Goldman Sachs controllers manage reporting, capital and risk decisions

The control seat that sits closest to the business

Goldman Sachs’ Financial Controllers function is one of the firm’s most consequential control jobs because it sits where reporting, regulation and business decisions collide. The page describing the role says controllers manage the firm’s financial and regulatory obligations, ensure the accuracy of financial and regulatory information, and oversee internal and external reporting across worldwide markets.

That makes the job far more than a monthly close. Controllers cover profit-and-loss reporting and analysis, independent valuation, capital analysis, and regulatory and financial reporting. In a firm built on speed, scale and constant client activity, that work helps decide whether the numbers are fit to guide executives, withstand regulatory scrutiny, and support how the firm measures its own performance.

Why controllers matter when Goldman is deciding what can grow

The control function also has a say in the harder questions behind the numbers: capital, balance sheet usage, liquidity, accounting, valuation and reputational risk when Goldman executes business with clients. Those are not back-office concerns. They are the constraints that shape how much risk the firm can take, which businesses can expand, and how cleanly performance is measured when leaders review results.

Goldman’s broader Corporate Planning & Management function reinforces that point. The firm says that group provides the overall financial control and reporting function while managing liquidity, capital and risk. In practice, that means controllers are sitting close to the mechanics that decide how scarce balance sheet resources are allocated, not just how they are recorded after the fact.

The scale of the franchise makes that especially visible. Goldman reported 2025 net revenues of $58.28 billion, net earnings of $17.18 billion, diluted EPS of $51.32 and ROE of 15.0%. A business that large depends on a control function that can keep the reporting clean enough for investors, regulators and internal leaders to trust the same story.

The year-end numbers are only part of the story

Goldman’s latest annual report shows how tightly the control function is linked to strategic change. The firm said it created a regulatory reporting workstream as part of its effort to modernize its internal operating model under the One Goldman Sachs ethos. That matters because regulatory reporting is not a static compliance task at a global bank. It is part of how the firm reshapes the way it runs itself.

The same report also shows how capital discipline has changed the business over time. Goldman said it reduced historical principal investments by more than 90% from roughly $64 billion to $6 billion, and lowered its stress capital buffer by a cumulative 320 basis points since 2020. Those are the kinds of numbers that tell you controllers are working right next to the decisions that affect risk appetite, capital efficiency and the firm’s capacity to deploy resources.

For employees, that has a direct workplace implication. The people who help define P&L, valuation and regulatory framing are also helping define the scorecard that leaders use when they judge business quality, discipline and durability. In a partnership-style culture operating inside a public company, that can influence how executives think about performance, promotion and the narratives that get carried into bonus season.

What Goldman says it wants in the role

Goldman’s careers materials make the profile fairly clear. The firm looks for multitasking, attention to detail, analytical ability, strong communication and integrity. That combination is telling, because the job requires someone who can move between technical accounting detail and the plain-language explanation that senior leaders and external stakeholders need.

Controllers also function as part of the firm’s second line of defense, according to Goldman’s recruiting materials. That means the job is built around independent scrutiny of financial information rather than simply producing it. The control function works alongside global product controllers, SEC Financial Reporting, Accounting Policy, Legal, Funding, Treasury, Credit Risk and Market Risk, which gives the role broad visibility into how the firm’s major risk and finance groups actually interact.

That breadth is part of the appeal for people who want more than a narrow accounting track. Controllers see how the bank tells its story to regulators, how it defends its valuation judgments, and how the numbers connect to capital decisions that can affect every business line.

The apprenticeship culture matters as much as the technical work

Goldman also frames the function through its apprenticeship culture. The firm says students and early-career talent benefit from hands-on experience and early exposure to leaders, clients and business challenges. For controllers, that can mean learning fast, seeing how senior people think about financial control, and getting a close-up view of the trade-offs behind the firm’s results.

That kind of exposure is especially valuable in a role where precision carries weight. A controller who understands the business can ask sharper questions, push back when a number does not make sense, and explain complex issues without hiding behind jargon. That is the kind of judgment that tends to matter most when reporting deadlines, regulatory expectations and market pressure all arrive at once.

Who thrives in the seat

The people who tend to do well in Goldman’s controller function usually share a few traits:

• They are comfortable being the person who asks for the backup.

• They can move between technical detail and executive-level judgment.

• They care about accuracy, not just speed.

• They can work with traders, bankers, lawyers and regulators without losing the thread.

• They are willing to challenge a business line when the facts do not line up.

That mix of skepticism and service is what makes the function powerful. Controllers protect the firm by making sure the story is right, but they also shape how the firm understands its own economics. At Goldman, where capital, liquidity and risk are all central to the business model, that is a seat with real influence.