The three doors into Irish finance
Fund services and asset servicing
Fund accounting, transfer agency, financial reporting, depositary and regulatory reporting. The highest volume of roles and the most experienced employers when it comes to hiring from abroad.
Corporate finance and shared services
FP&A, financial accounting, AR and AP leadership, group reporting. Dublin and Cork host European finance centres for many US multinationals, which hire in cohorts.
Risk, compliance and audit
Regulatory reporting, AML, financial crime, internal audit and prudential risk. Persistent shortage, and the area where a specific regulatory background travels best across borders.
Qualification first, everything else second
Irish finance recruiters screen on qualification before they read a single achievement. ACCA, ACA, CIMA and CPA are the currency, and part-qualified is a recognised, hireable status with a defined salary band. Put the body, the status and the expected completion date in your CV header, not buried under education.
If your qualification is from outside Europe, check the exemption route with the relevant Irish body before you apply and state the outcome on your CV. A line such as "CPA (Brazil), ACCA exemptions assessed, 4 exams remaining" removes the ambiguity that otherwise gets a CV set aside.
Systems and frameworks come next. Naming IFRS, US GAAP, FRS 102, and the specific ERP or fund accounting platform you have used tells a hiring manager how quickly you will be productive, which is what actually decides a permit-backed hire.
Indicative Irish finance salaries in 2026
Base salary ranges for Dublin. Bonus is common at manager level and above.
| Role | Dublin range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Fund accountant | €38,000 – €50,000 | Highest volume entry point for people arriving from abroad |
| Financial analyst / FP&A | €50,000 – €70,000 | Strong demand in tech and pharma finance centres |
| Qualified accountant | €55,000 – €75,000 | ACCA, ACA, CIMA or CPA required |
| Financial reporting manager | €70,000 – €90,000 | IFRS and consolidation experience decisive |
| Risk / compliance manager | €70,000 – €100,000 | Regulated sector background needed |
| Finance manager / controller | €75,000 – €95,000 | People management expected |
Indicative advertised ranges for 2026. Outside Dublin typically 10 to 20 percent lower, with substantially lower housing costs.
What an Irish finance CV must show
- ·Qualification, professional body and exam status in the header.
- ·Reporting frameworks: IFRS, US GAAP, FRS 102, local GAAP where relevant.
- ·Systems: SAP, Oracle, NetSuite, Workday, Aladdin, Bloomberg, advanced Excel, SQL or Power BI.
- ·Scale of what you managed: entities, fund count, assets under administration, budget size, team size.
- ·Two pages, reverse chronological, no photo, no date of birth, no PPS number.
- ·One line on your work authorisation status and availability if you are outside Ireland.
How to run the search
Decide your entry point
Fund services, corporate finance or risk and compliance. Each has a different CV emphasis, and applying to all three with one document produces no interviews.
Target employers who sponsor
Fund administrators, banks, Big Four and US multinationals process permits routinely. Small Irish SMEs usually do not.
Fix the qualification question in advance
Get the exemption assessment or a clear statement of status before applying. It converts a doubt into a fact.
Translate scale into Irish terms
Entities, funds, AUA, transaction volumes and audit scope communicate more than job titles that do not exist in Ireland.
Prepare technical plus competency
Expect a technical screen on your framework and systems, followed by structured competency questions. Prepare six STAR examples covering deadline pressure, error correction, audit, stakeholder conflict, process improvement and leadership.
Keep going
What clients say about working with us
“My experience with HULA Career exceeded my expectations. They provided exceptional guidance throughout every step of my dream job search. I am incredibly grateful to Hugo and Laura for their unwavering support.”
“Hugo is a friendly and dedicated professional who can help you with career coaching. He was very attentive to me, making calls to teach me strategies to get the perfect job and providing accurate and professional material.”
“If you're looking for any career related help or advice in Ireland, HULA is the one for you. Hugo and Laura are two of the sweetest and kind hearted people who go above and beyond to support you.”
“I had an amazing experience with HULA Career! Their team provided outstanding support in improving my LinkedIn profile and CV, making them more professional and impactful. Their guidance was clear, personalized, and extremely helpful.”
“I've been a client of HULA Career for a while now, and working with them has been one of the best decisions I've made for my professional growth. From the very beginning, they made me feel seen and heard.”
“I had a very good experience with HULA! Hugo is an amazing professional who always goes beyond to provide the best service he can. I learned a lot from our sessions and would recommend 100% for anyone who needs help finding a new job.”
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“They are excellent professionals and exceed expectations. They helped me in a practical way, but also in a psychological way so that I could position myself in the labour market in another country. Thank you so much, you're amazing.”
Want to know if your finance profile fits the Irish market?
In the free consultation we map your qualification, systems and experience against what Irish employers are actually hiring for, and give you an honest view of your permit route and timeline.
Written by
Hugo Faria
Career coach and co-founder of HULA. He works every week with international professionals hiring into Ireland, the UK and Portugal, and coaches them through CV, LinkedIn, applications and interviews. More about Hugo.
Frequently asked questions
Can I get a finance job in Ireland as a non-EU professional?+
Yes. Several finance occupations, including qualified accountants, fund accountants at senior level, risk and compliance specialists and financial analysts, are hired through the General Employment Permit, and some senior roles meet Critical Skills criteria. The employer applies, so target employers with a track record of hiring internationally, which in practice means the large fund administrators, banks and Big Four firms.
Is my accounting qualification recognised in Ireland?+
ACCA, ACA, CIMA and CPA are recognised and widely advertised. Non-European qualifications are often accepted with an exemption assessment from the relevant Irish body, and many employers will hire you as part-qualified while you complete the remaining exams. State your qualification, body and exam status on the first third of your CV.
What is Dublin's fund services market and why does it matter?+
Ireland administers a very large share of Europe's investment funds, which creates continuous demand for fund accountants, transfer agency, financial reporting, depositary oversight and regulatory reporting staff. It is the single largest entry point into Irish finance for people arriving from abroad.
How much do finance jobs pay in Ireland?+
Indicative Dublin ranges in 2026: fund accountant €38,000 to €50,000, financial analyst €50,000 to €70,000, qualified accountant €55,000 to €75,000, finance manager €75,000 to €95,000, and risk or compliance manager €70,000 to €100,000. Outside Dublin, expect 10 to 20 percent lower.
Do I need Irish experience to get hired?+
No, but you need Irish context. Reference the reporting frameworks you know (IFRS, US GAAP, FRS 102), the systems you use (SAP, Oracle, NetSuite, Aladdin, Bloomberg), and the regulatory environment you have worked in. Those are the signals Irish finance recruiters screen on.
Which cities in Ireland hire finance staff?+
Dublin dominates, especially the IFSC. Cork has strong shared services and pharma finance, Limerick and Galway have medtech and manufacturing finance, and Kilkenny and Waterford host back-office operations for several international firms.