Tax Manager

Cynch AI; Santa Cruz (CA); Hybrid; USD 140,000 - 170,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health Care Plan

Retirement Plan

Life Insurance

Paid Time Off

Work From Home (Hybrid)

Stock Option Plan

Job summary

Aardvark Tax Advisors, the accounting and client services practice of Cynch AI, seeks a Tax Manager to own complex engagements, lead a team, and elevate quality across entities. This hybrid role can be based in Pleasanton, Cupertino, or Santa Cruz offices, with North Bay options.

You will manage client relationships, review complex returns, and deliver planning beyond compliance, staying current on legislative changes and mentoring staff to strengthen skills and service delivery.

Qualifications

• Active CPA or EA required.
• 5+ years in public accounting or tax, with strong experience in compliance, planning, and advisory across individuals, partnerships, and small-business entities.
• Experience reviewing the work of other tax professionals and helping develop less-experienced team members.
• Strong technical knowledge of federal, state, and local tax regulations, including complex returns and multi-entity planning.
• Direct client relationship experience. You’ve managed multiple engagements, balanced competing deadlines, and kept clients informed.
• Proficiency in professional tax software such as UltraTax, CCH Axcess, Lacerte, or similar.

Responsibilities

• Manage client relationships across tax planning, compliance, and consulting, serving as a primary point of contact and helping clients navigate complex tax questions.
• Review complex returns for corporations, partnerships, individuals, trusts, and estates across federal, state, and local jurisdictions.
• Deliver tax planning that goes beyond compliance; identify tax-saving opportunities, develop tax-efficient strategies, and advise clients on the impact of legislative changes.
• Stay current on legislative changes and translate them into specific, actionable guidance for clients.
• Maintain a high standard of accuracy and quality across client deliverables.
• Manage, mentor, and develop tax professionals, providing clear expectations, practical feedback, and support.
• Review work, help team members strengthen their technical skills, and identify recurring knowledge or process gaps.
• Help manage workloads and priorities during busy periods to keep engagements moving and deadlines on track.
• Identify opportunities to expand services with existing clients where the value is real.
• Help identify and manage tax risk for the practice and for clients, ensuring positions are well-supported and defensible.
• Contribute to improvements in tax processes, documentation, and quality standards.

Skills

Public accounting experience

Tax planning

Client management

Mentoring

Technical tax knowledge

Education

CPA or EA

Tools

UltraTax

CCH Axcess

Lacerte

Job description

Aardvark Tax Advisors is a full-service tax, accounting, and advisory firmserving small businesses and entrepreneurs. We’re the accounting and client services practice of Cynch AI.

We’re growing fast.As the accounting profession faces a growing succession challenge, we’re partnering with retiring practitioners and thoughtfully bringing their clients into Aardvark, preserving the trusted relationships and personal service those clients value.

We use proprietary AI to amplify your expertise while always deferring to your judgment.By shifting routine work to AI, Cynch’s platform gives our accounting and tax teams more time for complex problem-solving, proactive planning, and building client relationships that last.

We’re looking for a Tax Manager to own complex engagements, lead a team, and elevate the quality bar.That means working across entity types, acting as a trusted advisor, and developing the people doing the work.

This role can be based in our Pleasanton, Cupertino, or Santa Cruz offices, with additional work locations possible in the North Bay.

What You’ll Do

Client Relationships & Tax Delivery

• Manage client relationships across tax planning, compliance, and consulting, serving as a primary point of contact and helping clients navigate complex tax questions.
• Review complex returns for corporations, partnerships, individuals, trusts, and estates across federal, state, and local jurisdictions.
• Deliver tax planning that goes beyond compliance; identify tax-saving opportunities, develop tax-efficient strategies, and advise clients on the impact of legislative changes.
• Stay current on legislative changes and translate them into specific, actionable guidance for clients.
• Maintain a high standard of accuracy and quality across client deliverables.

Team Leadership

• Manage, mentor, and develop tax professionals, providing clear expectations, practical feedback, and support.
• Review work, help team members strengthen their technical skills, and identify recurring knowledge or process gaps.
• Help manage workloads and priorities during busy periods to keep engagements moving and deadlines on track.

Practice Development & Quality

• Identify opportunities to expand services with existing clients where the value is real.
• Help identify and manage tax risk for the practice and for clients, ensuring positions are well-supported and defensible.
• Contribute to improvements in tax processes, documentation, and quality standards.

Core Qualifications

• Active CPA or EA required.
• 5+ years in public accounting or tax, with strong experience in compliance, planning, and advisory across individuals, partnerships, and small-business entities.
• Experience reviewing the work of other tax professionals and helping develop less-experienced team members.
• Strong technical knowledge of federal, state, and local tax regulations, including complex returns and multi-entity planning.
• Direct client relationship experience. You’ve managed multiple engagements, balanced competing deadlines, and kept clients informed.
• Proficiency in professional tax software such as UltraTax, CCH Axcess, Lacerte, or similar.

Helpful Additions

• Experience taking over and maintaining client relationships through practice transitions.
• Experience identifying opportunities to expand client relationships or introduce additional services.

Salary Range: $140,000 to $170,000

• Health Care Plan (Medical, Dental & Vision)
• Retirement Plan (401k, IRA)
• Life Insurance (Basic, Voluntary & AD&D)
• Paid Time Off (Vacation, Sick & Public Holidays)Short Term & Long Term Disability
• Work From Home (Hybrid)
• Stock Option Plan