Senior Tax Consultant

Distinct | North America; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 90,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Fridays off in summer

Direct client contact and lead-Meetups

Growth opportunities in a small team

Job summary

Distinct North America in Chicago is seeking an experienced Tax Senior or Manager to join a growing independent CPA firm downtown. You will take on client relationships, lead meetings and be the primary point of contact for clients, not just back‑office work.

The role offers a mix of tax compliance, planning and advisory work across a varied client base, including closely held businesses, high net worth individuals, trusts and real estate investments.

Qualifications

• Experience as Tax Senior or Manager in a CPA firm or similar setting.
• Solid generalist tax background across compliance, planning and advisory.
• CPA or EA qualification preferred; progress toward credential acceptable.
• Nice to have real estate tax experience or exposure.

Responsibilities

• Own client relationships and be the primary client contact for meetings.
• Lead client meetings and provide tax planning and advisory guidance.
• Handle a mix of tax compliance, planning and advisory work for diverse clients.
• Collaborate with Partners in a smaller team to influence how work is done.

Skills

Direct client contact

Meeting leadership

Tax knowledge

Client advisory

Education

CPA/EA candidate

Job description

How often do you get the chance to finish work on a Thursday and know you don't have to think about it again until Monday?

That's one of the things I particularly like about this firm. Fridays off throughout the summer.

But there's quite a bit more to this opportunity than an extra day off.

I'm working with an independent CPA firm in downtown Chicago with around 25 people. They're growing and looking for an experienced Tax Senior or Manager to join the team, with the opportunity to take on more responsibility and build your own client relationships.

And when I say client relationships, I mean actually being the person clients come to with questions, rather than doing all the work behind the scenes whilst someone else takes the meetings.

A few things worth knowing about the firm:

• Fridays off throughout the summer
• Direct client contact and the opportunity to lead meetings
• A good mix of tax compliance, planning and advisory work
• Opportunities to progress as the firm continues to grow
• A smaller team where you'll work closely with Partners and have a say in how things are done

What would you be working on?

The client base is pretty varied, which is ideal if you enjoy a bit of everything rather than specialising in one particular area.

You'll work with closely held businesses, high net worth individuals, trusts and clients with real estate investments.

There's a good mix of individual and business tax, and you'll have the opportunity to get involved in more planning and advisory work as you build relationships with your clients.

Real estate experience would certainly be useful, but you don't need to be a specialist. They're looking for someone with a solid generalist tax background who's comfortable working across different types of returns.

Who would this suit?

Perhaps you're an experienced Tax Senior who's ready to take that next step towards Manager but hasn't quite been given the opportunity yet.

Or maybe you're already a Tax Manager, but you're finding that most of the interesting client conversations are still happening above you.

Either way, this could be worth exploring.

They're open to both levels and would ideally like someone with a CPA or EA, although they're happy to consider people still working towards their qualifications.

The important thing is that you enjoy working with clients and want to take ownership of your work.

Because there's only so much you can learn from preparing and reviewing returns. At some point, you want to be the person sitting across from the client, helping them make decisions.

And this is the sort of firm where you'll get the chance to do that.

If you're looking for somewhere you can keep developing, have a bit more independence and enjoy a few extra long weekends over the summer, I'd be happy to tell you more.

If you're just browsing the job boards and haven't dusted off your resume yet, that's not a problem. Give me a call first Lucy Weibel at Distinct North America - 312-564-5028. Or if it's easier, send me a connection request or message, and we'll pick it up from there.

If you've read this advert and aren't sure whether you have every bit of experience they're looking for, I'd still encourage you to apply. We work with CPA firms across the US that are committed to building diverse, inclusive and equitable workplaces, and if this isn't quite the right fit, there's every chance I'll know one that is.