
Senior Tax Manager
Role description
From the employerMost Senior Tax Manager roles mean a bigger client load, more review responsibility, and another busy season.
This one is built for someone who wants a bigger seat at the table.
A well-established public accounting and advisory firm in San Diego is looking for a Senior Tax Manager to take ownership of key client relationships, lead complex tax engagements, and become increasingly involved in the growth of the practice.
You'll work directly with privately held businesses, business owners, and high-net-worth individuals across compliance, planning, structuring, and broader advisory matters. Just as importantly, you'll have the opportunity to build relationships, develop business, and position yourself for the next level of firm leadership.
Responsibilities
- Own and manage a portfolio of privately held business, business owner, and individual tax relationships
- Lead complex tax compliance, planning, and consulting engagements from strategy through delivery
- Review complex partnership, S corporation, C corporation, individual, trust, and related tax filings
- Advise clients on entity structuring, transactions, ownership changes, succession, and other significant tax matters
- Develop proactive tax planning strategies based on clients' broader business and financial objectives
- Serve as a primary relationship contact for business owners, executives, and other senior client stakeholders
- Identify opportunities to expand existing relationships through additional tax, accounting, and advisory services
- Manage engagement economics including scope, pricing, budgets, realization, staffing, and profitability
- Lead and develop Managers, Seniors, and Staff while maintaining accountability for engagement quality
- Collaborate with Partners and other service lines on complex client matters and new opportunities
- Participate in business development, referral relationships, networking, and other practice-growth initiatives
- Build toward increasing responsibility for client development and broader practice leadership
Qualifications
- 8+ years of progressive public accounting tax experience
- Current Senior Tax Manager, experienced Tax Manager, or equivalent level
- Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Taxation, Finance, or a related field
- CPA required
- Strong experience serving privately held businesses and their owners
- Technical depth across partnerships, pass-through entities, corporations, and individual taxation
- Demonstrated experience with complex tax planning and advisory matters beyond compliance
- Proven ability to independently own and grow senior-level client relationships
- Experience managing multiple engagements, teams, deadlines, and engagement economics
- Strong leadership skills with a track record of developing and mentoring tax professionals
- Comfortable identifying additional client needs and participating in business development
- Strong executive presence and ability to communicate complex tax matters clearly to business owners and senior leadership
- Existing relationships within the San Diego / Southern California business community are a plus
Why This One Is Worth a Conversation
At a lot of firms, Senior Manager becomes a holding pattern: more responsibility, more clients, and more pressure without a meaningful change in where your career is going.
This opportunity is designed for someone who wants to build beyond engagement management.
You'll have the platform and support of an established firm while gaining greater ownership over client relationships, business development, and the growth of the practice. There's real opportunity for someone who performs at this level to continue building toward Principal and Partner rather than sitting indefinitely at Senior Manager.
If you've already proven you can lead the work and are ready to start building the business around it, this is worth a conversation.
All inquiries will be handled confidentially.