Audit and Accounting Manager

Join the Cerity Partners Encino team! We are a sophisticated tax, accounting and advisory practice with approximately sixty professionals, partners and administrative staff specializing in serving family office and real estate private equity sponsors with tax, and multi-generational trust and estate compliance and planning. This is a replacement position. The firm has steadily grown each and every year primarily organically via referral. This position offers remote work and flexible hours, with our Encino, CA office available when you want to collaborate in person.

Position Summary: 

We are seeking an experienced, hands-on accounting professional to join our team in a Manager or Senior-level capacity. This role focuses primarily on accounting and financial statement work — compiled, reviewed, and audited financials — with an emphasis on GAAP and income tax basis reporting for complex entities that primarily own real estate and partnership interests, high net-worth individuals (including personal financial statements), trusts, closely-held businesses, and private foundations (including audited foundation financial statements). Audit experience is a must, and we highly value candidates with a private industry background who bring solid hands-on accounting fundamentals. We are looking for a self-sufficient professional who produces accurate, complete, review-ready financial statements on time with minimal supervision, and who takes ownership of each engagement from trial balance through the final report.

About you:

The ideal candidate enjoys hands-on work and complexity, and is comfortable doing research, analysis, and forensic special projects. Deep tax expertise is not required, but a working knowledge of tax concepts – particularly as they relate to real estate, partnerships, or closely-held businesses – is a meaningful advantage in this role. The ideal candidate is flexible, client-responsive, and comfortable working at an elevated pace to support team members or client needs during tax season.

About us:

Our focus is to deliver significant value through Tax Planning and Compliance, Trusts & Estate planning, Accounting and Auditing, Entertainment and Business Management, and Business Advisory and Consulting Services.

With a team that includes seasoned partners and principals, we benefit from exceptional tenure across our professional and administrative staff. This continuity means clients work with the same trusted advisors year after year, ensuring deep relationships and institutional knowledge that strengthen our service delivery and client outcomes. Our motto is that people can come but they can’t leave (meaning that you won’t want to!)

Primary Responsibilities

• Prepare compiled, reviewed, and audited financial statements — GAAP and income tax basis — for complex entities that primarily own real estate and partnership interests, individuals, trusts, closely-held businesses, and private foundations, including drafting complete financial statements and footnote disclosures.

• Prepare personal financial statements for high net-worth individuals and families, including estimated current values of real estate and of partnership and other closely-held interests (ASC 274).

• Prepare and support audited financial statements for private foundations in accordance with GAAP (ASC 958), including coordination with the Form 990-PF.

• Apply GAAP to real estate and partnership structures, including consolidation and variable interest entities (ASC 810), equity-method investments (ASC 323), real estate and impairment (ASC 970, 360), leases (ASC 842), fair value (ASC 820), investment companies where applicable (ASC 946), and related-party disclosures (ASC 850).

• Perform audit fieldwork under AICPA standards (AU-C) and prepare compilations and reviews under SSARS (AR-C), with complete, well-organized workpapers.

• Perform research, analysis, and forensic special projects, such as reconstructing records, tracing transactions, reconciling entity and partnership accounts, analyzing capital accounts and allocations, and resolving complex accounting questions.

• Review client bookkeeping and make necessary adjustments. Most clients have bookkeepers, controllers, and some have CFOs.

• Manage and execute engagements from planning through completion independently, with minimal supervision, juggling multiple active projects simultaneously.

• Maintain high quality management standards and ensure engagement deadlines are met — including during periods of shifting client timelines.

• Actively manage client relationships and deliver exceptional, responsive service.

• Efficiently manage engagements using CCH Engagement and Workstream.

• Use Office 365 (Excel, Word, Outlook, Teams) for reporting, documentation, and collaboration.

• Work full time with overtime during the two tax seasons; reduced hours or time off available in the off-season.

Required Qualifications:

• CPA (or CPA candidate with strong and relevant experience).

• Minimum 5–7 years of experience in public accounting, with hands-on, preparer-level experience. Local or regional CPA firm experience is a plus.

• Minimum 3–5 years of hands-on audit, review, and compilation experience, including preparing complete financial statements and footnotes.

• Strong understanding of GAAP and income tax basis financial reporting, including real estate and partnership entities, personal financial statements (ASC 274), and foundation reporting (ASC 958).

• Hands-on experience preparing financial statements for complex entities that primarily own real estate and partnership interests, including multi-tier structures, consolidations, and equity-method investments.

• Experience with personal financial statements for high net-worth individuals and with audited private foundation or not-for-profit financial statements.

• Working knowledge of AICPA audit standards (AU-C) and SSARS (AR-C) for audits, reviews, and compilations.

• Strong research and analytical skills, with the ability to research technical accounting questions and complete forensic and special projects.

• Demonstrated ability to produce accurate, complete, review-ready financial statements on time, with minimal supervision and few review comments.

• Stable prior employment history. Stability is critical to us, and we are looking for someone who wants a long-term professional home.

• Working tax knowledge or private industry experience is highly valued.

• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple engagements simultaneously and meet deadlines with quality work.

• Willingness and availability to work overtime during the two tax seasons.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience with real estate entities, partnerships, high net worth clients (including personal financial statements), or private foundation audits.

• Experience with partnership accounting, including capital accounts, allocations, and waterfall or promote calculations.

• Experience with forensic accounting, litigation support, or special projects.

• Exposure to tax basis financials and some knowledge of taxation of real estate and partnerships.

Skills and Competencies:

• Proficient in QuickBooks, CCH Engagement, and Microsoft Office 365. Workstream familiarity a plus.

• Excellent organizational, communication, and leadership skills.

• Detail-oriented, analytical, hands-on, and able to manage multiple priorities without sacrificing accuracy.

• Enjoys hands-on work and complexity, with a curious, problem-solving mindset and the ability to research, analyze, and resolve unusual accounting issues.

• Strong workpaper discipline and documentation habits.

• Self-motivated, client-focused, and takes ownership with a commitment to excellence.

• Able to work independently with minimal supervision in a remote environment (hybrid optional) — and knows when to ask questions.

• Sense of urgency and flexibility to accommodate shifting client deadlines; a team player who steps up when it counts.

Compensation Range:

$150,000 – $180,000 base salary, plus bonus

Why Cerity Partners:

At Cerity Partners, you're not just joining a firm — you're joining an industry leader. Of those surveyed, 98% of our colleagues believe they will continue learning and leading for years to come. When nearly everyone believes where we're headed, you know you're in the right place. We set ourselves apart with a commitment to developing our teams with leadership development and cutting-edge learning platforms.

Independent practice, backed by Cerity Partners: Our Encino practice unit operates independently. Our practice unit partners hire, promote, and determine salary, bonus and billing. Being part of Cerity Partners adds stability, growth, and opportunity for equity. Our practice unit will remain independent and will not be merged, and Cerity Partners is majority owned by its partners.

Our people drive our success by working together to deliver exceptional service to our clients. Below is a glimpse of the key elements of our total rewards package:

•        Generous bonus paid twice a year after each tax season

•        Health, dental, and vision insurance – day 1!

•        401(k) savings and investment plan options with 4% match

•        Flexible PTO policy

•        Parental Leave

•        Financial assistance for advanced education and professional designations

•        Opportunity to give back time to local communities

•        Commuter benefits

•        Paperless environment with leading edge technology, people and commitment to utilizing AI to automate manual tasks.  We are committed to only using onshore employees.