Lead, Special Projects

Cynch AI•Cupertino, CA

3d•$95,000 - $125,000•Hybrid

About The Position

At Aardvark Tax Advisors, the client comes first. The firm provides tax, accounting, and advisory services to small businesses and entrepreneurs. As the accounting and client services practice of Cynch AI, it uses proprietary AI to reduce routine work and give its people more time for higher-value client service. The practice is expanding organically and through strategic acquisitions, with defined expectations and advancement criteria and performance-based opportunities for increased responsibility and equity over time. Reporting to the Managing Director and supporting the executive team, the Lead, Special Projects takes ownership of operational problems and drives them through to resolution. The role combines a chief-of-staff perspective with hands-on execution, and the work varies from week to week. The successful candidate investigates unfamiliar issues, develops solutions, and documents processes so recurring work can be handled more easily. The role includes turning priorities into plans with owners, milestones, and budgets; assessing practice needs across capacity, staffing, systems, workflows, and client experience; managing operating rhythms and follow-ups; supporting practice managers in unblocking projects and creating repeatable processes; and leading special projects such as acquisitions, data analysis, vendor contracts, licensing and registrations, and policy and procedure development. The position is full-time and hybrid in Cupertino, Santa Cruz, or Pleasanton, California. The preliminary California salary range is $95,000–$125,000.

Requirements

3–7 years of experience in a fast-paced role such as operations, consulting, banking, a startup, or a professional services firm.
Track record of owning messy, ambiguous projects from start to finish.
Strong analytical skills and comfort using AI tools in day-to-day work.
Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience.
Driven, organized, resourceful, and comfortable taking initiative and keeping multiple threads moving.
Curiosity about unfamiliar work, ability to learn quickly, and willingness to ask good questions.
Clear written and verbal communication, including concise summaries and direct communication when delivering bad news.
Ability to handle confidential deal, client, and company information discreetly.

Nice To Haves

Experience at a CPA, tax, or accounting firm.
Exposure to M&A, due diligence, or post-acquisition integration.
Experience with business insurance, vendor management, or HR operations.

Responsibilities

Turn team priorities into written long-term plans with owners, milestones, and budgets, including season-readiness plans, hiring plans, and integration roadmaps, and track progress.
Investigate practice needs and constraints related to capacity, staffing, systems, workflow, and client experience; gather data and input and provide clear recommendations.
Prepare agendas and pre-reads, capture decisions and action items, and follow up until actions are completed.
Work with practice managers to unblock projects and convert one-off fixes into documented, repeatable processes.
Take ownership of business-critical special projects without an existing owner, including potential work on acquisitions, data analysis, vendor contracts, licensing and registrations, and policies and procedures.
Support the executive team and keep the practice running smoothly by taking problems through to resolution.
Learn the team, systems, and open issues; maintain a list of priorities and resolve lingering issues.
Help manage projects independently and manage operational items, recurring-work documentation, and end-to-end long-term planning efforts.