Tax Workflow & Project Manager

Love bringing order to complex work? This role is built around it, with a real 40-hour week.Every tax season, someone asks, "Where are we on this return?" At Grove Meridian, you'll be the person who already knows the answer, and who made sure it never turned into a fire drill.We're a boutique Phoenix CPA firm focused exclusively on tax. We serve high-net-worth individuals, closely held businesses, real estate investors and developers, partnerships, corporations, estates and trusts. The work is sophisticated, but the culture is warm and down-to-earth. Our experienced team enjoys working together and helping one another solve problems.We created this role so our roughly 500 annual engagements move steadily through the year instead of piling up before deadlines. This isn't a tax-preparation position. Our tax professionals own preparation, review and technical questions. You'll own the process: the visibility, momentum and coordination that let great tax work get done calmly and on time.This isn't a role where you update a spreadsheet after someone tells you what happened. We're looking for someone who wants to understand what's happening, figure out what comes next and help make sure it happens.WHY THIS ROLE STANDS OUTA sustainable schedule. The role is designed around a 40-hour week. Peak filing periods may bring occasional extra hours, but long, grinding busy seasons are not the expectation.Real ownership. You'll have meaningful authority over the firm's tax-production process and work directly with firm leadership.Visible impact. Your improvements to workflow, reporting and technology will shape how the whole firm runs.Interesting work. You'll work on sophisticated clients and complex multi-entity engagements, alongside long-standing relationships with clients' professional advisors.Excellent benefits. Medical and dental are 90% employer-paid, plus a 3% safe harbor 401(k) and unlimited PTO. Full details below.WHAT YOU'LL DOReporting to the Founding Partner, you'll partner with our Founding Partner, Firm Manager and tax professionals to run the firm's tax-production process:Guide approximately 500 and growing annual tax-return engagements from start to finish, keeping status current in CCH Axcess Workflow and PracticeSet internal milestones well ahead of statutory deadlines and track progress against themHold regular check-ins with tax professionals to clarify what's remaining, clear obstacles and agree on completion dates, then follow throughSpot engagements that are slipping and resolve or escalate issues long before they become deadline emergenciesBe a friendly, persistent point of contact for clients on outstanding information requestsCoordinate dependencies among related entities and engagements. For example, you'll make sure partnership returns are finished so their K-1s reach the individual returns that rely on them.Monitor team capacity and workloads, recommend reassignments or schedule changes, and support staff scheduling and annual capacity planningBuild reporting on engagement status, deadlines, capacity, utilization and bottlenecksDocument and continually improve our tax-production processesHelp onboard new clients and engagementsWork with firm leadership to find better ways to use technology and improve efficiency. Use your creative ideas to help improve firm productivity.WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE IN YOUR FIRST YEAREvery engagement has a current, reliable status in CCH Axcess, and no one has to ask where a return standsInternal milestones are set for every engagement, well ahead of statutory deadlinesSlipping engagements and outstanding client information are flagged weeks ahead, not daysFirm leadership has a regular, clear view of status, capacity and bottlenecksThe tax season runs smoothly, resulting in excellent service to clients and high client satisfaction.YOU'LL THRIVE HERE IF YOULove bringing structure to complex, fast-moving workflowsTake ownership and follow through without remindersAsk good questions and aren't satisfied with "it's almost done"Can respectfully and tactfully help experienced professionals keep their commitmentsSee problems coming and act earlyCommunicate warmly and professionally with clients and colleaguesStay calm and organized when priorities competeEnjoy using data and technology to make things work betterLike collaborating but are comfortable owning an area and driving it forwardWHAT YOU BRINGBachelor’s degree or equivalent experience5–7 years of experience in public accounting, tax operations, professional-services project or resource management, client service, or a similar deadline-driven environmentFamiliarity with how a public-accounting tax practice runs is strongly preferred, including the engagement lifecycle, filing deadlines and common dependencies between returns. You don't have to be a tax preparer or technical tax expert.Experience with CCH Axcess Workflow, Practice or other CCH products is a plus. Experience with other accounting-firm workflow or practice-management platforms is also valuable.A CPA or EA license is not requiredWORK ENVIRONMENTThis is a hybrid role based in the Phoenix area, with 2 to 3 days per week in the office. We value time together for collaboration, client service and building relationships, and we also value flexibility.COMPENSATION & BENEFITSThe salary is $80,000–$100,000, depending on experience and qualifications.Medical insurance: 90% of employee and dependent premium paid by Grove MeridianDental insurance: 90% of premium paid by Grove MeridianVision insurance: 100% paid by Grove MeridianShort- and long-term disability insurance: 100% paid by Grove Meridian$100,000 life insurance policy: paid by Grove Meridian401(k) with a 3% safe harbor contribution, even if you don't contribute yourselfUnlimited PTO, with time off planned around the March, April, September and October filing deadlinesHybrid scheduleBenefits:401(k)401(k) matchingDental insuranceFlexible scheduleHealth insuranceHealth savings accountLife insurancePaid time offRetirement planVision insurance