Tax Manager

Distinct | North America; Deerfield (IL); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Distinct | North America, a growing CPA firm of about 70+ people, seeks a Manager in Illinois to oversee complex tax work, manage client relationships, and mentor staff. The role involves direct partner collaboration and helping integrate clients from newly acquired firms. The firm values rapid progression and practical leadership. Expect balanced review and advisory work with reasonable hours and growth toward Partnership.

Qualifications

• 2+ years operating at Manager level within public accounting.
• CPA certification required.
• Strong client relationship management experience.
• Mentor staff and develop talent.
• Collaborate with Partner group to drive growth.

Responsibilities

• Reviewing complex tax work
• Managing client relationships directly
• Mentoring and developing staff
• Working closely with the Partner group
• Helping integrate clients from newly acquired firms
• Improving how work gets done as the firm grows

Skills

Client relationship management

Mentoring staff

Tax review

Partner collaboration

Process improvement

Education

CPA certification

Job description

They’re around 70 people today, continuing to grow, acquiring smaller CPA practices and creating opportunities for good people as they do it.

And they’re not growing for the sake of getting bigger.

When they acquire a practice, they bring it into the firm properly. Better systems, more technical support, stronger leadership and more people around the clients. For someone joining at Manager level, it means there is constantly something new happening and plenty to get involved in.

It’s an ambitious firm. Things move quickly. Good people get noticed and there isn’t a huge hierarchy to work your way through before you can take on more.

One of the current Partners progressed quickly himself, so when they talk about progression and Partnership, there are actual examples of it happening.

This isn’t PE backed growth either. They’re independently building the firm and want people around them who enjoy being part of that.

The role itself is a genuine Manager position, with roughly 75% review and 25% client relationship and advisory work.

You’ll be involved in:

• Reviewing complex tax work
• Managing client relationships directly
• Mentoring and developing staff
• Working closely with the Partner group
• Helping integrate clients and work from newly acquired firms
• Improving how work gets done as the firm continues to grow

The client base is broad across manufacturing, professional services, real estate, logistics, nonprofits and other closely held businesses.

If you’re particularly good at something, they’re happy to let you build around it. If you prefer staying broad, that works too.

They don’t really pigeonhole people.

The culture is younger and pretty high energy. People actually like coming into the office and spending time together. Thursday and Friday drinks are common, the Partners will often pick up the bill and there’s a summer softball team.

It has more of that downtown, bigger firm energy than you might expect from a 70 person CPA firm.

The hours are sensible too.

Busy season is typically around 55 to 60 hours, then May through August drops to around 37.5 hours with early Fridays.

They expect people to work hard when the work is there, but there’s no prize for sitting at your desk unnecessarily.

They are mostly onsite initially because collaboration genuinely matters here. Flexibility grows once you’re established and know the team.

You’ll ideally already have 2+ years operating at Manager level within public accounting and your CPA.

Longer term, Partnership is absolutely an option for someone who wants it.

But there’s plenty between Manager and Partner too. More client ownership, more involvement in decisions, the chance to help shape growing teams and the opportunity to build your own area as the firm gets bigger.