Role search
Get a Contract Controller who can own the close and accounting controls.
No postings. No stacks of resumes. No chasing. You choose from a short list of people who have done this before.
No upfront fee. You pay only if you engage someone we present.
Interim Headhunters starts with the work behind this request: A Contract Controller ensures your accounting department functions correctly while you address staffing gaps or specialized project demands. This person manages daily operations like bank reconciliations, expense accruals, and ledger maintenance.
This is what we do all day: place interim executives, interim managers and contract professionals.
Need someone now? Call 305-306-4829.
- No upfront fee
- 2 to 3 vetted consultants per assignment
- Matched to your industry
- You choose
- Interim plus permanent search
- Contract Controller
The judgment call
What this hire really comes down to
A Contract Controller ensures your accounting department functions correctly while you address staffing gaps or specialized project demands. This person manages daily operations like bank reconciliations, expense accruals, and ledger maintenance. Their primary focus is the production of accurate monthly statements and the mitigation of risks related to cash flow visibility.
The assignment centers on technical execution rather than long-term strategic design. A qualified Contract Controller integrates with your current staff to maintain morale while cleaning up accounting entries that may have accumulated during periods of turnover. They document every process change so your eventual permanent hire can inherit a functional and well-organized department. You pay for the restoration of order and operational continuity within your existing systems.
What we check
What we check before you see anyone
- We verify recent history with your specific ERP. A controller must know how to pull trial balances, investigate transaction history, and configure workflows within your system without needing a lead-in period for software navigation or basic data retrieval. They must demonstrate proficiency in the specific modules your business relies upon.
- We audit their approach to close timelines. We require candidates to explain their method for identifying and clearing reconciling items within an accelerated schedule. They must demonstrate how they handle accruals and prepayments to avoid significant adjustments after the books close and ensure the process runs on time.
- We test their technical grasp of GAAP compliance relative to your revenue model. We look for specific examples of how they handled deferrals, recognized revenue, or managed inventory valuations. They must explain these processes in ways that reveal their hands-on involvement with the ledger and their ability to interpret complex accounting standards.
- We check their record of preparing audit documentation. We demand to see how they manage the interface between internal records and external auditors. They must provide clear examples of drafting support schedules and resolving questions regarding account balances to prevent audit findings and ensure the year-end process remains efficient.
Sourcing
Where we find them
We identify professionals who prioritize technical accounting tasks over organizational politics. These individuals gravitate toward contract roles because they enjoy diagnosing messy ledgers and restoring order to financial systems. They are usually found in independent practice or managing project-based accounting engagements where the scope is clearly defined by specific technical outputs and immediate business needs.
These candidates often move into contracting when they want to bypass the long-term planning and administrative burdens of a permanent controller position. They look for environments where they can apply their GAAP knowledge and ERP proficiency to fix broken processes. They choose this path to maintain control over their technical work and see tangible results in every month-end closing, preferring the clarity of an assignment-based engagement to the permanent cycle.
Where searches go wrong
Mistakes we see
- Hiring someone who expects to act as a fractional CFO or strategy consultant instead of a tactical controller. This results in neglected ledger work while the person spends time on high-level analysis that does not solve the underlying accounting delays or provide the accurate financial data needed to run the business.
- Neglecting to verify ERP fluency, leading to a candidate who understands accounting principles but cannot operate the company's specific software modules. This stalls the close process as the individual spends their time seeking help for basic entries instead of driving the month-end schedule forward.
- Assuming a controller from a different industry or business model will understand your unique revenue recognition or inventory complexities. This leads to errors in financial statements that take months to identify and correct during the next audit, causing unnecessary friction with stakeholders.
The search
How the Contract Controller search runs
- We first evaluate the current state of your general ledger and the specific software modules you use for operations. We identify candidates who have managed those specific inputs, ensuring they understand the data architecture and the existing chart of accounts before any initial conversation.
- We conduct technical screening to confirm their ability to lead a month-end close. We focus on their past performance in shortening close cycles and their ability to document account reconciliations. We prioritize those who show a record of leaving behind cleaner, more accessible financial records for the next person.
