Family Office Operations Manager

Wildfire Defense Systems, Inc.•Bozeman, MT

6h•$130,000 - $170,000•Hybrid

About The Position

The Family Office Operations Manager is the first and foundational hire for a Family Office embedded within Wildfire Defense Systems (“WDS”). This is a highly trusted role, responsible for running the day-to-day accounting and operations of the Family Office. The Family Office Operations Manager will work directly with the WDS Corporate Controller and the Family Principal(s), with a time allocation of 50% to the WDS Finance and Accounting department and 50% to the Family Office. This role will serve as the primary point of contact for the Family's professional advisors, property managers, and other service providers. The primary work location will be the WDS corporate office, within the Finance and Accounting department. However, this role’s primary responsibility is specific to serving the Family, and secondarily WDS, and will involve offsite work locations depending on the needs of the Family / Family Office. This is not a management role overseeing an existing team. It is a builder and implementer role: the Family Office Operations Manager will establish systems, create processes, and take ownership of all Family Office functions. This person will own and perform the functions within the operational pillars of the Family Office — not just coordinate them. They will be the institutional memory of the Family Office, the keeper of its processes, and the first line of accountability. The person in this role must have significant experience in accounting, tax, and business operations. Success in this role means that the Family can step back from day-to-day administrative and operational tasks with full confidence that nothing falls through the cracks.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree required; degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or a related field strongly preferred
Minimum 10+ years of relevant experience in one or more of the following: family office / private client accounting, public accounting (tax or audit), or CFO/Controller function for a private entity or family-owned business
Direct experience in a family office or ultra-high-net-worth personal CFO environment is highly preferred
Demonstrated experience managing multi-entity accounting: LLCs, partnerships, trusts, and personal/household accounts
Experience preparing or coordinating financial statements, management reports, and year-end tax packages
Meaningful exposure to estate and trust administration, or direct work with estate planning attorneys and CPAs in a coordination capacity
Prior experience as a first hire or in a startup / build-from-scratch environment is a strong differentiator
Significant (5 years or more) tax analysis and tax preparation experience in multi-entity and multi-national LLC’s, partnerships, trusts, and/or non-profits.
Proficiency in accounting software: QuickBooks Online, QuickBooks Desktop, Sage Intacct, or comparable platform. Strong preference for Sage Intacct or other AICPA recommended ERP software.
Strong understanding of GAAP and utilization of GAAP principles applicable to family office reporting.
Experience in setting up and maintaining ERP systems.
Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel (pivot tables, financial modeling, reconciliations)
Strong working knowledge of Microsoft 365 environment: Outlook, SharePoint, Teams, OneDrive
Familiarity with online banking and treasury platforms used by private banks and custodians
Working knowledge of federal and state tax compliance requirements: 1040, 1041, 1065, K-1s, PTET, and estimated taxes
Experience with document management systems; ability to build and maintain an organized digital filing structure
Absolute trustworthiness with highly sensitive personal and financial information; the highest standard of confidentiality is non-negotiable.
Takes initiative, anticipates needs, and follows through without being asked; treats this role as their own operation to build and run.
Zero tolerance for errors in financial data, deadlines, or documentation; brings meticulous care to every task.
Communicates clearly, professionally, and appropriately with Family Principals, WDS employees, and outside advisors to ensure effective relationships; adapts style to audience.
Manages a high volume of concurrent tasks and deadlines without dropping anything; knows when to escalate and when to execute.
Handles complexity and competing demands with steadiness; does not require handholding in ambiguous situations.
Sees the whole landscape, builds processes that scale, and documents work so the family office is never dependent on any single person's memory.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree in taxation is a significant plus
CPA, CMA, or equivalent professional designation is a significant plus
Experience in co-developing (along with other tax team members) family office tax strategy is a significant plus.
Experience in foreign country tax treatment of family holdings, particularly Canadian taxation is a significant plus.

