Fractional Controller Jobs
Browse 98 open fractional Controller positions. Find roles in monthly close, accounting policies, financial controls, audit readiness, and accounting team management.
Compensation Overview
Based on 13 currently active fractional Controller listings with disclosed compensation. Data is refreshed with each job-feed build:
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Average Hourly Range | $65 - $85/hr |
| Floor (Lowest Reported) | $33/hr |
| Ceiling (Highest Reported) | $125/hr |
| Listings with Comp Data | 13 of 98 |
Rates vary by engagement type (retainer vs project), industry, and scope of work. See our salary benchmarks page for detailed breakdowns.
Current Fractional Controller Job Listings
| Position | Company | Location | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Controller | Superlogic | Remote Remote | Not disclosed |
| Interim Controller | Phyton Talent Advisors | USA (Remote) Remote | $85-$85/hr |
| Freelance Business Controller (ZZP) - Randstad Freelance | Jobster | Nijmegen, Gelderland, Netherlands | Not disclosed |
| Interim Controller | Addison Group | USA (Remote) Remote | $65-$80/hr |
| interim Controller (contract-to-hire) | Robert Half | Irving, TX | Not disclosed |
| Fractional Controller | Alterian | USA (Remote) Remote | Not disclosed |
| Fractional Controller | Armitage Street LLC | Chicago, IL, US Remote | Not disclosed |
| Interim Controller | Reporting Insight | The Randstad, Netherlands | Not disclosed |
| Fractional Controller | Tillman Infrastructure, LLC | Not disclosed | |
| Interim Controller | Daley And Associates, LLC | New York, NY | Not disclosed |
| Controller (Fractional) | Bookit | Columbus, OH, US Remote | Not disclosed |
| Controller / Interim | KBW Financial Staffing & Recruiting | Chicago, IL | Not disclosed |
| Outsourced Client Controller (Work From Home) | System Six | Remote | Not disclosed |
| Fractional Controller | Mackie Myers | Carlsbad, CA | Not disclosed |
| Controller | America's Kids In Motion | Remote Remote | $70-$85/hr |
| Financial Controller (Part time) | SG Partnership | Wolverhampton, England, UK | Not disclosed |
| Fractional Controller | GSI Diversified, Inc. | USA (St Louis, MO) Remote | Not disclosed |
| Part-Time Financial Controller - Financial Services | ACCA Careers | London, England, UK | Not disclosed |
| Fractional Controller | GSI Diversified, Inc. | St Louis, MO | Not disclosed |
| Interim Financial Controller | Aila Recruitment | B Corp™ | Cambridge, England, UK | Not disclosed |
| Interim Group Financial Controller | FWB | Scotland, United Kingdom | Not disclosed |
| Interim Corporate Controller | KBW Financial Staffing & Recruiting | USA (Burlington, MA) | $90-$120/hr |
| Fractional Controller (Contract, Remote) – Finance as a Service (FaaS) | Rose Financial Solutions | North Bethesda, MD, US Remote | $60-$85/hr |
| Interim Financial Controller | JSS | London Area, United Kingdom | Not disclosed |
| Interim Finance Controller | Finatal | London Area, United Kingdom | Not disclosed |
| FINANCE - FRACTIONAL CONTROLLER | America's Kids | Clovis, CA, US | $70-$85/hr |
| Interim Financial Controller | Ad Idem Consulting | Not disclosed | |
| Fractional Financial Controller | Rexair Flight School | Naples, FL, US Remote | $69,565-$83,777/yr |
| Interim Plant Controller | Sikich | Mount Prospect, IL | Not disclosed |
| Interim Financial Controller | Allen Lane | Greenwich, England, UK | Not disclosed |
| Interim Financial Controller | Finatal | London Area, United Kingdom | Not disclosed |
| Interim Financial Controller | Edenbrook | London Area, United Kingdom | Not disclosed |
| Interim Controller – Accounting Transformation | S+H Search | USA (Boston, MA) Remote | $90-$125/hr |
| Interim Controller | LeaderStat | USA (Aventura, FL) | Not disclosed |
| Interim Controller | Behavioral Framework | USA (Remote) Remote | $90-$110/hr |
| Fractional Controller - Client Accounting & Finance Services (project based) | Keiter | Glen Allen, VA, US Remote | $70-$115/hr |
| Part-time Controller | Kforce Inc | St Louis, MO | Not disclosed |
| Part-time Controller | Kforce Inc | USA (St. Louis, MO) | $33-$36/hr |
| Fractional Controller | UHY. | USA (Remote) Remote | Not disclosed |
