Client Onboarding Manager – Accounting Services

 

Salary Range: $85,000 – $95,000 annually

Work Environment: Remote 

Position Type: Full-time W2 

 

About Us

Breakwater Accounting & Advisory provides outsourced bookkeeping and accounting services to businesses and nonprofit organizations across the U.S. We embrace technology to work smarter, not harder, and aim to deliver value-added service to every client. We are a Woman-Led company, rated a Top Workplace by the Delaware News Journal for four years in a row and featured on the Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing companies.

Our Philosophy

Great people first, technology-forward thinking second – with just the right combination.

At Breakwater, we offer a flexible, positive, and energetic workplace where teamwork and initiative are highly valued. Our culture thrives on positivity and a customer service-oriented focus.

All of our team members are guided by Breakwater’s Core Principles. We are: proactive, positive, purposeful, protective, prepared, and principled.

Position Overview

The Lead Onboarding Project Manager plays a critical role in ensuring new clients are set up for long-term success with Breakwater. This is a controller-level and people management role, requiring strong accounting expertise, quality control review skills, and the ability to issue financial statements. The Onboarding Project Manager will act as the primary client contact during the onboarding process, coordinating across multiple service lines (Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, Payroll, and Ongoing Accounting) to ensure all elements of scope are accurately implemented. 

This role includes direct people management responsibilities, providing leadership, coaching, and support to four team members. The manager will foster an environment of accountability, collaboration, and growth—helping staff develop professionally, deliver high-quality work, and align with Breakwater’s values and goals. Regular one-on-one meetings, performance feedback, capacity management and career development planning are key aspects of this role.

Unlike traditional account management, this role is designed to operate in a fast-paced, high-volume onboarding environment—moving clients quickly and effectively through setup, reporting, and process alignment before transitioning them seamlessly to their long-term account team.

Key Responsibilities

• Client Relationship & Communication
• Serve as the primary point of contact for clients during onboarding.
• Build trust and deliver confidence through accounting expertise, guidance, and responsiveness.
• Clearly communicate timelines, deliverables, and process updates to clients.
  
  
• Quality Control & Financial Setup
• Perform in-depth quality control reviews and issue accurate financials during onboarding.
• Oversee reconciliations, record cleanups, and initial reporting packages.
• Ensure that financial reporting and documentation are accurate, consistent, and client-ready.
• Ensure data integrity across all accounting workflows.
  
  
• Cross-Departmental Coordination
• Collaborate with AP, AR, Payroll, and Accounting specialists to ensure scope is fully represented across service lines.
• Oversee and align processes that span multiple departments, ensuring they are efficient and well-documented.
• Identify workflow gaps and proactively develop solutions that improve efficiency and client experience.
  
  
• Process Setup & Handoff
• Establish efficient, repeatable onboarding processes and reporting templates.
• Document workflows and procedures to ensure clarity and consistency.
• Ensure a smooth transition from onboarding to the client’s long-term account manager, minimizing disruption.
  
  
• Leadership & Mentorship
• Lead, mentor, and support a team of accounting professionals to ensure high-quality, timely, and accurate work.
• Set clear expectations and provide ongoing direction, accountability, and feedback.
• Oversee workload distribution and capacity management.
• Serve as an escalation point for team and client issues, providing guidance and solutions.
• Monitor team performance against key metrics such as quality, timeliness, and client satisfaction.
• Deliver performance reviews and document feedback in alignment with Breakwater’s review cadence.
• Promote accountability while maintaining a supportive and growth-minded environment.
  
  

Who You Are

• A tech-savvy accountant who thrives in fast-paced environments and enjoys guiding clients through transitions.
• A process-oriented leader who sees the big picture but can also dive into details to ensure accuracy.
• A natural communicator and problem-solver, able to explain complex financial concepts in a clear, approachable way.
• Someone who enjoys the challenge of building consistency, efficiency, and trust during a client’s most critical stage of engagement.
  
  

Qualifications

Required:

• Bachelor’s degree (or higher) in Accounting, with at least 5 years of accounting/bookkeeping experience.
• Strong controller-level skills, including quality control review and issuing financials.
• Prior experience managing multiple clients simultaneously (CPA firm environment or outsourced accounting preferred).
• Demonstrated ability to coordinate across departments or service lines.
• Proficiency in QuickBooks Online (QBO) within the last 5 years.
• Advanced tech skills, with ability to implement and document processes.
• Strong interpersonal skills and client communication ability.
  
  

Preferred:

• Experience with onboarding or project management in an outsourced accounting or professional services setting.
• Familiarity with revenue recognition, deferred revenue, and other advanced accounting topics.
• Experience with additional accounting systems (Xero, Sage, NetSuite, etc.).
• Exposure to audit processes or internal control design.
  
  

Why Join Breakwater

• Be part of a fast-growing, innovative accounting firm with a strong reputation and national reach.
• Shape the onboarding experience for clients and help define scalable processes for the future.
• Work with a team that values collaboration, efficiency, and professional growth.
• Competitive salary and benefits package.

 

Breakwater Accounting + Advisory provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.

This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.