Director of Operations & Integration

Stouffer Legal; Towson (MD); On-site; USD 160,000 - 220,000; Full time

Job summary

Stouffer Legal seeks a Director of Operations & Integration to lead the rollout of a CPA/tax platform designed to roll up practices. You will own the operating cadence, protect CPA capacity, and manage integration playbooks for acquisitions, ensuring consistency and scalable processes across practices.

You will drive Day-1 to Day-90 integration, partner with the Visionary owner and CPA partner, and create a repeatable growth engine by codifying the operating system and accountability across the

Qualifications

• 5+ years running operations in a professional services firm.
• Built an operating cadence with meetings, scorecards, and accountability.
• At least one meaningful integration story (acquisition or multi-entity consolidation).
• Comfortable holding professionals accountable without becoming a technician.
• Excellent writing and consistent communication with the team.
• Clean background check with references from principals/CEOs.

Responsibilities

• Run the weekly operating cadence and leadership meetings.
• Protect CPA capacity by managing utilization, WIP, billing, and AR discipline.
• Own the accountability chart and people system; define roles and scorecards.
• Build one firm-wide operating system and SOPs for acquired practices.
• Lead Day-1 to Day-90 integration for each tuck-in; map roles and culture.
• Maintain clear communication loops: status updates, daily briefs, and documented decisions.

Skills

Operating cadence

Accountability

Stakeholder communication

Cross-functional leadership

Job description

Director of Operations & Integration

We're building a CPA/tax platform designed to roll up practices - and we need the operator who runs the firm and integrates what we buy.

You will:

• Own the weekly operating cadence (scorecard, priorities, accountability)
• Protect CPA billable time (utilization, WIP, billing, AR discipline)
• Build one operating system the whole firm runs on
• Lead Day-1 - Day-90 integration for every practice we acquire
• Partner with a Visionary owner and a precision-focused CPA partner - you are the person who makes the plan real

You're a fit if you are structured, assertive in service of the mission, allergic to dropped balls, and proud when other people become more effective.

You're not a fit if you want a book of business, need to be told every step, or go quiet when work is in progress.

We are building an operating platform that can absorb other tax/accounting practices, standardize how work runs, protect CPA billable time, and scale without chaos.

You are the person who makes the vision real.

• Follow the set direction, major bets, and the roll-up thesis.
• You own the machine - cadence, accountability, throughput, people ops for the firm, and integration of every practice we bring in.

If you have ever wanted to be the operator who turns a good firm into a repeatable growth engine, this is that opportunity.

Core responsibilities

1. Run the operating cadence

• Own the weekly leadership meeting (scorecard, Rocks, to-dos, etc.)
• Publish a same-day written summary
• Keep Rocks to a short list; every Rock has one owner, one date, one definition of done
• Maintain the Issues List; solve the vital few completely
• Protect meeting discipline: on time, phones down, decide on data

1. Protect CPA capacity

• Drive utilization toward 85-90% billable target (or the board- approved number)
• Own WIP aging, billing coordination, and AR follow-up cadence (with CSA / admin support)
• Keep non-billable work off CPA plates - Client Services / admin owned and measured
• Spot capacity cliffs before they hit tax season

1. Own the accountability chart and people system

• Keep a living accountability chart: who owns what, Level of delegation clear
• Role scorecards written before we hire (never hire into fog)
• Hire, onboard, and performance-manage ops/admin seats
• Weekly 1:1 rhythm with directs; written expectations; no silent underperformance

1. Build the firm operating system

• One system of record for client status, tasks, deadlines, documents, billing status
• SOPs that a newly acquired team can adopt in weeks, not years
• Quality checklists and handoffs that survive busy season
• "If it isn't written and assigned, it doesn't exist"

1. Lead roll-up / practice integration

For every acquisition or tuck-in, you own the integration playbook:

• Day-1 / Day-30 / Day-90 integration plan
• Systems cutover (files, portals, billing, calendar, communications)
• Role mapping: who stays, who reports where, what gets standardized vs. left local
• Client communication plan (no surprise drops)
• Culture + cadence install: scorecard, Rocks, meeting rhythm
• Synergy tracking: utilization, realization, turnaround time, client retention
• Escalate to the Principal only on Visionary-level decisions (price, brand, major bets); you run the rest

1. Communication loop

Quiet competence is a fail here.

• Got it on receipt
• Status while in progress
• Done summary on completion
• Daily brief to Principal: done / in progress / today / needs from you / risks
• Confirm verbal asks from Principal in writing within 24 hours

Must-have experience

• 5+ years running operations in a professional services firm (CPA, legal, advisory, healthcare practice, or PE‑backed roll‑up strongly preferred)
• Proof you built an operating cadence (meetings, scorecards, accountability) - not only "kept things organized"
• At least one meaningful integration story (acquisition, office merge, system cutover, or multi‑entity consolidation)
• Comfortable holding professionals accountable without being a technician yourself
• Excellent writing; lives in the communication loop
• Clean background check; references from prior principals / CEOs / MPs