Description
Financial Controller
About APC
APC Ltd is an award-winning and rapidly growing pharmaceutical process research company, with headquarters in Dublin, Ireland. In the space of 5 years, our science and technology driven solutions have pioneered innovation in the sector, and we now partner with 8 of the top-10 pharma and 5 of the top-10 biotech firms in the world.
From our world-class facility, our highly capable and qualified team delivers specialised chemical and process engineering solutions. Powered by novel technology and world-class scientific research, we help companies accelerate the development & launch of their medicines.
Our rapid growth has come from a commitment to excellence, a drive to innovate and the desire to develop a challenging, creative and rewarding environment for our team.
Role Overview
The Group Financial Controller is a newly created senior finance leadership role, established to support the organisation’s next phase of growth and is responsible for the integrity, efficiency and effectiveness of financial operations across the organisation. Reporting directly to the Group Finance Director, the role provides leadership of day-to-day financial operations in a multi-entity, multi-business unit environment while also shaping the finance function for scale.
The successful candidate will lead a team of direct reports, strengthen the organisation’s financial operating rhythm, and ensure that robust controls, timely reporting, cash discipline and clear financial insight underpin growth, transformation and decision-making.
This role will suit a commercially minded finance leader who combines strong technical controllership with the confidence to challenge, influence and partner with senior stakeholders; someone who can operate hands-on, while also stepping back to shape process, people and performance at an organisational level.
Key Pillars of Responsibility
- Financial Control, Governance & Compliance
- Reporting, Insight & Performance Management
- Revenue Accounting, IFRS & Documentation Discipline
- Finance Operations, Payroll, AP & AR Process Excellence
- Cash Flow, Working Capital & Balance Sheet Discipline
- FP&A, Forecasting & Commercial Decision Support
- Systems, Data Quality, Automation & Finance Transformation
- Monthly Management Accounts & Actionable Financial Insight
The Opportunity
This is an opportunity to take ownership of day-to-day financial operations and make a visible impact across the business. The Group Financial Controller will have scope to professionalise and scale finance operations, improve reporting and controls, embed stronger business partnering across business units, support systems and automation improvements, and develop a high-performing finance team capable of supporting the organisation’s next stage of growth
Leadership & Business Partnering
The Financial Controller will be expected to:
- Lead, develop and motivate a high-performing finance team, setting clear standards for accuracy, accountability, ownership, pace and continuous improvement.
- Act as a visible senior finance leader across the organisation, modelling sound judgement, professional integrity and a constructive, solutions-focused leadership style.
- Build trusted, proactive relationships with commercial, operational and functional leaders, translating financial insight into clear actions that support performance, growth and risk management.
- Strengthen the organisation’s financial operating rhythm by ensuring actions, accountabilities and performance issues are clearly surfaced, followed through and embedded across business review forums.
- Contribute actively to the broader Finance leadership team, bringing an enterprise-wide perspective and deputising for the Group Finance Director where required with credibility and confidence.
- Champion finance transformation initiatives including system upgrades, process automation, data quality improvements, reporting simplification and stronger adoption of standardised business processes.
- Drive a culture of continuous improvement across finance operations, challenging legacy ways of working and identifying opportunities to improve control, efficiency, scalability and service quality.
- Develop finance capability through coaching, knowledge-sharing, succession planning and clear development pathways for direct reports and wider finance team members.
- Partner with the R&D Programme Manager and relevant business leaders to maximise RDTC, grant and other funding opportunities while ensuring robust governance, documentation and compliance.
Person Specification
Essential Requirements
- Qualified accountant – ACA, ACCA, CIMA or equivalent
- Typically 5+ years post-qualification experience, with sufficient breadth to operate credibly in a senior finance leadership role
- Proven experience in a Financial Controller or senior Finance Manager role
- Strong commercial finance and business partnering capability, with the ability to influence senior stakeholders and translate financial insight into clear business action
- Strong technical accounting knowledge including IFRS
- Experience managing multi-entity / Multi-Business Unit environments
- Experience operating in a growing, changing or complex business environment, ideally where finance processes, systems or reporting are being strengthened or scaled
- Demonstrated experience managing and developing finance teams
- Hands-on experience with annual audit processes
- Proficiency with ERP systems and financial reporting BI tools
Desirable/Advantageous
- Exposure to R&D tax credit processes and familiarity with grant funding landscape such as Enterprise Ireland, Horizon or similar funding programmes
- Experience supporting FP&A, strategic financial planning, budgeting, forecasting and performance review cycles
- Experience in technology, professional services, engineering, consultancy or project-based environments
- Experience improving month-end close, management reporting packs, financial controls and operating cadences
- Experience with ERP implementation or optimisation, Power BI, CRMs, AI/automation tools or data quality improvement initiatives
- Track record of leading or supporting finance transformation, process simplification or scalable operating model improvements
Key Competencies
- Financial Acumen, Technical Expertise & Professional Judgement
- Enterprise Mindset & Senior Leadership Presence
- Commercial Challenge, Influence & Stakeholder Partnership
- Process Discipline, Accountability & Continuous Improvement
- Data-Led Decision Making, Analytical Thinking & Clear Communication
- Change Leadership, Resilience & Pace
- Coaching, Capability Building & Team Development
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If you believe you have the capability required and the interest in being part of this dynamic rapidly growing organisation, we would like to talk to you.
The closing date for applications is 31st July 2026
The salary is negotiable and dependent on the experience of the successful candidate.
APC is committed to the principle of equal opportunity for all employees. All employment decisions at APC are based on business needs, job requirements and individual qualifications, without regards to gender, ethnicity, age, religious belief, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, or any other status protected by Irish law.
Similar vacancies arising in the coming 6 months may be filled from this group of applicants.