Financial Controller

About the Role

A leading global organization is seeking a Controller, APAC to lead the full spectrum of finance and accounting operations across its entities in the Asia-Pacific region, including India, the Philippines, and Japan. Reporting to the VP, Finance, you will own accurate financial reporting, timely close processes, statutory and tax compliance, and effective controls over payments processing, while serving as a trusted finance partner to leaders across multiple geographies. This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced finance leader who wants to take end-to-end ownership of regional financial operations, strengthen controls and governance, and drive process improvement and finance systems modernization in a fast-paced, multi-entity environment.

What You Will Do

• Lead the full-cycle monthly, quarterly, and year-end close — including journal entries, accruals, and variance analysis — and prepare financial results for global consolidation
• Oversee the full spectrum of accounting operations across APAC entities, including General Ledger, Accounts Payable, Fixed Assets, and bank reconciliations
• Ensure compliance with group accounting policies, local standards, and statutory requirements; manage GST/VAT filings and lead year-end statutory audits with external tax advisors and government agencies
• Act as an embedded finance partner to regional business leaders, supporting vendor management, PO creation, invoice approvals, and accurate expense classification
• Partner with global Finance and IT teams to deploy and optimize ERP and financial reporting systems, and drive automation and simplification of manual accounting workflows
• Manage a team of two direct reports along with third-party bookkeeping providers in Japan and the Philippines
• Coordinate and attend regional board meetings in partnership with the country manager as a member of the local board

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting or Finance with a professional certification (CPA, Chartered Accountant, ACCA, or CIMA) and 10+ years of progressive experience
• Proven track record in APAC finance leadership, including hands-on experience with India, Japan, and Philippines financial reporting standards, India GST/VAT reporting, and leading statutory audits across multiple jurisdictions
• Expert knowledge of accounting principles and full-cycle operations — General Ledger, AR/AP, Fixed Assets, foreign currency management, and complex monthly consolidations
• Advanced experience with mid-to-large scale ERP systems (such as NetSuite, SAP, or QuickBooks) and expert-level proficiency in Microsoft Excel for financial reporting and analysis
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to act as a financial liaison, advise on commercial contracts, and partner with senior business leaders on finance decisions
• Ability to utilize approved Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools to support productivity, efficiency, and quality of work, while maintaining accountability for all AI-generated outputs

Please note that this is a confidential search. We kindly ask that all candidates keep details of this opportunity and any related conversations private throughout the recruitment process.