. In Germany, it is common to need clear German communication for local teams, while group reporting or investor-facing work may run in English.
The best projects are well scoped, with access to systems, definitions, and the people who own the numbers. That is where a freelance Financial Controller can add value quickly and with little friction.
Meet FRATCH Financial Controllers
Serkant Türemiş
Interim Manager Finance & Controlling
Last position:
Interim Manager, License Controlling at Tonies GmbH
- Prepared and reviewed quarterly royalty settlements for licensors across music, publishing and media brands, including minimum guarantees, recoupment, returns reconciliation and process optimisation.
- Reconstructed historical licensing data for an external audit by a major US studio, covering music publishing and recorded music across ROW and AUS, and coordinated the resulting statements with the licensor.
- Supported the reconciliation of music royalties with the German collecting society and its international hub for 2018 to 2024.
- Assessed licensing data for accruals and provisions, and structured metadata for contract negotiations.
- Designed target processes and SOPs for a royalty automation tool and accompanied testing during rollout.
Ricardo Morita
Controlling - Change Management - PMI
Last position:
Controlling Staff Unit (CFO/Head of Controlling) at IT Security Solutions
- Process optimization, process design
- Business partnering, target vision
- Teambuilding
- Workflow design
- Budget, MEC
- SAP S4/Hana, Board
Carsten Feichtinger
Interim Controller & Power BI Developer
Last position:
Interim Controller / Knowledge Transfer at Medium-sized manufacturing company in the construction industry, existing client
Focus areas: knowledge transfer, reporting, cost analysis Tasks
- Ensure knowledge transfer from the outgoing controller
- Document key controlling processes
- Operational controlling (cash flow planning, reporting)
- Simplify the cost center structure to improve cost analysis Results
- Transparent knowledge transfer and sustainable documentation of controlling processes
- Improved cost analysis and more efficient reporting
Mimmo Nocera
Consultant Controlling / MIS / SAP R/3 FI/CO
Last position:
Consultant Controlling / MIS / SAP R/3 FI/CO at Freelance
- Consulting on complex IT, accounting, controlling, and business intelligence projects from the analysis phase through implementation to go-live support
- Work as consultant, project manager, and subproject manager
- Focus on business process analysis and implementation
- Controlling: sales, marketing, project, financial, and cost controlling
- Accounting: General Ledger, Accounts Receivable, Accounts Payable, asset accounting
- Implementation and training of SAP R/3 FI/CO
- Operational experience in controlling, sales, human resources, and commercial project management before my consulting work
Pavel Skála
Interim Manager Finance & Controlling
Last position:
Interim Manager Finance & Controlling at Freiberufler
- Accounting, controlling and reporting, taxes, risk management, treasury, credit management, legal affairs, internal control/SOX, HR, IT, cooperation with auditors, tax consultants and government authorities
- Logistics, production and HACCP, occupational safety and veterinary and hygiene regulations (food manufacturing)
- Due diligence, M&A, corporate split-offs, crisis management, project management
Selected interim projects:
- Twistcafe (fast-food restaurants) – Interim CFO (global): solved issues with accounting and tax documents for the year-end close of the German and Austrian subsidiaries; standardized the intercompany billing of raw material and cash transfers (CZ, SK, DE, AT, PL); automated the recharging of promotions and cashless payments; improved cost center accounting (200+ cost centers)
- VIB Vermögen AG (Branicks Group, real estate) – Interim Head of Accounting (DE): completed HGB year-end financial statements for 19 companies without complications; IFRS group financial statements without issues; automated consolidation tasks (debt consolidation, expense and revenue consolidation); automated reporting processes
- NTT (telecommunications) – Interim Senior Controller (DE): simplified, standardized and automated monthly closing activities (provisions for customer and supplier rebates, order backlogs, accrued revenues, monthly gross profit adjustments), including SOX compliance evidence; balance sheet reconciliation; improved loyalty reporting
- Lilium (aerospace) – Interim Senior Accountant (DE): tax line corrections; asset migration from Datev to Infor LN for two companies, including data quality improvements; automated processing of interim asset investments and asset additions; led successful SOX audit for fixed assets leading up to the US IPO
