Accounting Advisory Senior Manager

Plante & Moran, PLLC; Chicago (IL); Hybrid; USD 135,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Disability insurance

Life insurance

Flex time off

401(k)

Travel & lodging reimbursements

Meal reimbursement

Pension plan

Bonus program

Job summary

Plante Moran is seeking a senior leader to head the Accounting Advisory practice, partnering with clients through M&A transactions, accounting transformations, and technical challenges. You will guide management teams with strategic insight and hands-on execution to deliver measurable impact.

You will lead across transaction accounting, transformations, and governance, managing client engagements at the executive level, building the practice, and shaping delivery with emphasis on quality,

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required and CPA preferred.
• 6+ years in public accounting, industry accounting, or technical accounting.
• Experience in practice development and professional networking.

Responsibilities

• Lead transaction accounting across mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, carve-outs, and management buyouts with decision-ready analyses.
• Prepare and review sophisticated financial analyses for acquisitions, financing arrangements, and strategic initiatives.
• Develop and challenge financial forecasts and forward-looking models for capital allocation and growth.
• Assess quality of earnings for OBS and reliable financial reporting.
• Evaluate sustainability of performance through analysis of financial statements and drivers.
• Oversee accounting transformation engagements including staffing, processes, and reporting redesign.
• Remediate under-resourced financial information with sustainable processes and procedures.
• Serve in interim finance leadership for clients during departures within their finance function.
• Direct the implementation of complex accounting standards (ASC 606, 842, 805, 470/480/815, 718).
• Engage with C-suite during executive meetings to gather insights and inform analysis.
• Grow the practice through business development, team leadership, pursuit support, project management, and financial management.

Skills

Client engagement

Business development

Team leadership

Project management

Financial management

Education

Bachelor's Degree

CPA designation (preferred)

Job description

Your role.

As a senior leader in our Accounting Advisory practice, you will partner with clients navigating their most complex and consequential financial events - M&A transactions, accounting transformations, leadership transitions, and technical accounting challenges. You’ll bring both strategic insight and hands-on expertise, guiding management teams through high-stakes decisions while building a practice that delivers measurable impact.

• Transaction & Strategic Advisory Lead transaction accounting across mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, carve-outs, and management buyouts, providing clients with clear, decision-ready analysis at every stage of the deal lifecycle
• Prepare and review sophisticated financial analyses to help clients evaluate potential acquisitions, financing arrangements, and other significant strategic initiatives
• Develop and challenge financial forecasts, translating operational realities into forward-looking financial models that inform capital allocation and growth decisions
• Assess quality of earnings to inform the accounting for the Opening Balance Sheet (OBS) and support accurate, decision-useful financial reporting
• Evaluate the sustainability of financial performance through rigorous analysis of financial statements and underlying business drivers
• Accounting Transformation & Operations Oversee accounting transformation engagements that evaluate people, process, and technology - including transitions in basis of reporting (e.g., cash to US GAAP), reporting efficiency improvements, risk mitigation, and redesign of departmental structure, roles, and staffing
• Remediate financial information that has been under-resourced or under-supported, standing up sustainable processes, policies, and procedures that produce reliable financial reporting going forward
• Serve in interim finance and accounting leadership roles for clients navigating planned or unplanned departures within their finance function
• Technical Accounting Leadership Direct the implementation of complex accounting standards, for example revenue recognition (ASC 606), lease accounting (ASC 842), business combinations (ASC 805), complex debt and equity instruments (ASC 470, ASC 480, and ASC 815), and stock-based compensation (ASC 718) Address unique or emerging accounting and reporting matters where clients lack the internal expertise, bandwidth, or perspective to resolve independently
• Client Engagement Participate in executive-level client meetings and on-site visits, engaging directly with C-suite leadership to gather insights, assess business dynamics, and inform financial analysis
• Practice Leadership & Development Beyond client delivery, you will play a central role in growing and running the practice: Business development - cultivate internal and external networks to identify current opportunities and build a durable pipeline of future work Team leadership - provide coaching, engagement scheduling, and overall guidance to practice team members, developing the next generation of talent Pursuit support - contribute to the preparation of proposals, budgets, and engagement letters Project management - prioritize competing engagements against deadlines, manage capacity effectively, and deliver high-quality work that drives positive economic outcomes Financial management - oversee client invoicing, collections, and overall account stewardship

Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree required
• CPA Designation is preferred
• Demonstrated track record in practice development and professional networking
• 6+ years of progressive experience in one or more of the following:
• Public accounting audit practice at the Manager level or above
• Industry accounting or external reporting leadership role
• Technical accounting consultation

This is an exempt position, so you may have to work hours that exceed the standard 40-hour work week.

What makes us different?

On the surface, we’re one of the nation’s largest audit, tax, consulting, and wealth management firms. But dig a little deeper, and you’ll see what makes us different: we’re a relatively jerk-free firm (hey, nobody ’s perfect) with a world-class culture, consistent recognition as one of Fortune Magazine’s "100 Best Companies to Work For", and an endless array of opportunities.

Plante Moran enjoys a "Workplace for Your Day" model which, simply put, means we strive for flexibility and balance while staying true to our principally in-person model. We believe that face-to-face interactions are paramount for individual and collective development, but also encourage individuals to work with their supervisor and team to determine their optimal working environment each day.

Plante Moran is a diverse workplace. We strive to create a culture where each person feels accepted and valued. We believe that each person’s ultimate potential begins with first acknowledging their inherent dignity. When we can recognize - and celebrate - our many human differences, we’re able to create a workplace where all staff feel a sense of belonging and an opportunity to succeed. This allows us to attract and retain the best talent, serve clients through diverse thinking, and better represent and support the various communities in which we live and work.

Plante Moran is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Plante Moran maintains a drug-free workplace. Interested applicants must submit their resume for consideration using our applicant tracking system. Due to the high volume of interest in our positions, only candidates selected for interviews will be contacted. Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the United States without sponsorship, with the exception of qualified candidates who are bilingual in either Japanese and English or Chinese and English. Unsolicited resumes from search firms or employment agencies, or similar, will not be paid a fee and become the property of Plante Moran.

The specific statements above are not intended to be all-inclusive. We are pleased to offer eligible staff a robust benefits package.

Benefits

• Highlights include health, dental, vision, disability, and life insurance.
• In addition to this, eligible staff are able to take advantage of our Flexible Time Off and various pre-determined holidays, as well as a 401(k) plan, flexible benefits plans, business-related travel expense, lodging, and meal reimbursement for business-related use.
• A pension plan is also available for eligible administrative and paraprofessional staff.
• A discretionary bonus plan is available for eligible staff.
• Plante Moran also offers some contingent staff positions the option to elect health insurance in addition to limited paid sick time.

The compensation range reflects the base salary we reasonably expect to pay for this position across our offices in the following regions: CO, IL, OH, and MA. Please review the position description for the applicable geographic location.

The compensation range for this role in CO, IL, OH, and MA is: $135,000.00 - $180,000.00 #LI-CD1

This application window is a good-faith estimate of the time that this posting will remain open. This deadline will be promptly updated if the deadline is extended.

Our founders often referred to our firm as "a people firm disguised as an accounting firm." Why? Because people are at the core of everything we do, and our firm was built on values and principles that support this philosophy to this day.