Job Title: Firm Operations Manager
Location: Ambler, PA, 19002
Job Type: Full-Time
Primary Responsibilities
Workflow Management and Production Oversight
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Oversee firm workflow across individual tax preparation, business tax returns, bookkeeping/accounting services, tax resolution, and tax notice response work.
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Maintain visibility over all active client engagements, including status, assigned staff, due dates, internal deadlines, budgets, open items, review status, billing status, and completion status.
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Assign, monitor, and update internal due dates, milestones, and staff responsibilities for client engagements.
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Work with firm leadership and department leaders to balance workloads, identify capacity issues, and reassign work as needed.
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Monitor firm output compared to statutory deadlines, internal target dates, assigned budgets, and client expectations.
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Identify workflow bottlenecks and proactively recommend solutions before deadlines are at risk.
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Coordinate regular workflow meetings with staff and firm leadership.
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Prepare weekly and seasonal production reports for partners and managers.
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Assist in developing workflow checklists, status codes, project templates, routing rules, and deadline tracking systems.
Process Improvement, Controls, and Efficiency
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Evaluate existing administrative and production processes and recommend practical improvements.
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Create, implement, and monitor internal controls over client intake, document collection, workflow routing, review readiness, e-file authorization, billing, and project closeout.
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Standardize procedures to reduce rework, missed steps, delays, and partner-level administrative involvement.
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Develop methods to track realization, turnaround time, budget-to-actual performance, missing information delays, and staff capacity.
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Assist firm leadership in improving tax season procedures, extension procedures, bookkeeping workflows, and notice response tracking.
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Help design repeatable workflows for recurring services such as monthly bookkeeping, quarterly estimates, business tax returns, and annual individual tax preparation.
Technology, IT Systems, and AI Workflow Coordination
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Serve as a key internal liaison for the firm’s practice management software, tax software, client portal, document management system, e-signature tools, communication platforms, and related applications.
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Coordinate with outside IT providers and software vendors to resolve operational issues and improve system usage.
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Assist with implementation, testing, and refinement of technology tools that support client workflow and firm operations.
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Help maintain templates, automated task lists, recurring workflows, dashboards, reports, and system permissions.
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Work with firm leadership to integrate AI agents and automation tools into appropriate administrative and workflow processes.
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Monitor AI-enabled workflows to ensure proper human review, data privacy, accuracy, and adherence to firm procedures.
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Identify opportunities to use automation and AI tools to reduce manual follow-up, improve document intake, summarize client communications, monitor due dates, and create management reporting.
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Train staff on appropriate use of firm systems, workflow tools, portals, and automation processes.
Staff Coordination and Administrative Leadership
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Supervise and coordinate administrative staff responsible for client communications, document collection, engagement letters, billing support, collections, tax season preparation, scanning, portal activity, and other office functions.
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Help establish clear responsibilities and accountability for administrative team members.
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Coordinate staff schedules, workload assignments, and recurring administrative deadlines.
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Assist with onboarding and training of administrative personnel.
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Facilitate internal staff meetings and follow up on assigned action items.
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Serve as a liaison between professional staff, administrative staff, firm leadership, outside vendors, and IT providers.
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Promote a culture of accountability, responsiveness, organization, and continuous improvement.
Client Onboarding and Service Coordination
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Oversee the new client onboarding process from initial acceptance through setup in firm systems.
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Ensure that engagement letters, client information, prior-year records, portal access, billing arrangements, and service expectations are properly established.
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Coordinate annual tax season preparation, including organizer distribution, engagement letter tracking, client document requests, and follow-up procedures.
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Monitor missing client information and ensure timely follow-up.
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Assist with client communication procedures, including standard email templates, deadline reminders, document request notices, and status updates.
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Help ensure a consistent and professional client experience across all firm service lines.
Billing, Collections, and Engagement Budget Monitoring
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Coordinate with firm leadership and administrative staff to ensure timely billing of completed work.
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Monitor engagement budgets and compare budgeted time or fee expectations to work status and completion.
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Assist with tracking work-in-process, completed-but-unbilled projects, unpaid invoices, and past-due balances.
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Support procedures requiring payment before release of returns or final deliverables, where applicable.
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Provide reporting to firm leadership regarding billing status, collections issues, and budget overruns.