- Brose (automotive) – Interim Head of Controlling (CZ): successful Forecast III; simplified and automated calculations and reporting (hourly rates, temporary workers, monthly reports, scrap and external rework, direct personnel costs); platform change for the monthly board meeting
- LUST Hybrid-Technik (Pankl-SHW Industries, manufacturing) – Interim Finance Controller (DE): monthly and annual financial statements (including inventory valuation, cost accounting), plan vs. actual comparisons, variance analysis, ad hoc reports, forecast preparation, automation
- Gebr. Bode (Schaltbau Group, manufacturing) – Interim Head of Accounting (DE): year-end financial statements without complications; simplified and automated liquidity planning; automated open items report, standardized intercompany reconciliations; implemented and automated the fixed assets report
- Hyva Georg Hydraulik (manufacturing) – Interim Senior Accountant/Finance Manager (DE): simplified and automated VAT returns, Intrastat and other statistical reports; automated fixed assets report; implemented and automated the cost center report/forecast and temporary labor reserves; master data correction
- Beiersdorf (FMCG) – Interim Finance Manager (DE/SK): oversaw transfer of the local finance department in Slovakia to the SSC Hamburg
- Trèves (automotive) – Interim Plant Controller/Head of Finance & Controlling (CZ): identified weaknesses; implemented controlling processes for the procurement process (PR/PO/GR), payroll, energy costs, ICO accounting, cost center reporting
- Hella Slovakia Signal-Lighting (automotive) – Interim Head of Controlling (SK): 10% reduction in receivables open items; automated reporting (capex, cost center, maintenance costs); standardized and automated inventory and receivables write-offs
- Tunap Cosmetics (FMCG) – Interim Finance Manager (DE): reduced DSO by 21 days within four months; balance sheet cleanup (fixed assets, provisions, prepaid expenses); reduced unprocessed invoices in the workflow by EUR 1.2 million during year-end; automated write-offs, controls and reporting
- Hanon Systems Autopal (automotive) – Interim Finance Controller (CZ): identified weaknesses; automated cost center reporting and purchase orders; automated inventory and receivables write-offs
- Drägerwerk (manufacturing) – Interim Finance Controller (CZ): FI/CO management, process audit, investment incentives, accounting accuracy, SAP settings (FI/CO, MM)
- Maxim Chicken (FMCG) – Interim Head of Finance and Controlling (CZ): introduced new gastronomy products leading to increased sales; implemented cash flow forecasting; reduced variable and fixed costs (raw materials, property leasing); successfully passed veterinary audit
- Trelleborg Automotive Czech Republic (automotive) – Interim Plant Controller/Head of Finance (CZ); Carbody Czech Republic (automotive) – Interim Plant Controller/Head of Finance (CZ): corrected accounting; corporate split-off with SAP separation; implemented cash flow forecasting; factoring
- Kantar Media (WPP Group, media) – Interim Finance Manager (CZ): automated US GAAP reporting; reduced fixed costs (supplier contracts, personnel expenses); implemented standard processes; successful SOX audit; production relocation
Alexander Engel
CFO (FiBu, Controlling, HR, Purchasing, IT)
Last position:
CFO (FiBu, Controlling, HR, Purchasing, IT) at MLD GmbH, medical laboratories Düsseldorf
Founded in 1968, MLD today employs over 350 people at various locations in and around Düsseldorf. The academic team, made up of 17 specialists, colleagues from biology, chemistry, pharmacy, drinking water hygiene, and medical training assistants, supports more than 1,500 office-based doctors and more than 30 hospitals with more than 5,000 beds in the Düsseldorf, Cologne and Lower Rhine regions as a reliable partner in laboratory medicine. It is a subsidiary of the Sonic Healthcare Group based in Sydney, Australia. Group: 37,000 employees, direct reporting line: Managing Director
Responsibilities:
- Disciplinary and technical management responsibility for 16 employees, sub-ledgers, general ledger, controlling, IT, purchasing, HR
- monthly reporting according to IFRS, consolidation of several domestic subsidiaries
- preparation of monthly, quarterly and annual financial statements of the companies according to IFRS and annual financial statements according to HGB of several companies, as well as preparation and support of the annual audits
- budgeting, forecasting
- accounting-related execution of incorporations, liquidations and transformations of the companies
- main contact person for auditors, tax advisors and tax authorities.
