Finance recruitment

Finance recruitment in Latin America: controllers, FP&A, treasury and CFOs

Tessera Partners recruits senior finance professionals in Latin America for US, European and international companies. We hire controllers, FP&A leads, treasury managers and CFOs who report in English to headquarters. You see a first qualified shortlist in 21 days, and every placement carries a 90 day replacement guarantee.

Book a call → The 5-Lens Method

When companies call us

Finance roles carry trust. A wrong hire shows up in the close, the forecast or the audit. Federico, our co-founder, spent nearly 10 years in corporate banking at J.P. Morgan and Barclays and evaluates finance candidates himself.

A controller for a new entity

You opened a company in Argentina, Brazil or Mexico and need someone to run local books and report to group finance.

FP&A that headquarters can trust

Leadership wants forecasts and board materials in English, built to the group's standards.

Treasury across currencies

You manage cash, FX exposure and banking relationships in several Latin American currencies.

A first CFO or finance director

The company is past founder-led finance and needs a leader for fundraising, controls and reporting.

A shared services finance hub

Accounting and reporting for several countries, run from one team in Latin America.

Finance for a confidential change

A transaction, a restructuring or a replacement that cannot be advertised.

Roles we fill

Seniority	Example roles	Typical search length
Senior specialist	Senior FP&A analyst, senior accountant, treasury analyst	Shortlist in 21 days
Manager	Controller, FP&A manager, treasury manager	Shortlist in 21 days
Director	Finance director, head of FP&A, regional controller	Shortlist in 21 days
Executive	CFO, VP Finance	Shortlist in 21 days

We run the full process with you and present senior talent as fast as we can, with a first qualified shortlist in 21 days.

How the search works

Intake

A working call, then a structured intake. We test the real need and agree a signed role brief with you.

Search, days 1 to 21

We start with our network, references and trusted connections, then curated talent pools. Job boards only when they add signal.

Shortlist by day 21

Three to five candidates, each with a written 5-Lens dossier and our recruiter's view.

Interviews and offer

We run scheduling, interview preparation, debriefs, references and offer support.

Follow-through to day 90

Regular check-ins with you and the hire through day 90, backed by the replacement guarantee.

How we evaluate candidates

Finance candidates are scored on the five lenses with written evidence. For finance, each lens looks for something specific.

Craft. Closes delivered on time, audits passed and forecasts that held, confirmed with former CFOs or controllers.
Context. Experience with your reporting framework, company size and ownership, from venture-backed to listed groups.
Communication. Board-ready writing and clear explanations of numbers in English to non-finance leaders.
Cultural Fluency. Comfort reporting to a US or European group, with its calendar, controls and expectations.
Drive. Interest in the role beyond title: building the function, not only maintaining it.

Read the full 5-Lens Method →

Fees and guarantee

Our fee is 10% of the hire's first year base salary, with a 750 EUR start fee deducted from the final invoice. Every placement carries a 90 day replacement guarantee at no extra fee.

See recruitment fees →

Why Tessera Partners

Versus EOR providers

An EOR employs and pays the person you choose. It does not test whether a controller can close the books. We assess that, and work alongside your EOR.

Versus generalist agencies

Generalist agencies send finance CVs by keyword. Federico's banking background and our references with finance leaders give a deeper read.

Versus in-house recruiting

Your finance team knows its standards. We bring candidates who already work to those standards across Latin America.

Market notes

Reporting standards: IFRS Standards are required for listed companies in several Latin American countries, including Brazil, Chile and Mexico (IFRS Foundation jurisdiction profiles). That helps finance teams report to European groups.
Argentina and São Paulo run on UTC-3 all year. Argentina does not use daylight saving time (timeanddate), and Brazil ended it in 2019 (Decree 9.772/2019). Colombia is on UTC-5 (timeanddate) and Mexico City on UTC-6 (timeanddate). That gives US teams a full shared working day.
Each country has its own labor code. Brazil's CLT defines an employee by continuous, paid and subordinate work (CLT, article 3). Argentina's labor law presumes an employment contract when someone works under another's direction (Law 20,744, article 23).
English level varies widely by country and city. The EF English Proficiency Index ranks countries every year; we test English on the actual work instead of relying on country averages.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

How much does a finance search cost?

Our fee is 10% of the hire's first year base salary. A 750 EUR start fee confirms the search and is deducted from the final invoice. That invoice is due within 7 days of signing with the candidate. VP and C-level fees are agreed case by case. Every placement includes the 90 day guarantee.

How fast can you present finance candidates?

You see a first qualified shortlist within 21 days of the signed role brief. For controllers and CFOs, we also run reference checks with former finance leaders before the shortlist. That keeps the process fast later, when you are ready to make an offer.

What does the 90 day guarantee cover?

If the placement does not work out within 90 days of the start date, we search again for the same role. There is no additional fee. We stay in touch with you and the hire during that period, so issues come up early and get solved.

Can finance roles be remote?

Many can. FP&A, reporting and shared services roles often work remotely for US or European groups. Local controllers and CFOs usually need presence in the country, at least part of the time. We agree the setup in the role brief and confirm it with every candidate.

Do candidates report in English?

Every candidate we present can report in English at the level of the role. We test it with a written exercise, such as a short variance commentary, and a live conversation. Most also work in Spanish or Portuguese with local teams, banks and auditors.