| Interim Accounting Manager/Controller | GEV Wind Power | Fort Worth, TX, US | Not disclosed |
| Interim Group Financial Controller | WPR | London Area, United Kingdom | Not disclosed |
| Interim Financial Controller | E78 Talent | California, United States | Not disclosed |
| Interim Corporate Controller | IFG - International Financial Group | Mississauga, Ontario, Canada | Not disclosed |
| Interim Controller | Connect Search, LLC | USA (Hartford, WI) | $65-$85/hr |
| Interim Controller | Scale-up | Randstad | Recruitment Crew | The Randstad, Netherlands | Not disclosed |
| Interim Group Financial Controller - AR113372 | Eton Bridge Partners Ltd | Munich, Bavaria, Germany | Not disclosed |
| Interim Financial Controller | The Consultancy Group (London) | Dorset, England, UK | Not disclosed |
| Interim Senior Business Controller | Robert Walters | Amersfoort, Utrecht, Netherlands | Not disclosed |
| Interim Financial Controller / Senior Accountant | Finatal | Southampton, England, UK | Not disclosed |
| Part-Time Controller/Office Manager | KBW Financial Staffing & Recruiting | Groton, MA | Not disclosed |
View all 98 Fractional Controller listings →
Skills in Demand
The most requested skills and competencies in fractional Controller job listings:
What Is a Fractional Controller?
A Fractional Controller is a senior accounting executive who manages the monthly financial close, maintains accounting policies, builds financial controls, prepares for audits, and oversees the accounting team on a part-time basis. Where a CFO is strategic and forward-looking, a Controller is operational and accuracy-focused: they own the books and ensure that the numbers the leadership team relies on are correct, timely, and GAAP-compliant.
Companies hire a fractional Controller when they need accounting rigor beyond what a bookkeeper provides but cannot justify a full-time Controller at $120K-$200K. This commonly happens between $2M and $30M in revenue when the monthly close is taking too long, financial reporting is unreliable, audits are upcoming, or the company is preparing for fundraising or a transaction that requires clean books.
The fractional Controller role has grown alongside the fractional CFO role. Many companies start with a fractional CFO, then realize the CFO is spending too much time on close-related work that a Controller should own. Adding a fractional Controller frees the CFO to focus on strategic finance (planning, fundraising, board reporting) while the Controller owns operational accounting (close, controls, audit, tax coordination).
Fractional Controllers often work alongside in-house bookkeepers or staff accountants, providing senior oversight rather than replacing existing staff. This makes the model especially efficient: the company keeps its day-to-day accounting capacity while adding the experienced judgment needed for technical accounting issues, audit readiness, and process improvement.
How Fractional Controller Engagements Work
Fractional Controller engagements are typically structured as monthly retainers at $5,000-$12,000 per month for 15-25 hours per week. Hourly rates range from $125 to $250 per hour. The first 30-60 days often involve an accounting audit that surfaces close-process issues, control gaps, and reporting inaccuracies, followed by a remediation plan with specific weekly milestones.
Engagement duration is typically 6-18 months. Project-based engagements are common for specific scopes like ERP implementation, audit preparation, accounting cleanup before a fundraise or acquisition, or revenue recognition implementation for ASC 606 compliance. Some companies maintain a fractional Controller indefinitely when their accounting volume stays below the threshold that justifies a full-time hire. Compensation is almost always cash-based; equity is uncommon for Controller roles.
Who Hires Fractional Controllers?
Companies in the $2M-$30M revenue range with a bookkeeper or junior accounting staff but no senior accounting leader are the primary buyers. The trigger is usually a specific pain point: the close takes too long, the numbers do not tie out, an audit is coming, or fundraising or an acquisition is forcing a level-up in financial discipline. SaaS, professional services, manufacturing, and PE-backed mid-market companies are the most common verticals.
