Client Accounting Division Manager

Burkland Associates•,

11d•Remote

About The Position

The Client Accounting Division Manager runs a client accounting division as a self-contained business unit within Burkland. The role owns the division’s P&L and staffing, and is accountable for the division’s aggregate KPI performance, including revenue, margin, utilization, service quality, and client retention, as well as team growth and engagement. The division serves consumer and product-based startups, so the manager provides deep inventory and cost accounting expertise to guide technical work and client advice. This is a hands-on people leadership role involving clear expectations, ongoing feedback, coaching, performance management, staffing, hiring, and onboarding. The manager also owns key client relationships, oversees service quality, and serves as the first-line escalation point for client issues, with a defined handoff path for issues beyond their resolution. The role is remote. The manager oversees inventory valuation, reconciliation, count processes, costing methods, GAAP reporting, COGS and gross margin analysis, and ERP or inventory system implementations and improvements. They help clients improve inventory performance and working capital, and build the division’s book of business through business development and service-expansion opportunities. The role also requires collaboration across Burkland service lines, adoption of firm tools and processes, and an advisory approach that helps clients understand the implications behind their numbers.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in business, accounting, finance, or a related field.
At least 5 years of progressive professional experience.
Direct people management experience, including performance reviews, managing underperformance, and developing team members.
Exceptional client relationship management skills and ability to understand client needs.
Strong project management skills, including prioritization, meeting deadlines, and delivering high-quality results.
Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to collaborate with clients, team members, and leadership.
Curiosity, strong problem-solving skills, and eagerness to take on challenges involving emerging technology and industries.
Strong command of GAAP and cost accounting, including inventory accounting, FIFO, LIFO, landed costs, shrinkage, and valuation adjustments.
Deep inventory and cost accounting knowledge, including costing methods, COGS, and GAAP, and the ability to guide teams through complex inventory work and system implementations.
Strong understanding of supply chain methods such as contract manufacturing and 3PL operations, as well as eCommerce operations and cash flows through Shopify, Amazon, eBay, and other marketplace solutions.
Hands-on comfort with AI tools in accounting and operational work, sound judgment about their appropriate use and need for human review, and ability to protect client data.
Ability to collaborate cross-functionally across Service Delivery and partner with Growth on client onboarding and cross-sell opportunities.

Nice To Haves

CPA or CMA credential.
Experience owning or significantly contributing to a team budget, P&L, or book of business.
Prior experience leading a team within a professional services or client accounting environment.
Hands-on ERP and inventory system experience, such as NetSuite, QuickBooks, Cin7, Fishbowl, or similar.
Experience leading or overseeing ERP or inventory software implementations.

Responsibilities

Own the division’s P&L, including revenue, margin, and utilization targets.
Drive aggregate performance across KPIs assigned to Accounting Associates and Client Accounting Advisors, as well as the manager’s own scorecard.
Track division performance, identify gaps, take corrective action, and report results, risks, trends, and planned actions to the Director of Accounting Advisory.
Manage division capacity, workload distribution, and client assignments.
Contribute to pricing and fixed-fee scoping, monitor engagement profitability, and maintain awareness of accounts receivable and collections issues.
Set team members’ role expectations and KPI-linked performance goals; hold structured 1:1s and provide ongoing feedback and coaching.
Create growth plans, conduct performance reviews, address performance concerns, and contribute to compensation and promotion recommendations.
Monitor team capacity and engagement; apply company policies consistently and manage time-off and leave requests.
Coordinate employee relations matters and escalations with the Director and People Team.
Plan staffing against current and forecasted demand, build the case for new headcount, lead hiring, and onboard new team members.
Oversee inventory valuation, reconciliation, physical counts, and cycle counts; ensure variances are investigated and resolved.
Set standards for inventory costing methods, including FIFO, LIFO, and weighted average, and ensure they are applied appropriately.
Ensure accurate GAAP financial statements, inventory reporting, and client-specific COGS and gross margin analysis.
Guide ERP and inventory software implementations, migrations, and improvements, and support audit-ready client records as appropriate to engagement scope.
Coach the team on reducing shrinkage, obsolescence, overstocking, and stockouts, and improving working capital through inventory metrics.
Act as an escalation point for client relationship issues and oversee quality control of deliverables.
Shift the team’s work from report delivery alone toward proactive advisory.
Grow the division’s book of business through business development, existing-client expansion, and identification of service opportunities.
Maintain accurate, current portfolio information in Knownwell and drive adoption of firm tools, systems, processes, and AI-enabled workflows.
Partner with Tax, CFO, HR, and other service lines to support consistent, seamless client service.
Use AI tools thoughtfully and promote efficient ways of working while protecting client data and applying human review where needed.