David Stein
Senior Controller
Last position:
Senior Controller at DNS-Net
- Management reporting
- Analysis of COGS and close collaboration with accounting
- Variance analysis vs plan/forecast
- Establishing sales controlling
- Business partnering for the CSO area
Ralf Wüstermann
Finance and Controlling Manager
Last position:
Finance and Controlling Manager at Vanderlande Industries do Brasil Ltda
- International reporting in English
- Budget preparation
- Production controlling
- Process optimizations
Rainer Pack
Senior Controller
Last position:
Senior Controller at Stahlhandel-Servicecenter Bönen
- Controlling project work: implementation of customer quotation calculation and development of a trading and forward calculation for sales
- Development of a cost of goods manufactured calculator
- Theoretical design and practical implementation: temporary Excel-based solution introduced quickly; embedding into INFOR LN and creation of the requirements specification
- Majority of project management using modern tools (Loop, Jira, Excel, PowerPoint)
- Regular reporting on quotes submitted (contribution margin 1 and full cost coverage) and comparison with post-calculation
Thomas Hala
Interim Manager Finance and Controlling
Last position:
HUBER + SUHNER GmbH
- Preparation and support of the year-end closing for the Austrian site
Diana Griesshammer
Interim Project-Controller
Last position:
Interim Project-Controller at Supplying industry defence
- Developed organization, task descriptions, processes and systems of the controlling system to improve activities.
- Harmonized ERP software within the group across IT procurement, plan data, controlling and reporting.
- Designed the basis for an agile and modern IT control system.
- Set up budget plans and supported master data and planning.
- Monitored and validated projects in the PM tool Sciforma, covering OPEX and CAPEX in line with legal requirements and group rules.
- Performed PMO assistance activities including meeting minutes, presentations and reports.
- Tools: SAP FI/CO, SAP MM, SAP PPM, PM-Tool Sciforma, MS Office 365.
Stefan Rübener
Corporate Controller / Private Equity Controller (PE) interim
Last position:
Corporate Controller / Private Equity Controller (PE) interim at Amedes Medical Services GmbH
- Responsibility for group-wide financial management with a focus on management, PE, and lender reporting.
- Focus on an integrated financial model (P&L, balance sheet, cash flow), robust liquidity and covenant management, and preparation of decision-ready materials for financiers, auditors, and rating stakeholders.
- Establishment of reporting standards, data logic, and closing routines for high-frequency scalability.
- Further development of an integrated financial model (P&L/BS/CF), including scenario capabilities, sensitivities, and driver-based forecasting logic.
- Design and management of a rolling liquidity plan (short-/mid-term), including working capital mechanisms and financing instruments.
- Preparation and quality assurance of lender reporting, including covenant calculations, bridge analyses, and variance explanations.
- Support for the CFO agenda in financier and stakeholder communication (Q&A, documentation logic, key messages, data consistency).
- Coordination and content input for rating- and financing-related deliverables (e.g., presentations, data rooms, management commentary).
- Management of IFRS/accounting topics (e.g., IFRS 16 lease logic, accrual and reconciliation concepts) to ensure reporting and audit readiness.
- Standardization of reporting structures, templates, and KPI definitions across entities to increase transparency, comparability, and speed.
Steffen König
SAP Business Process Architect Finance/Controlling
Last position:
SAP Business Process Architect Finance/Controlling at Project work via SAP partners (TSI, cbs, Deloitte, Scheer etc.) and 4SCC
- Conversion of Rewe's business processes to S4 Asset Management and Management Accounting in SAP S/4HANA
- Plan, build, run of SAP finance/controlling processes (S/4HANA, FI/CO, FSCM, PS/IM, WM, Concur) for Daimler, V Zug, Humbaur, WinGD, and others
- Management of carve-out/carve-in in FI(CO) at Megatech (2018) and EnBW (2019)
- Requirement engineering for the R2R stream (2017/18), Douglas franchise integration, Aveniq public cloud transition, and PG-FI stabilization
- Analysis and development of month-end closing in S/4HANA finance projects for ESA, Zür Rose Suisse, Dräxlmaier, Airbus, DB Schenker, GEA, and Bucher AG
- Application of SAP Activate methodology and Advanced Payment Management
- Playbook SAP Financials: Project Insights & Success supplemented
Maximilian Tritschler
Controlling Consultant
Last position:
Controlling Consultant at The better green GmbH
Development of a planning workbook for P&L and balance sheet items
Introduction of planning workshops with management, procurement, and plant construction managers
Mapping the original plan into an SKR04 structure
Analysis and optimization of the payment run process, implementation of CANDIS.IO and Datev
Determination of capital requirements for all entities until 2025
Implementation of planning structures
Setup of a basic actual vs. target reporting, resulting in higher cost transparency
Wolfgang Horlacher
Interim Commercial Manager
Last position:
Head of Finance and Controlling (Interim) at Kunert Fashion Group
Financial accounting: daily general ledger entries and month-end closing