- We present the candidate for a focused discussion on your immediate accounting requirements. We suggest you focus this interview on how they plan to tackle the first thirty days, including their approach to reviewing current controls and validating the integrity of your current financial output.
Questions
How does a Contract Controller differ from a permanent hire?
A contract hire focuses on immediate operational execution and maintaining current financial records. They are not intended for long-term strategic planning or team development.
What happens to the accounting documentation after the contract ends?
The contract controller leaves behind a documented audit trail and updated reconciliation schedules. This allows your team or a future permanent hire to maintain the established processes.
Do I need to train the controller on my ERP system?
No. We prioritize candidates who possess direct experience with your specific software environment. They are expected to be productive within their first week.
Is there an upfront fee for this service?
No upfront fee. You pay only if you hire.
What replacement terms apply?
We offer a candidate replacement guarantee on standard search agreements. The applicable period and exact terms are set out in the signed client recruiting agreement.
How are recruiting fees agreed?
No upfront fee. You pay only if you engage someone we present. We scope the assignment before quoting; the fee page explains our model.
How soon can we see options?
Availability depends on the assignment and the people who fit it. We qualify interest and commitments rather than promising a shortlist date before the search is scoped.
What if the scope grows?
Discuss new responsibilities before adding them to the engagement. Agree the priorities and record any change to the brief and terms.
Can we extend an engagement?
Discuss what remains unfinished and whether the same responsibility is still needed. Extensions depend on the person's commitments and the agreed engagement terms.
Can the appointment become permanent?
A permanent move can be discussed if both sides want it. Review the future role and the applicable agreement instead of assuming that temporary coverage automatically converts.
How is a confidential search handled?
Tell us what can be disclosed and whom we must not contact. We agree those boundaries before approaching people; do not send sensitive records with an initial brief.
What are the replacement terms?
We offer a candidate replacement guarantee on standard search agreements. The applicable period and exact terms are set out in the signed client recruiting agreement.
What do you not do?
We do not sell job-board reposting as a search or bill hourly for recruiting work. We do not take a retainer unless expressly agreed, and an introduction does not authorize an engagement.
Tell us the seat
No upfront fee. You pay only if you hire. Share the title, the situation and the timing. A person reads it.
Contract Controller by industry and related roles
Need the team under this role?
All industries
- Private Equity & Portfolio Companies
- Construction & Engineering
- Real Estate & Development
- Healthcare Services & Providers
- Life Sciences
- Manufacturing & Industrial
- Distribution, Logistics & Supply Chain
- Technology, SaaS & Software
- Consumer, Retail & E-commerce
- Financial Services & Fintech
- Energy, Utilities & Infrastructure
- Professional & Business Services
- Government Contractors
- Nonprofit, Foundations & Associations
- Education
- Family-Owned & Owner-Led Businesses
- Venture-Backed & High-Growth Companies
More Finance & Accounting roles
The Six-Step Search
What do you get at each step of the search?
We agree what the person must own before contacting anyone. You see how the search is scoped and which backgrounds we pursue. We speak with candidates about the work before presenting them. The Six-Step Search gives you useful written notes and support through interviews, rather than a pile of applications.
- 01
Scope call
We talk through the seat, the business and what has to change.
You get: A one-page role brief you approve before we search.
- 02
Market map
We work out where people who have done this job actually sit.
You get: A short note on the pool and how we plan to reach it.
- 03
Direct outreach
We approach people who are not looking at job boards.
You get: Progress updates so you are never chasing us.
- 04
Screening
We interview every candidate on the work, not the resume.
You get: Written notes on fit, availability and terms for each person.
- 05
Shortlist and interviews
You meet a short list. We handle the scheduling.
You get: Several vetted options and a debrief after each interview.
- 06
Offer and start
You choose. We help settle terms and the start date.
You get: Confirmed terms, a start date and check-ins after day one.
Tell us who you need.
No upfront fee. You pay only if you engage someone we present.
Send us the seat. We will take it from there.
No upfront fee. You pay only if you engage someone we present.