We9re looking for a
Director of Tax and Accounting to serve as a senior leader in our growing practice. Working closely with our Head of Tax, you9ll own complex engagements while leading the people, quality, and operating cadence. That means working across entity types, delivering planning that goes beyond compliance, and developing the people doing the work.
This is a hands-on leadership role. You9ll remain close to clients and complex work while taking meaningful ownership of how the broader practice operates, develops, and scales.
The role is hybrid, based out of our
Cupertino,
Pleasanton, or
Santa Cruz offices, with additional potential work locations in the North Bay.
What You9ll DoClient Relationships & Tax Delivery- Own client relationships on complex tax matters, including planning, compliance, and consulting, and be the person clients call when something is urgent or complicated.
- Play a key leadership role in the integration of new books of business, aligning tax operations, client service models, teams, and best practices to ensure a seamless transition.
- Lead the preparation and review of complex returns for corporations, partnerships, individuals, trusts, and estates across federal, state, and local jurisdictions.
- Deliver tax planning that goes beyond compliance; identify savings, restructure positions, and advise clients on the impact of legislative changes.
- Stay current on legislative changes and preemptively translate them into specific, actionable guidance.
- Ensure every return that leaves the practice meets the standard you9d put your own name on.
- Provide senior-level oversight across accounting and advisory engagements for small-business clients, ensuring the same standards of accuracy, judgment, and client service exist across the broader practice.
Team Leadership- Lead, mentor, and develop managers and team members. Set expectations, give direct feedback, and hold people accountable.
- Lead performance evaluations that are specific and useful. Know where the team is strong and where it isn9t, and build the training needed to close those gaps.
- Manage capacity, priorities, and operating cadence across the practice, particularly during periods of peak client demand.
- Serve as a senior escalation point for managers when client, technical, or delivery issues require additional expertise
Practice Development & Quality- Help shape the direction of the practice while identifying opportunities to expand services with existing clients where the value is real.
- Monitor and manage tax risk for the practice and for clients. Positions taken should be defensible. Full stop.
- When the same issue keeps showing up across returns or clients, fix the entire process.
- Partner with technology, product, and the Head of Tax to translate tax delivery problems into practical platform improvements. You don9t need to write code; you need to articulate what9s broken and what fixed looks like.
RequirementsCore Qualifications- Active CPA or EA required.
- 12+ years in public accounting or tax, with substantial hands-on experience serving individuals, entrepreneurs, and small businesses across compliance, planning, and advisory.
- Proven experience managing and developing tax and accounting professionals.
- Strong technical knowledge of federal, state, and local tax regulations, including complex returns and multi-entity planning.
- Direct client relationship experience. You9ve managed a book of business, juggled competing deadlines, and kept clients informed.
- Proficiency in professional tax software (UltraTax, Axcess Tax, Lacerte, or similar).
What Will Make You Effective- Brings sound judgment to ambiguous situations and doesn9t let details slip.
- Communicates clearly across clients, colleagues, and technical partners without losing anything in translation.
- Comfortable in an environment where not everything is figured out yet.
Preferred- Master9s degree in Taxation, Business Administration, or a related field.
- Track record of growing client relationships and expanding practice areas through business development..
Work Environment- Hybrid: Santa Cruz, Cupertino, or Pleasanton, CA, North Bay
- Extended hours during peak tax season and as needed to meet client deadlines.
- Occasional travel for client meetings or practice events.
- California Salary Range: $170,000 - $220,000
Benefits- Medical
- Dental
- Vision
- 401k with match
- Basic Life
- LTD
