Audit Manager - Employee Benefit Plans

Miller Cooper & Co., Ltd.; Chicago, Northern (IL, KY); Hybrid; USD 100,000 - 155,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Paid time off

401K profit sharing

Discretionary bonuses

Parental leave

Volunteer time

Job summary

Miller Cooper & Co., Ltd. is seeking an Audit Manager for Employee Benefit Plans to join our growing Chicago-based team.

The role focuses on managing engagements, mentoring staff, and maintaining client relationships while delivering high-quality benefit plan audits across various industries. The successful candidate will have CPA licensure, 5+ years in public accounting (mid-market preferred), and experience with plan audits under IRS, DOL and ERISA regulations.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in accounting.
• CPA License required.
• 5+ years of experience in public accounting, preferably mid-market.
• Experience with audits of employee benefit plans.
• Knowledge of IRS, DOL, and ERISA regulations.
• Willingness to travel to client locations.

Responsibilities

• Manage the overall progress of engagements in relation to staffing, budgets, deliverables, and deadlines for employee benefit plan audits.
• Review all workpapers, financial statements and tax returns before submission to manager/principal for further review.
• Supervise assigned staff and ensure evaluation reports are completed.
• Actively mentor junior staff during engagements and support career progression.
• Manage client relationships year-round and seek opportunities to provide additional services.
• Build trust and connections with owners/decision makers and the accounting team.
• Schedule and staff engagements to improve realization and utilization.
• Proactively build a referral network of bankers and professionals.

Skills

Audit management

Team leadership

Client service

Communication

Mentorship

Education

Bachelor's degree in accounting

CPA license

Job description

Job Details

Position Type: Full TimeMiller Cooper is seeking an Audit Manager, Employee Benefit Plans to join our growing team!

Firm Highlights:

• Crain’s Chicago 10thlargest firm (2024), Accounting Today’s 55th largest firm in the US, 10th in the Great Lakes region (2025).
• Largest local, independent public accounting firm in Chicago.
• Large Firm Opportunities, Small Firm Culture.
• The opportunity to work in various industries, including Manufacturing, Distribution, Real Estate, Construction, Tech, Start-Ups and more.
• Hybrid work environment with flexible locations- your choice of offices in Chicago, Deerfield, and Downers Grove.
• Culture of collaboration. We win as a team; we lose as a team.

How We Will Invest in You:

• Mentorship. Everyone has a mentor to help you grow and develop the career you want and build relationships throughout the firm.
• Career growth. We recognize good work and are proud to offer promotions at an accelerated pace compared to the industry average and offer continued learning to support you.
• Variety of work. We help you foster business relationships and gain a variety of experience by working on a range of clients and industries.
• Flexibility. We focus on balancing schedules and recognize the importance of having time to unplug and recharge.We don’t mandate a yearly billable hour requirement.

How You Will Contribute:

• Manage the overall progress of engagements in relation to staffing, budgets, deliverables, and deadlines for various types of employee benefit plans, including defined contribution 401(k) and profit-sharing plans, defined benefit pension plans, and 403(b) plans.
• Review all workpapers, financial statements and tax returns before submission to manager/principal for further review.
• Supervise assigned staff and in charges and ensure evaluation reports are completed.
• Actively mentor lower levels during engagements and support their learning and overall career progression.
• Manage the client relationships year-round, not just during the engagement, and look for opportunities to provide additional services.
• Build trust and a personal connection with owners/decision makers in addition to the accounting team, learn about clients outside of their business.
• Effectively schedule and staff engagements and work to improve the realization and utilization.
• Proactively build a referral network of bankers and professionals and seek new business opportunities.
• Other duties as assigned, such as special projects, including other agreed upon procedures set forth by clients.
• Leverage automated employee benefit plan audit software that reduces manual processes and streamlines engagements.

About YOU!

• Bachelor’s degree in accounting
• CPA License required
• 5+ years of experience in public accounting industry, preferably at a mid-market firm, with at least 1 year at a manager level
• Experience with performing audits of employee benefit plans and knowledge of IRS, DOL, and ERISA regulations
• Passion for client service and an entrepreneurial mindset
• DAILY ACCESS TO RELIABLE TRANSPORTATIONto travel to and from client locations and our office locations
• Strong collaboration skills and desire to work as a team

What we offer:

• Competitive health insurance choices that include flexible spending and health savings account options.
• Life and disability insurance.
• Generous paid time off in addition to paid holidays.
• 401K profit sharing.
• Discretionary performance-based annual bonuses (for eligible employees).
• Paid Parental leave.
• 8 hours of paid volunteer time.
• Team lunches every Tuesday, and busy season meals/allowances.
• Miller Cooper Communities (employee resource groups).
• Opportunities for reduced work schedules.
• Employee and client referral bonus program.
• Commuter Benefits

Individual salaries that are offered to a candidate are determined after consideration of numerous factors including internal salary alignment, market data, and the candidate’s qualifications- including, but not limited to, specialty skills, prior relevant industry experience, and relevant degrees or certifications (e.g., CPA, JD). The salary range estimated below is inclusive of all departments within the Firm, and offered salaries may vary within the given range depending on the specific department. A reasonable estimate of the base salary range for this level is $100,000 - $155,000 not including discretionary annual bonus and other competitive benefits.