Audit Manager

Distinct | North America; Fort Wayne (IN); On-site; USD 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Midwest Public Accounting Firm in Fort Wayne, IN is seeking an Audit Manager. The role focuses on leading audit engagements, managing client relationships, and developing junior staff while keeping most work local with minimal travel.

You’ll balance technical work with people development in a mid-sized Midwest firm culture. You’ll mentor/Seniors and shape a portfolio aligned with your strengths, ensuring client service excellence.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of audit experience in public accounting
• Experience leading audit engagements and client relationships
• Strong interest in developing junior staff and mentoring Seniors
• CPA preferred for manager level or working towards it

Responsibilities

• Lead your own audit engagements and client relationships with a team to support delivering high-quality work
• Develop and coach junior staff, supporting Seniors and helping people progress
• Manage a diversified manufacturing-focused portfolio with local clients to minimize travel
• Maintain strong client communication and stay close to technical auditing requirements

Skills

Audit leadership

Client relationship

Team development

Public accounting

Education

CPA certification

Job description

Audit Manager (experienced Seniors considered)

Fort Wayne, IN | 5+ years public accounting experience

What would you do with an extra Friday every week outside of busy season?

Once your 40 hours are complete here, you're done. Work 4 longer days? That's you heading into a 3 day weekend.

And this isn’t a tiny team where becoming more senior just means picking up everything nobody else has time to do.

This is an independent firm and they've been investing heavily in the next generation of their team.

They recently welcomed 8 new graduates into the firm. 6 of them were returning interns who chose to come back full time.

So for an experienced Audit Manager, this is what life can look like here:

• You’ll lead your own audit engagements and client relationships, with a team around you to deliver the work. You’ll stay close to the technical side while helping others take on more responsibility.
• You’ll have time to develop your team, support your Seniors and help people progress. That part of being a Manager is valued here, alongside the work you deliver.
• The audit work is varied, with manufacturing their largest industry. There’s room to shape your portfolio around your strengths and interests, and because the clients are overwhelmingly local, you can build those relationships without constantly traveling.

Around 90% of their clients are within an hour of Fort Wayne, and 95% are within 2.

They’ve deliberately kept their work local too. There’s no offshore model here. The team doing the work is the team meeting the clients, learning their businesses and building those relationships.

What they’re looking for:

• 5+ years of audit experience within public accounting
• Experience taking responsibility across audit engagements
• Someone comfortable working directly with clients
• An interest in supporting and developing more junior staff
• CPA preferred for manager level, or someone working towards it

Busy season is busy. I’m not going to pretend otherwise.

The minimum is around 55 hours, increasing to around 60 for a few weeks at the peak. After that, things come back down pretty quickly and once 4/15 passes, flexible Fridays kick in.

Technology is another area they’re investing heavily in. They’re continually looking at how they can streamline processes, work more efficiently and use new technology, including AI, rather than doing things a certain way because that’s how they’ve always been done.

And people tend to stay.

It’s a down to earth, very Midwest firm with a lot of younger people coming through, experienced people around to learn from and plenty of opportunity to keep developing as the team grows.

If you’re at the point where you want to be more than just the person getting the audit done, but you’re not looking to disappear into layers of management either, this is a really good middle ground.

We still encourage you to apply if you have public accounting experience! If you don’t meet every requirement, don’t let that stop you. The firm is dedicated to fostering a diverse, inclusive, and equitable workplace, and we are always looking for talent with a range of experiences. If this role isn’t the perfect fit, we may have other opportunities in public accounting that are a better match.