Director - Accountancy Practice

Brightwater Recruitment; Dublin; On-site; EUR 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

25 Days Annual Leave

Flexible Working

Remote work up to 2 days per week

Summer hours

Social Club

Professional Subscription

Pension

Life Assurance

PHI – Income Protection

Job summary

Brightwater Recruitment is seeking an experienced Director to lead a portfolio of owner-managed businesses and SME clients from a Dublin base. You will act as a trusted adviser, oversee service delivery, mentor a team of accountants, and work with partners on high-impact assignments.

The ideal candidate holds ACA or ACCA, brings 7+ years PQE in practice, and demonstrates strong commercial know-how, leadership and relationship management to drive growth and value for clients.

Qualifications

• This role requires ACA or ACCA qualification and PQE of 7+ years in practice.
• Minimum 2 years at senior manager level in practice.
• Experience managing a client portfolio and acting as principal contact.

Responsibilities

• Take overall responsibility for a portfolio of clients and act as lead adviser.
• Develop client relationships and identify opportunities across services.
• Lead client meetings and present insights to directors and owners.
• Mentor accountants and trainees, manage workload and billing.
• Oversee due diligence, restructurings and other advisory projects.
• Support accounting technology strategy and AI adoption.

Skills

Client relationship management

Leadership

Communication skills

Commercial awareness

Project management

Team mentoring

Strategic thinking

Education

ACA or ACCA qualified

Tools

Accounting software

Cloud-based systems

Job description

Based in Dublin 2, my client is a respected Dublin accountancy firm providing Audit, Tax, Payroll, and Business Advisory services. Their long-standing client relationships — often spanning generations — reflect their dedication to quality service. With a team of 20+ professionals, they value respect, teamwork, and continuous growth. This role is ideal for an ambitious Director with the drive to progress.

They are seeking an experienced candidate at Director level to lead a portfolio of owner-managed businesses and SME clients across a broad range of sectors.

This position comes with significant responsibility and autonomy. The successful candidate will act as a trusted adviser to clients, oversee service delivery across a diverse client portfolio, contribute towards managing and developing a team of professionals, and work closely with the partners on ad-hoc assignments (including restructuring and due diligence assignments) to support the continued growth of the firm.

The role offers genuine progression opportunities for an ambitious individual who combines strong technical expertise with excellent commercial awareness, leadership skills and a commitment to outstanding client service.

Responsibilities:

• Take overall responsibility for a portfolio of clients, acting as the primary relationship manager and trusted adviser.
• Develop strong client relationships and identify opportunities for additional services across Audit, Tax, Advisory and Outsourcing.
• Lead client meetings and present financial and business insights to directors, owners and senior management teams.
• Assist in the management, development and mentoring of a team of accountants and trainees, ensuring high standards of client service and technical delivery.
• Resource planning and workflow management across client engagements.
• Manage due diligence assignments, business reviews and other advisory projects.
• Help drive the firm’s accounting technology strategy to best serve our clients and project manage the roll out of new accounting solutions and AI adoption.
• Assist with managing the team's financial performance e.g. agreeing and billing of fees; cash collections; monitoring recoverability of WIP etc
• Participate in the coaching, mentoring and appraisal of staff
• This role requires an experienced, positive, self-motivated individual with superior organisational and technical skills who can execute multiple tasks simultaneously to ensure a high level of professional standards.
• The ideal candidate will combine strong technical expertise with excellent commercial awareness, people leadership and relationship management skills. They will be comfortable managing a substantial client portfolio, making independent decisions, and acting as a trusted adviser to clients and colleagues.

Skills and competencies required:

• ACA or ACCA qualified.
• Minimum 7 years post-qualification experience gained within practice.
• Minimum 2 years at senior manager level in practice.
• Proven experience managing a portfolio of clients and acting as the principal point of contact.
• Strong practice experience within SME accounting and statutory financial statements.
• Experience in client advisory work and due diligence assignments
• Demonstrated leadership and people management experience, including delegation, coaching and performance management.
• Excellent client relationship management and communication skills.
• Commercial awareness with the ability to understand client needs and identify opportunities for value-added services.
• Strong organisational and project management skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities effectively.
• Working knowledge of modern accounting software and cloud-based systems.
• High level of proficiency in technology and a strong interest in AI and digital transformation within accounting.
• Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to exercise sound professional judgement.
• Ability to handle confidential information with discretion and professionalism.

Salary and Benefits

• 25 Days Annual Leave Flexible Working
• Working From Home option: Up to 2 days per week
• Summer hours [Consolidation of hours across Jul/Aug, with a 13:00 finish on Friday]
• Social Club
• Professional Subscription
• Pension
• Life Assurance
• PHI – Income Protection

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