Preparation of FY 2024 financial group statements (subunits KF, KNL, KAU, KCH)
Preparation of physical inventory for KF with inventory instructions for Logistic
Further development of ERP Finance processes integration with MS Dynamics BC 14
Implementation of electronic invoice verification and Multi Cash banking software
Expansion of sales and e-commerce controlling toolbox and processes
Preparation of budgets 2026, 2027, 2028, including investment plan, cost accounting
Preparation and commentary on monthly reports for sub-units and Group
Preparation of weekly financial plans, cash flow and liquidity plans
Further development of sales controlling, focusing on margins & product profitability
Creation and integration of accounting workflows for MS Dynamics
Leadership focus: Stabilization of the finance team and clear scope of work responsibility
Communication with banks, auditors, tax advisors, and tax authorities
Complete and accurate monthly reporting for each business unit and the KF Group
Preparation 2024 financial statements for KF Germany, KNL, KAU, and KNL with audit opinion
Detailed setup and preparation of the KF 2026 budget for the management and shareholders
Weekly cash flow planning coordinated with the management and shareholders
Turnaround in net sales and EBIT from September 2025 onwards – stable growth
Leadership & change through consistent, data-driven KPIs
Discover over 15,000 top freelancers
Financial Controllers statistics
Typical experience
25 years
Average project duration
2.6 years
Certifications per freelancer
3
Top business areas
Finance, Accounting, Project Management
Top industries
Professional Services, Manufacturing, Information Technology
Most common languages
German, English, Spanish
Bachelor's degree or higher
84%
Master's degree or higher
59%
Doctorate
4%
Salary / Daily Rate Distribution
The chart shows how the daily rates of freelancers in this role are distributed, based on recent contracts on our platform. Each bar covers a rate range — its height shows how many freelancers charge within that range. Actual rates may vary depending on seniority level, experience, skill specialization, project complexity, and engagement length.
Average rates for Financial Controllers & Seniority distribution
Rates are based on recent contracts and do not include FRATCH margin.
The average daily rate is the mean of all daily rates from recent contracts of comparable freelancers on our platform.
The median daily rate is the middle value of all daily rates — half of comparable freelancers charge less, half charge more. Unlike the average, it is barely affected by outliers.
Actual rates may vary depending on seniority level, experience, skill specialization, project complexity, and engagement length.
Frequently Asked Questions
Looking for clear information? Everything important about FRATCH is here
A Financial Controller supports the finance function with close, reporting, analysis, and planning. The work usually includes management reports, variance analysis, budget follow-up, and checks on P&L, balance sheet, and cash flow. In many companies, the controller also helps improve reporting formats and control routines.
Freelance support is a strong choice when the need is urgent, temporary, or highly specific. It fits well for month-end pressure, audit preparation, ERP changes, or cover during absence. If the work must start now and the scope is clear, a freelancer is often the faster option.
Look for solid accounting knowledge, sharp Excel skills, and confidence with ERP and reporting tools. A good Financial Controller also needs strong analysis, careful attention to detail, and the ability to explain numbers clearly to managers. In practice, that mix matters as much as technical knowledge.
An accountant is usually closer to booking, statutory accounting, and ledger accuracy. FP&A is more focused on planning, scenarios, and business partnering. A financial controller sits between those areas: controlling the close, ensuring quality, and turning actuals into useful management insight.
Yes, many tasks can be done remotely, especially reporting, analysis, and documentation. On-site work can still be useful for handovers, process reviews, or close periods when fast coordination matters. For German clients, clear communication in German is often helpful, while group reporting may run in English.
Excel is still central, but most Financial Controllers also work with ERP and BI tools. SAP is very common, and many teams also use Power BI, access databases, or reporting layers on top of the ERP. The exact stack depends on company size and how mature the finance function is.
You should expect clean reports, clear variance comments, planning files, and better control routines. A good controller can also leave behind templates, close checklists, and definitions that make the process easier for the team. The best deliverables are not just accurate, but easy to reuse.
Ask for examples of reporting packs, close support, or planning work they have handled in similar settings. A strong financial controller should be able to explain how they found issues, improved a process, and worked with finance and business stakeholders. Clarity, structure, and judgment matter more than polished jargon.
Request a Free Demo
Get in touch with the FRATCH team and we will get back to you within 4 hours.
Would you rather directly get in touch?
We always have the time for a call or email!
Philipp Thomaschewski
FRATCH CEO