PE portfolio companies frequently hire fractional Controllers post-acquisition to install the close discipline and reporting cadence the PE firm expects. Companies preparing for an audit, especially first-time audits triggered by covenant requirements or fundraising, hire fractional Controllers to remediate control gaps before the auditors arrive. Companies implementing or migrating ERP systems use fractional Controllers to lead the chart-of-accounts design, data migration, and process redesign.
Nonprofits and associations are a growing buyer segment. These organizations have complex accounting requirements (fund accounting, grant reporting, Form 990) but limited budget for full-time finance leadership. Family offices and small holding companies use fractional Controllers to manage consolidated reporting across multiple entities. International expansion often triggers demand because multi-entity, multi-currency accounting requires senior judgment that smaller companies lack in-house.
Career Path to Fractional Controller
Fractional Controllers typically have 10-20 years of accounting experience with prior Controller or Assistant Controller roles. Common backgrounds include Big 4 audit (often as audit seniors or managers who moved into industry), corporate accounting leadership at mid-market companies, and SaaS or manufacturing controllership. Most hold a CPA license, which is a near-baseline expectation for the role.
The strongest fractional Controllers combine technical accounting depth (revenue recognition, lease accounting, equity-based compensation, multi-entity consolidation) with hands-on close-process experience and team management ability. ERP fluency across NetSuite, QuickBooks, Sage Intacct, and Xero is common. The fractional Controllers who command premium rates also bring industry-specific expertise where revenue recognition or compliance is complex (SaaS, healthcare, construction, government contracting).
Audit experience is highly valued because so many engagements involve audit preparation or first-time audits. Knowledge of internal controls frameworks (COSO, SOX-style controls for pre-IPO companies) helps Controllers design scalable processes rather than just patching immediate problems. Most successful fractional Controllers can point to specific outcomes from prior engagements: close-time reductions, clean audit opinions on first-time audits, or successful ERP implementations delivered on time and on budget.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a Fractional Controller do?
A Fractional Controller manages the monthly financial close, maintains accounting policies, builds and tests financial controls, prepares for audits, and oversees the accounting team. They own operational accounting and ensure the numbers the leadership team relies on are correct, timely, and GAAP-compliant. Most work 15-25 hours per week.
How much does a Fractional Controller cost?
Fractional Controller rates range from $125 to $250 per hour, or $5,000 to $12,000 per month on retainer. Annual cost typically lands at $60,000 to $144,000, compared to $150,000 to $250,000+ for a full-time Controller with benefits.
How many hours per week does a Fractional Controller work?
Most fractional Controller engagements run 15-25 hours per week. Hours may spike during month-end and quarter-end close cycles, audit preparation, or one-time projects like ERP implementations. The initial assessment phase is also more intensive before the engagement settles into a steady-state cadence.
When should a company hire a Fractional Controller?
Hire a fractional Controller when your monthly close is unreliable or taking too long, when you need to prepare for an audit or fundraise, when your bookkeeper has outgrown the role's complexity, or when you are implementing a new ERP. Common triggers include first-time audits, PE acquisitions, transitions from cash to accrual accounting, or revenue growth past $2M-$5M that strains existing accounting capacity.
What is the difference between a Fractional Controller and a Fractional CFO?
A Controller owns operational accounting: the close, controls, audit readiness, and GAAP compliance. A CFO owns strategic finance: planning, fundraising, board reporting, and capital allocation. Many companies engage both, with the CFO setting financial strategy and the Controller ensuring the underlying numbers and processes are accurate.
What is the difference between a Fractional Controller and a bookkeeper?
A bookkeeper records transactions, manages AP/AR, and maintains the general ledger. A Controller designs the accounting policies, builds controls, manages the close, prepares financial statements, coordinates with auditors, and supervises the bookkeeper. The Controller is the senior accountant accountable for the accuracy of the financial reporting; the bookkeeper is the day-to-day operator.
Can a Fractional Controller help us prepare for an audit?
Yes. Audit preparation is one of the most common reasons companies hire fractional Controllers. They review accounting policies, test internal controls, prepare workpapers, reconcile accounts, and handle auditor questions and PBC (prepared by client) requests. Companies preparing for first-time audits especially benefit from a fractional Controller who has led audits at multiple companies before.
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