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.