Senior Tax Manager

Distinct | North America; Illinois; Hybrid; USD 155,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Remote or hybrid in Illinois

Job summary

Distinct | North America is seeking a senior professional to join its Trust & Estate practice in Illinois. The role offers autonomy, broad client exposure, and the opportunity to influence how the practice grows.

You will handle trust and estate compliance and planning, advise HNW clients, and work with partnerships and corporate structures. CPA is required; JD is a plus, but not essential. Hours are realistic with managed busy seasons.

Qualifications

• CPA required for the senior role in Trust & Estate.
• Experience advising high-net-worth clients in estate planning.
• Ability to manage complex trust & estate engagements with minimal oversight.

Responsibilities

• Trust and estate compliance and planning.
• HNW tax planning and advisory for clients.
• Manage partnerships, S Corps and C Corps engagements.
• Build and maintain client relationships with limited supervision.

Skills

Trust & Estate experience

HNW tax planning

Client relationship management

Education

CPA certification

Juris Doctor (JD) preferred

Job description

Remote or hybrid if you prefer in Illinois | $155,000 to $180,000+

If you’re at the stage of your career where you don’t need someone looking over your shoulder, but you’re definitely not done growing either, this is a really interesting opportunity.

You’ll have plenty of autonomy in how you work, alongside the opportunity to develop further, influence the practice and have a genuine impact on where the firm goes next.

This is an independent CPA firm of around 50 to 100 people with a strong HNW and Trust & Estate practice. They already have highly experienced people in this space, but client demand continues to grow and they want to add another senior professional to the team.

The client base includes HNW individuals, multigenerational families, trusts and estates, alongside closely held businesses and their owners.

So while Trust & Estate experience is important, you’re not going to be boxed into doing one thing all day.

The work includes:

• Trust and estate compliance and planning
• HNW tax planning and advisory
• Partnerships, S Corps and C Corps

At this level, you’ll be trusted to manage relationships, review complex work and advise clients directly without unnecessary layers of oversight.

There is also an opportunity to help shape the future of the Trust & Estate practice. If you enjoy the technical side but also want to have an influence over how a practice develops, there is room to do that here.

And the hours are realistic.

Nobody is pretending busy season is 40 hours a week, but they do not expect 65+ either.

Busy season typically averages around 55 to 60 hours. Once it is over, people go back to a normal working week.

The firm has actually invested in getting this right. They brought in an external consultant to review hours, engagement and turnover, then made changes based on what they found rather than accepting burnout as part of public accounting.

It has worked. Staff turnover is low and people tend to stay.

The team itself is a mixture of specialists and generalists, so there is flexibility to shape the position around what you’re particularly good at and the work you enjoy most.

CPA is required. A JD would be a big plus, but it is not essential.

It is a good middle ground for someone who still wants sophisticated tax work and interesting clients, but does not want all the layers that can come with a much larger firm.

If you’re looking for a senior role where you can advise HNW families, continue building your Trust & Estate expertise and have some genuine influence over where the practice goes next, get in touch.