Senior Tax Accountant

Tax Senior / Light Manager, San Diego: one partner, one office and a lot of room to grow

At most firms, the path to partner is a queue. There are dozens of managers ahead of you, decades of tenure above them, and a partner group that isn’t going anywhere.

The San Diego office of this firm looks nothing like that. Right now, one tax partner runs the whole book with just a senior and a first-year staff member. The work is there and the clients are there. What’s missing is the person who becomes the partner’s right hand, takes on the complex work and helps build the office into what it’s going to be.

It’s a long-standing, middle-market CPA firm with offices across California. It’s independent and partner-owned, with no private equity backing. Senior partners will move toward retirement in the coming years, so the partner track here is real.

What you’d be doing

You’d take on complex return preparation and handle the more straightforward reviews. The work spans business entities, real estate partnerships and high-net-worth individuals. Clients are mostly San Diego-based, with multi-state and some international work. As the office grows, you’d help manage and train the junior team.

There’s a structured path to manager-level responsibility over the next one to two tax seasons. Over five to seven years, there’s genuine partner-track potential.

The hours, honestly

Busy season peaks at around 60–70 hours a week in the final crunch before deadlines, then eases off. The rest of the year is a standard 40-hour week. That’s still a better balance than most Big 4 and national firms offer.

Coming from Big 4?

You’re welcome here, as long as you’re ready to adjust. The clients are smaller and the complexity is different, and the firm expects about a two-year ramp. In return, you get variety, direct client contact and a clear line of sight to the partner.

What you’ll bring

• Tax Senior or light Manager experience, ideally 5 to 8 years
• The ability to handle complex prep and straightforward reviews with minimal oversight
• Willingness to help manage and train junior staff as the team grows
• A CPA/EA license is preferred but not required; the firm will support you through it over the next couple of tax seasons
• You’re based in Southern California or committed to moving here

What’s on offer

• $95,000 to $130,000 base
• Hybrid working: 3 days in the office, 2 remote, with core hours of 10am to 3pm
• A structured path to manager-level responsibility within one to two seasons
• Better hours and balance than Big 4 or national firms
• An independent, partner-owned firm, not PE-backed
• Real partner-track opportunity as senior partners retire

If you’d rather be the second most important tax person in a growing office than the fortieth in a big one, this is your next role.