Firm Operations Manager

MetaOption, LLC•Ambler, PA

23h

About The Position

The Firm Operations Manager will oversee and optimize the day-to-day operations of the firm, focusing on workflow management, process improvement, technology integration, staff coordination, client onboarding, and financial administration. This role is crucial for ensuring efficiency, accuracy, and a high level of service across all firm functions, particularly during peak periods like tax season.

Requirements

Experience managing workflow in a CPA firm or tax preparation environment.
Experience with tax season deadline management.
Experience supervising administrative or professional staff.
Experience with client onboarding and engagement letter processes.
Experience with billing, accounts receivable, work-in-process, or budget tracking.
Experience implementing or improving practice management software.
Experience working with AI tools, automation tools

Responsibilities

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