Tax Manager

Distinct | North America; Naperville (IL); On-site; USD 95,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

Distinct | North America is seeking a Manager-level tax professional to lead client work and develop teams. The role is ~75% review activity and ~25% client relationships and advisory work, with your own clients and direct collaboration with Partners.

Initial onsite work, with a clear path toward Partnership. The firm values growth through internal advancement and selective M&A, and expects CPA credentials and 2+ years at Manager level.

Qualifications

• For candidates, a CPA is required and 2+ years operating at Manager level in public accounting.
• Strong client relationship and advisory skills are essential.
• Ability to lead teams and develop people while delivering tax work.

Responsibilities

• Own a portfolio of client work with direct interaction with Partners.
• Take ownership of client relationships and advisory projects.
• Lead and develop junior staff and review their work.
• Ensure high-quality tax service and practical business advice.

Skills

Client relationships

Advisory work

People development

Review

Tax

Education

CPA license

Job description

37.5 hour weeks through the summer with early Fridays. A genuine route to Partner if you want it. And at around 80 people, the firm is big enough to give you interesting work and somewhere to progress, without putting several layers between you and the people making the decisions.

They’ll soon have 6 Partners, including 4 equity Partners, and they’re continuing to grow.

For someone joining at Manager level, that growth creates opportunity. More clients to take ownership of, teams to develop and, over time, the chance to have a real say in where the firm goes next.

One of the current Partners progressed quickly through the firm himself, so when they talk about progression and Partnership, there’s some evidence behind it.

The role itself is around 75% review, with the other 25% focused on client relationships and advisory work.

You’ll have your own clients, work directly with the Partner group, and help develop the people coming through underneath you. You’ll still be technically involved too, so progressing here doesn't mean slowly moving further and further away from the tax work you actually enjoy.

The client base includes closely held businesses across manufacturing and professional services, alongside real estate, logistics and nonprofit work.

They’re not particularly interested in pigeonholing people either.

If there’s an area of tax you’re particularly good at and want to build more around, there’s room to do that. If you enjoy being a generalist and having variety in what lands on your desk, that works just as well.

The firm is also growing through acquiring smaller CPA practices, but this isn't PE backed growth. They’re building independently and bringing those practices properly into the wider firm, with better systems and more technical support around the teams and their clients.

It means there’s quite a bit happening without this becoming one of those firms where everything seems to change every six months.

Culture-wise, It’s a fairly social, high-energy team, and they like spending time together.

Thursday and Friday drinks are fairly common, usually with the Partners picking up the bill, and they have a summer sports team. It has a little more of that downtown firm energy than you might expect from a 70-person CPA firm.

The hours are sensible too.

Busy season typically sits around 55 to 60 hours. From May through August, that drops to roughly 37.5 hours with early Fridays.

They expect people to work hard when there’s work to get through. Sitting at your desk unnecessarily when there isn't doesn't impress anyone.

They are mostly onsite initially, so this probably isn't the right move if your main priority is being heavily remote. They like people working together, and quite a lot of the collaboration happens naturally in the office. There’s more flexibility once you’re established.

Ideally, you’ll already have around 2+ years operating at Manager level within public accounting and your CPA.

Partnership can absolutely be the end goal here.

But there’s plenty to make the move worthwhile before you ever get there.

We support the CPA firms we partner with in building diverse, inclusive and equitable workplaces, and the right attitude often goes further than ticking every box.

If this position isn't quite right, it's highly likely I'll be working on another Public Accounting opportunity that is.