Financial Controller Pharma

Financial Controller — Milan (Hybrid, 3 days office / 2 days smart working)

Our client is a global, research-driven specialty pharmaceutical company with a long-established Italian presence in Milan. The business is going through an exciting period of transformation, including a new ERP rollout, making this a genuine opportunity for a curious finance professional to grow into a true finance leader.

The role

Reporting to the Country Finance Lead and working closely with the cross‑functional business team and Global Finance organisation, the Financial Controller will support all finance operations of the Italian business — covering accounting, controlling, analysis and business partnering.

Key responsibilities

• FP&A: Prepare full financial statements (P&L, Balance Sheet, Cash Flow) and monitor KPIs to support strategic decision‑making.
• Accounts Payable oversight: Supervise the Financial Shared Service Centre (FSSC) on invoice processing, manage vendor master data and ensure payments respect internal approval limits.
• Logistics controlling: Oversee inventory valuation, write‑offs and warehouse movement reporting to maintain accurate records.
• Closing & accruals: Manage monthly closing, accrual accounting, payroll reconciliations and the fixed asset register.
• Reporting excellence: Deliver weekly, monthly and quarterly sales and OPEX reporting, ensuring accuracy in the consolidation system (Tagetik).
• Audit & compliance: Coordinate documentation for internal and external audits and handle requests from public authorities, in line with local GAAP.
• ERP integration: Act as a key contributor to the rollout and integration of the new SAP system.
• Budgeting & forecasting: Partner with the Finance Business Partner on budget submissions and month‑end distribution to the business.

What you'll bring

• Proven accounting / finance experience, ideally within an international or pharmaceutical environment.
• Strong knowledge of international finance standards and local GAAP, with a track record of facing audits.
• Hands‑on experience with SAP (Tagetik and Esker an advantage).
• Excellent Excel skills (power‑user level) and high‑level command of Microsoft Office.
• Fluent written and spoken English (essential for this global environment); Italian native/fluent.
• Master's degree in Finance, Accounting or Financial Management would be ideal.
• Previous Big 4 experience is a plus.
• Structured, detail‑oriented and analytical, able to solve complex problems under tight deadlines.
• Strong stakeholder management across diverse functional teams, with a high capacity for confidentiality.

What's on offer

• Learning & development through a varied programme.
• A collaborative, inclusive working environment.
• Hybrid working — 3 days in the Milan office, 2 days smart working.

Our client is an equal‑opportunities employer committed to building an inclusive workplace where everyone can bring their authentic self to work.