Tax Managing Director, Private Client Services

BDO USA, LLP; Nashville (TN); On-site; USD 250,000 - 350,000; Full time

Job summary

BDO USA, LLP’s Private Client Services group provides high‑touch tax consulting to high net‑worth individuals and families. The Tax Managing Director leads engagements, mentors teams, and serves as the primary client contact for complex issues and planning.

This role requires deep private client expertise, regulatory savvy, and strong leadership to drive outcomes. The position emphasizes supervision, client development, and collaboration with leadership.

Qualifications

• Ten+ years of experience in accounting, finance, or law.
• Expertise in private client services.
• Prior supervisory experience.
• Public accounting experience preferred.
• CPA/EA/Attorney or equivalent required.
• Other professional certifications preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead tax engagements and mentor team on complex issues.
• Primary client contact for preparation and presentation of issues.
• Review complex returns (individuals, trusts, estates, partnerships) and provide feedback.
• Direct communication with government agencies on complex matters.
• Identify technical issues, conduct advanced tax research, and recommend outcomes.
• Expand knowledge through client engagements and current tax developments.
• Prioritize and review work to keep engagements on track.
• Support PCS leadership with billing, recruiting, and training.

Skills

Leadership

Client management

Tax knowledge

Communication

Strategic thinking

Business development

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Accounting/Finance/Economics/Statistics

Master’s in Accountancy/Taxation

CPA/EA/Attorney or equivalent

Tools

GoSystems

GoFileRoom

BNA Portfolio

CCH IntelliConnect

Checkpoint

LexisNexis

MS Office (Word/Excel/PowerPoint)

Job description

Job Summary:

Private Client Services at BDO is a boutique practice within our firm. Offering a high touch approach, we have extensive experience serving high net‑worth individuals, their families, family offices, C‑Suite executives, athletes, entertainers, as well as other people with complicated tax and financial structures. The Private Client Services Practice is experienced in all aspects of estate, income, gift, and trust tax consulting and compliance; charitable giving and philanthropic foundations; executive compensation; and cash‑flow, retirement, and life insurance planning.

A Tax Managing Director, Private Client Services (PCS) is responsible for utilizing their educational background and professional experience as well as their communication, time management, leadership, technical, business development, and people skills to provide tax compliance and consulting services to our high net‑worth clients. They are a critical member of the office/region leadership team.

Job Description:

• Leads tax and consulting engagements and teaches their team the skills needed to identify and address client needs, tax planning, and consulting opportunities
• Provides Executive presence and acts as the primary client contact for preparation and presentation of issues and resolution to clients
• Reviews complex individual, trust, estate, S‑Corp, foundation, partnership, and gift tax returns and provides written and verbal feedback to preparers
• Directs communication with government agencies for matters of the highest complexity
• Identifies technical issues, conducts advanced tax research, and develops sound recommendations for PCS leadership, clients, and advisors
• Expands their in‑depth understanding of tax concepts and knowledge through client engagements and current tax developments
• Prioritizes and reviews work to keep engagements on track
• Utilizes strong analytical, research and critical thinking skills as well as decision‑making skills to assist with client needs regarding individual and business decisions
• Assists with PCS/firm contribution responsibilities including billing, recruiting, attendance, and participation in CPE activities and training
• Builds new relationships and maintains existing relationships with BDO professionals and external sources

Supervisory Responsibilities:

• Ability to supervise associates, senior associates and managers, as the situation dictates
• Reviews work prepared by associates and senior associates and provide review comments
• Acts as a Career Advisor to associates, senior associates and managers
• Schedules and manages workload of associates, senior associates, and managers
• Provides verbal and written performance feedback to associates, senior associates and managers

Qualifications, Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

Education:

• Bachelor's degree, required; major in Accounting, Finance, Economics, or Statistics, preferred
• Master's degree in Accountancy or Taxation, preferred

Experience:

• Ten (10) or more years prior experience in accounting, finance, or law, required
• Expertise in the private client service area, required
• Prior supervisory experience, required
• Experience working in public accounting, preferred

License/Certifications:

• Certified Public Accountant credential, Internal Revenue Service Enrolled Agent ("EA") credential, Attorney (admitted to practice in a U.S. jurisdiction), or the equivalent of one of these designations, required
• Possession of other professional degrees or certifications applicable to role, preferred

Software:

• Proficient in the use of Microsoft Office Suite (specifically Word, Excel, and PowerPoint) and Adobe Acrobat, required
• Experience with tax compliance process software (GoSystems, BNA Tax Planner, GoFileRoom, SurePrep), preferred
• Experience with tax research tools (BNA Portfolio, CCH IntelliConnect, Checkpoint and Lexis Nexis), preferred

Language:

• N/A

Other Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:

Initiative

• Owns their own career and technical development; demonstrates self‑awareness, actively pursues projects and learning experiences to fill in their technical knowledge gaps
• Takes joint responsibility for the success of the practice

Communication

• Expresses themselves effectively verbally and in writing; takes complex thoughts, synthesizes them into works using clear, concise language, and presents a cohesive narrative
• Communicates status to the client in line with the frequencies the client desires; Resolves client service issues in a timely and acceptable manner

Leadership

• Manages and monitors key performance indicators (KPIs) as established by the business line
• Internally, behaves as part of the practice leadership group and is actively involved in practice matters such as recruitment, staff learning and development, scheduling, and retention

Technical Skills

• Develops an in‑depth understanding of the technical and practical issues and opportunities for high net‑worth individuals and their families; Has expert knowledge of application of standards; Recognized as industry expert in specialized field of taxation; Use expertise to advise clients on tax implications and recommend alternative courses of action and identify different methods of compliance
• Introduces and develops new or improved ideas to improve the position of clients, the Firm, or Firm personnel, e.g., by reducing taxes or expenses or providing non‑tax benefits; May be required to present complex strategies to clients and prospective clients

Business Development

• Spends time developing their network of key financial decision makers, referral sources, and recruits
• Seizes opportunities for new professional contacts when presented; Actively networks professionally outside of BDO

People Development

• Supervises, develops and trains employees
• Acts as a Career Advisor; meets regularly with advisees, adding/updating goals as appropriate
• Delivers holistic feedback to others and advisees about their job performance and career growth; coaches others and advisees to help them develop their careers

Individual salaries that are offered to a candidate are determined after consideration of numerous factors including but not limited to the candidate's qualifications, experience, skills, and geography.

California Range: $215,000 - $270,000

Colorado Range: $170,000 - $225,000

Illinois Range: $175,000 - $250,000

Maryland Range: $185,000 - $260,000

Massachusetts Range: $215,000 - $300,000

Minnesota Range: $170,000 - $250,000

New Jersey Range: $190,000 - $350,000

Ohio Range: $150,000 - $300,000

NYC/Long Island/Westchester Range: $230,000 - $350,000

Washington Range: $180,000 - $240,000

Washington DC Range: $190,000 - $300,000