Responsibilities

Act as the primary liaison between the Family Office and WDS and its’ operating companies concerning all operational matters such as project coordination, inter-entity invoicing, project reconciliations, tax analysis, tax planning, and tax strategy.
Work closely with WDS accounting staff to assist in and reconcile monthly and quarterly intercompany invoices to the Family Office.
Maintain detailed working papers on a monthly or quarterly basis, converting all required general ledger account data into tax-oriented working papers that flow through to quarterly tax analysis and estimated tax liabilities and payment requirements for WDS and its’ related operating companies.
Maintain and update as required, the tax planning and calculation spreadsheets for each WDS and related company, to include current tax rates by tax type and state, forecasted revenue apportionment by state, forecasted EBITDA by state, period to date payments or credits applied, and remaining estimated taxes due.
Coordinate WDS and related company quarterly estimated tax payments with the Corporate Controller preparation
Ensure that WDS and related entity tax strategies are congruent with Family Office tax strategies
Track and coordinate all annual entity filings for WDS and related entities, franchise taxes, registered agent renewals, and state compliance requirements
Work closely with the WDS Director of Administrative Services to establish cadence of standard communications, meetings, processes, and procedures as required.
Other duties as assigned by the WDS Corporate Controller
Own all bookkeeping for Family entities and personal/household accounts
Manage all bill pay functions: invoice receipt, coding, approval routing, payment execution, and confirmation
Prepare and distribute the monthly financial package by the 15th of each month, including net worth summary, income statement, balance sheet, and cash flow
Maintain detailed working papers on a quarterly basis, converting all required general ledger account data into tax-oriented working papers that flow through to quarterly tax analysis and estimated tax liability and payment requirements for Family Office and Family Principal(s).
Coordinate quarterly estimated tax payments with the Corporate Controller and External CPA/Firm; initiate and confirm payments on schedule
Reconcile all bank, credit card, and investment accounts monthly
Maintain organized, complete books ready for External CPA/Firm year-end review and tax preparation
Other duties as assigned by the Family Principal(s).
Maintain the annual Tax Document Checklist and coordinate collection of all W-2s, 1099s, K-1s, brokerage statements, and charitable receipts
Deliver a complete, organized tax document package to External CPA/Firm by the agreed date each year
Track all federal and state tax filing deadlines across all entities; coordinate with External CPA/Firm on extensions
Support Corporate Controller and External CPA/Firm in implementing planning strategies: confirm year-end transactions are executed, track contributions, and document planning decisions
Participate in tax planning meetings with Corporate Controller and External CPA/Firm and Family Principal(s) as needed
Maintain the master Entity Register for all LLCs, trusts, partnerships, and other entities
Track and coordinate all annual entity filings for Family Office entities, franchise taxes, registered agent renewals, and state compliance requirements
Serve as the operational liaison to legal counsel for administrative and compliance matters
Maintain organized digital files of all formation documents, operating agreements, trust documents, etc.
Implement and enforce the Family Office's internal controls framework: segregation of duties, payment approval protocols, dual-authorization procedures
Maintain the insurance renewal calendar for Family insurance policies; coordinate annual policy reviews with Family insurance broker
Ensure all cybersecurity protocols are followed: MFA on all accounts, password manager usage, wire transfer verification procedures
Conduct annual reviews of vendor access for all Family locations and personal properties, employee access, and account permissions
Maintain and coordinate property tax payment schedules across all Family property locations and personally owned properties
Manage vendor relationships and track service agreements, insurance certificates, and renewal dates for each Family-owned property
Coordinate with existing property managers; track Family capital projects and budgets
Serve as the primary operational contact for the Family's professional advisors: CPA, estate attorney, insurance broker, and others
Prepare materials, coordinate schedules, and follow up on action items from advisor meetings
Maintain a current contact list with all advisor names, firms, contacts, and scope of service
Ensure that advisors are receiving the information they need from the Family Office, and that the Family is receiving the information they need from them
Support existing property manager in managing household and administrative needs as directed by Family Principal(s)
Assist with mail and paperwork organization, errand coordination, and other personal assistant functions as directed
Provide financial education to younger Family members as directed by Family Principal(s)
Coordinate the delivery of other needed services to the Family Principal(s) as they arise
Build and maintain the Family Office's document management structure in M365 SharePoint, utilizing the same file naming and organization schema that is utilized by WDS.
Maintain and refine the Family Office's existing SOPs and process documentation on an ongoing basis, utilizing the same formats and policy organization utilized by WDS.
Identify opportunities to automate, streamline, or improve operational workflows
Maintain all registers, trackers, and calendars used by the Family Office in implementation of services