Independent Management of Assigned Client Book
Pacific Northwest Tax Service — Portland, OR
Salary: $115,000–$145,000 (DOE)
In‑office | Portland, OR
The Opportunity
We are hiring a Tax Manager who can take full ownership of an assigned client book and manage engagements from start to finish. This role is built for someone who works best with autonomy — preparing and reviewing core return types independently, leading client meetings, making technical and workflow decisions, and ensuring deadlines and quality standards are consistently met.
You will serve as the primary point of contact for your clients, manage communication throughout each engagement, and maintain control over scope, expectations, and delivery. This is a hands‑on, production‑focused position where you manage your own work, your own clients, and your own outcomes.
As a boutique firm, you work directly with leadership, avoid layers of bureaucracy, and maintain full ownership of your client relationships from beginning to end.
Work Environment
This is an in‑office role to support direct client contact and collaboration.
- Extended hours during tax season 50 – 55 hours per week
- Outside tax season: ~35 hours per week
- No business development or client origination required
What You’ll Do
Core Tax Work
- Sign, prepare and review 1040, 1065, 1120S, 1120 returns — mandatory
- Experience with additional return types such as 990, 1041, 706, 709, or foreign reporting is welcome but not required. We offer higher‑level work to those who enjoy specialty areas and want to expand their technical depth.
Client Management & Advisory
- Serve as the primary point of contact for your assigned client book
- Lead tax planning and advisory (entity structuring, estimated tax, SALT, multi‑state, transactions)
- Conduct full walkthroughs of completed returns with clients
- Set expectations, control scope, and protect margins
Engagement Ownership
- Manage all communication, preparation, review, and delivery independently
- Resolve notices, mismatches, and escalations with minimal oversight
- Manage deadlines, extensions, and workflow to ensure timely delivery
- Review WIP, approve billing, and communicate fees when needed
- Maintain quality control and consistency across engagements
Team Support
- Mentor staff through review notes and technical guidance
- Support staff development when appropriate
Required Experience
- Active CPA or EA or Oregon Licensed Tax Consultant license
· 5+ years progressive public accounting experience
- Strong technical depth in 1040, 1065, 1120 and 1120S — mandatory
- Ability to independently manage and grow a client book
- Demonstrated experience leading client appointments independently (planning, walkthroughs, scope control)
- Proven ability to manage client communication without supervision — email, phone, and in‑person meetings
- Comfort handling difficult conversations with clients (balances due, notices, scope changes)
- Clear, direct communication and consistently accurate work
- Comfort with technology and paperless workflow
Compensation & Benefits
- $115,000–$145,000 salary (DOE)
- Paid vacation and holidays
- 401(k) with employer match
- Health and dental insurance
- CPE support and paid continuing education time
- In‑office team environment with direct client contact
How to Apply
Send your resume and a brief note describing:
- Your experience with 1040, 1065, 1120 and 1120S
- The types of clients and engagements you’ve owned
- Why a boutique firm is the right next step for you
Pacific Northwest Tax Service is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
We are hiring a Tax Manager responsible for independently managing an assigned client book within a boutique, team-supported environment. This role is designed for someone who enjoys autonomy in their day-to-day work while still operating within a collaborative firm structure.
You will manage engagements from start to finish, including preparation, review, client communication, and delivery of core return types. You will serve as the primary point of contact for your clients, ensuring timelines, expectations, and scope are clearly managed throughout the engagement.
While this is an independent, client-facing role, you are not operating in isolation. You will work directly with firm leadership for technical support, complex issue resolution, and workflow coordination. The expectation is strong ownership of your assigned clients, not solo practice management.
As a boutique firm (~20 staff), we avoid heavy internal layers, allowing managers direct access to leadership and full visibility into client relationships.
Work Environment
This is an in-office role to support collaboration and client interaction.
- Extended hours during tax season
- Outside tax season: ~35+ hours per week
- No business development or client origination required
- Direct access to firm leadership for technical and workflow support
What You’ll Do
Core Tax Work
- Prepare and review 1040, 1065, 1120S, 1120 returns (core responsibility)
- Manage end-to-end tax compliance for assigned clients
- Additional experience (990, 1041, 706, 709, foreign reporting) is welcome but not required
Client Management & Advisory
- Serve as primary point of contact for assigned clients
- Lead tax planning conversations (estimates, SALT, entity structure, multi-state considerations, transactions)
- Walk clients through completed returns and key tax positions
- Set expectations around scope, timing, and deliverables
Engagement Ownership
- Own communication, preparation, review, and delivery for assigned clients
- Manage deadlines, extensions, and workflow to ensure timely completion
- Handle notices, mismatches, and routine escalations with support as needed
- Review WIP and communicate fees when appropriate
- Maintain quality and consistency across your client portfolio
Team Collaboration
- Provide review feedback and technical guidance to staff when applicable
- Support junior staff development through practical mentorship
- Coordinate with leadership on workload balancing and technical questions
Required Experience
- Active CPA or EA license
- 3–5 years of client-facing tax experience
- Experience managing engagements from start to finish
- Comfort with reviewing returns and handling client communication independently
- Strong technical knowledge of 1040, 1065, 1120S, and 1120 (required)
- Ability to manage multiple deadlines and maintain accuracy under pressure
- Clear communication and professional client interaction skills
- Comfortable in a paperless, technology-driven environment
Compensation & Benefits
- $100,000–$120,000 salary (DOE), starting compensation for the Tax Manager role
- Compensation increases based on demonstrated proficiency, scope expansion, and client portfolio responsibility over time
- Paid vacation and holidays
- 401(k) with employer match
- Health and dental insurance
- CPE support
- In-office team environment with direct client interaction and collaboration
How to Apply
Send your resume and a brief note describing:
- Your experience with 1040, 1065, 1120, and 1120S
- Types of clients and engagements you have independently managed
- Why a boutique firm environment is the right next step
Pacific Northwest Tax Service is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
Pay: $115,000.00 - $145,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- 401(k)
- Life insurance
- Work from home
Work Location: In person
