Manager, Small Business Advisory

Experience the Kreischer Miller Difference
Kreischer Miller’s Small Business Advisory department works closely with owner-operated private companies, family-owned businesses, ESOPs, business owners, and high-net-worth individuals. The Manager role is responsible for managing integrated accounting, tax, and advisory engagements; developing strong client relationships; supervising and mentoring staff; and contributing to the continued growth and quality of the practice.

About Ascend
Backed by private equity from people-focused Alpine Investors, Ascend is building a dynamic platform for regional accounting firms that enables them to stay independent while accessing the resources of a Top 25 firm to help them grow. Ascend provides access to growth capital, robust talent acquisition and training, leading quality management resources, best-of-breed technology, AI tools, an offshore captive, shared back-office services, a catalytic leadership system, and modernized equity incentives so that firms can surmount today’s industry challenges to reach their full potential. For more information, visit www.ascendtogether.com

Scope of Responsibility
The Manager is responsible for leading concurrent client engagements that combine tax compliance and planning, accounting support, financial statement services, and business advisory work. This position serves as a primary day-to-day relationship manager for assigned clients, coordinates work across internal teams, manages engagement deadlines and economics, and ensures deliverables are accurate, timely, and aligned with client needs.

Education and Experience: 

• Bachelor’s degree in accounting.
• CPA license or equivalent professional certification preferred.
• Six to eight years of recent public accounting experience, with exposure to both tax and accounting services.
• Demonstrated progression in managing client relationships, reviewing workpapers and returns, supervising staff, and handling increasingly complex technical matters.
• Experience serving privately held, owner-operated, family-owned, or emerging growth businesses preferred.

Technical Skills and Abilities: 

• Strong working knowledge of federal, state, and local tax laws and regulations, including tax compliance and planning for individuals and business entities.
• Ability to review moderate to complex individual, partnership, S corporation, C corporation, trust, and related tax returns, as applicable to client needs.
• Competence in reviewing accounting records, workpapers, and financial statement deliverables for accuracy, completeness, and technical quality.
• Ability to research accounting and tax matters, evaluate alternatives, document conclusions, and communicate recommendations clearly to clients and internal leadership.
• Experience addressing tax notices and coordinating with federal, state, or local tax authorities is helpful.
• Ability to identify accounting process improvements, client efficiencies, and opportunities for broader advisory support.

Tasks and Duties: 

• Coordinate client fieldwork, information requests, engagement schedules, and expected deadlines with clients and staff.
• Review accounting workpapers, permanent file documents, financial statements, footnotes, and related client deliverables.
• Coordinate tax information gathering, year-end planning, tax return preparation workflows, and related client communications.
• Review tax returns and supporting workpapers for technical accuracy, completeness, and consistency with client facts and applicable standards.
• Research technical tax and accounting topics, consult with quality control or engagement leadership as needed, and present conclusions in a clear and practical manner.
• Correspond with clients on technical and non-technical matters and serve as a responsive point of contact for day-to-day engagement needs.
• Review engagement letter scope, monitor engagement economics, proactively manage billing, and follow up on open invoices or additional billing matters.
• Identify opportunities for client efficiencies, cross-selling services, and additional advisory support based on a strong understanding of each client’s business.
• Coordinate staff scheduling, provide timely feedback, complete staff evaluations, and support career counseling, coaching, and mentoring.
• Participate in training, thought leadership, professional organizations, referral network development, proposals, and new business development activities.
• Maintain expected billable hour targets and balance client service, staff development, technical quality, and practice growth responsibilities.

Core Competencies and Behaviors:

• Client service mindset: Builds trusted relationships with owners, executives, and client accounting teams by providing practical, responsive, and tailored guidance.
• Technical judgment: Applies strong accounting and tax knowledge, recognizes when consultation is needed, and makes sound decisions on all but the most unusual matters.
• Project leadership: Manages multiple concurrent engagements, prioritizes competing deadlines, and keeps staff and clients aligned on expectations.
• Communication: Explains complex technical matters in clear business terms and communicates professionally with clients, staff, and firm leadership.
• Team development: Coaches, mentors, and develops staff through timely feedback, delegation, training, and performance evaluation.
• Client development: Identifies opportunities for service expansion with existing clients and begins participating in activities to attract new clients to the firm.
• Business acumen: Understands the client’s business, identifies risks and opportunities, and recommends solutions that support improved operations and long-term growth.
• Continuous improvement: Stays current on technical topics, embraces technology and process improvements, and contributes ideas that strengthen the department.
• Professional ownership: Demonstrates accountability, integrity, initiative, sound judgment, and a commitment to high-quality work.

Other Important Considerations

Working Conditions:

Kreischer Miller offers a flexible hybrid work model designed to support both collaboration and work-life balance.  For most positions, the current expectation is to be in the office three days per week with in office schedules for specific positions dependent on the needs of our clients, the need to develop the skills of our professionals and the nature of each professional's role.  Our team thrives in a supportive, high-performing environment where individuals are trusted and held accountable for their contributions. Standard hours are 8:30 am to 5:30 pm outside of busy season, with increased charge hours expected during peak periods. Some travel to client sites in the greater Philadelphia area should be expected, though it is not extensive.

We provide a fair and equal employment opportunity for all candidates regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, gender, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, age, marital status, disability, or any other legally protected characteristic. We hire and promote individuals solely based on qualifications for the position to be filled and business needs.

NOTE: IF SEEING THIS POST ON A 3RD PARTY PLATFORM, PLEASE APPLY DIRECTLY ON OUR WEBSITE IN ORDER FOR YOUR APPLICATION TO BE CONSIDERED

NOTE:  Kreischer Miller is not accepting unsolicited resumes from search firms. All resumes submitted by search firms to any employee via email, the Internet, or directly without a valid written search agreement will be deemed the sole property of Kreischer Miller, and no fee will be paid in the event the candidate is hired by Kreischer Miller.

We also do not post salary ranges externally so any salary estimate you see listed on a third-party website was not provided by Kreischer Miller and may not be accurate.