Firm Operations Manager

Ascend Partner Firms•Miami, FL

About The Position

The Manager of Firm Operations owns the processes, systems, data, and reporting that support KSDT’s operations. The role standardizes how work is performed across departments and service lines, administers core firm systems, and provides performance reporting used by partners to manage their practices. Approximately 20% of the role is dedicated to special projects that advance firm priorities. Reporting to the Chief Growth Officer, this is a hands-on position that works with partners and staff at all levels to improve operations, use AI and automation to reduce recurring manual work, and help develop an operating model that can scale with the firm’s growth. The position is based in Miami, Florida. KSDT prefers candidates in South Florida who can work from its Miami office, but candidates from outside the state will be considered. The posting also mentions hybrid and remote locations in a subsequent, separate role description; those details appear alongside a different set of tax-service responsibilities and are not clearly associated with this Firm Operations position. KSDT describes its culture as fun and creative, with an emphasis on work-life balance, career advancement, hands-on learning, mentorship, and development. Following its partnership with Ascend, the firm has access to shared resources, technology, training, and operational support. Benefits listed for the position include health, dental, and vision coverage; short- and long-term disability; flexible time off; FSA and HSA; employee assistance programs; 401(k) matching; commuter benefits; paid parental leave; and modernized incentives and equity participation.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, business, information systems, or a related field.
At least 5 years of experience in operations, practice management, finance, or analytics at a CPA or professional services firm.
Demonstrated experience mapping, documenting, and standardizing workflows, and owning recurring processes end to end.
Advanced Excel proficiency and comfort building dashboards using different data sources.
Strong working comfort with AI tools and an instinct to use them to work faster and smarter.
Clear and direct communication skills, including the ability to explain what is changing, why it matters, and what people need to do differently.
Experience administering practice management, engagement letter, billing, or client portal systems.

Nice To Haves

Familiarity with CCH Axcess is strongly preferred.

Responsibilities

Own core firm operating workflows end to end, including the client lifecycle, employee onboarding and offboarding, and tax busy-season production.
Identify bottlenecks, recurring errors, and operational risks; design practical fixes and guide them through adoption.
Standardize procedures, forms, and templates across departments and service lines; maintain standard operating procedures and train staff.
Improve workflow designs and automate recurring work to remove manual steps.
Administer core firm systems, including practice management, client portal, and engagement letter platforms, and serve as the subject matter expert on their use.
Configure systems to support intended workflows and maintain accurate, consistent client, staff, and engagement data across platforms.
Keep system access and settings current for new hires, departures, and role changes.
Apply AI and automation to operational workflows and support adoption of improvements on the roadmap.
Manage software licenses and coordinate technology requests in partnership with IT.
Produce and continually automate weekly and monthly performance reporting, including dashboards, scorecards, and key performance indicators.
Give partners and engagement teams visibility into work in process, receivables, project budgets, and deadlines; work with the billing team on at-risk balances.
Analyze project delivery, profitability, and staff capacity.
Support the leadership meeting cadence by tracking priorities and action items through completion.
Support key operational initiatives with project management, timelines, and accountability.
Support operational integration of newly joined teams, offices, and practices into the firm’s systems, workflows, and reporting standards.