Manager, Tax Administrative

Ascend Partner Firms•Tampa, FL

13d•Onsite

About The Position

Ascend is building a dynamic platform for regional accounting firms that enables them to stay independent while accessing the resources of a Top 25 firm to help them grow. Ascend provides access to growth capital, robust talent acquisition and training, leading quality management resources, best-of-breed technology, AI tools, an offshore captive, shared back-office services, a catalytic leadership system, and modernized equity incentives so that firms can surmount today’s industry challenges to reach their full potential. Saltmarsh is seeking an organized, detail-oriented, and welcoming Manager to lead the Tax administrative team. The Tax Administration Manager is a people leader role within the Tax practice, established to bring a single point of accountability to the Tax practice’s administrative and billing operations. This role will be responsible for overseeing the billing process, engagement management, client onboarding, and 1099 and tangible tax administration. This individual will work on ensuring billing accuracy and timeliness, leading and developing the Tax Admin team, supporting the practice partners, coordinating with the offshore return-processing resources, and continuously improving the processes and workflows that keep the practice running efficiently through busy season and beyond. At Saltmarsh, we take pride in delivering legendary service to our clients while investing in our relationships with both clients and colleagues. Join our team and become part of a culture that thrives on teamwork and growth.

Requirements

5+ years of progressive administrative, operations, or billing experience in a professional services environment.
Prior people-management or team-lead experience, with demonstrated ability to develop and hold a team accountable.
Strong understanding of billing and WIP concepts in a professional services or CPA firm context.
Highly organized and detail-oriented, with the ability to manage competing priorities and deadlines through demanding busy-season cycles.
Strong written and verbal communication skills; comfortable working across practice leadership and service lines.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office and document management tools.

Nice To Haves

Experience in a public accounting or CPA firm environment.
Familiarity with CCH Axcess (tax project management, billing, and portal workflows).
Experience coordinating offshore or remote team resources.
Exposure to tangible tax or 1099 processing workflows.

Responsibilities

Own billing for the entire Tax practice from engagement through collection, serving as the practice’s single billing authority.
Partner closely with the Tax Practice Lead and Chief Growth Officer on billing strategy, escalations, client communication, and process improvement.
Monitor billing timeliness and accuracy across all Tax engagements; identify and resolve issues before they age.
Maintain consistent billing workflows and standards across offices and engagement types.
Manage and develop the Tax Admin team, including day-to-day direction, workload balancing, and coverage planning across Tampa, Orlando, and Pensacola offices.
Coordinate offshore return-processing support and integrate it seamlessly into team workflows.
Set and enforce standards for quality, consistency, and responsiveness across all admin functions.
Provide coaching, performance feedback, and professional development guidance to direct reports.
Ensure adequate backup coverage across the team for continuity through peak periods.
Perform time and WIP cleanup as needed to keep engagements current and billable.
Identify and resolve aging or unbilled time in coordination with practice leadership.
Partner with the Tax Practice Lead to maintain WIP discipline and support realization goals.
Supervise the preparation and execution of engagement letters for Tax clients, including new client onboarding and renewals.
Oversee the end-to-end 1099 process and tangible tax administration, transitioning these responsibilities from the CPA team to the admin function.
Ensure timely and professional client communications related to onboarding, engagement status, and administrative matters.
Serve as the operational hub of the Tax admin function — identifying inefficiencies, implementing process improvements, and driving consistency across the team.
Evaluate automation and technology opportunities (including AI-assisted tools) to reduce manual workload and improve throughput.
Ensure smooth coordination and handoffs across Tax, CAAS, and shared administrative resources.
Maintain current knowledge of CCH Axcess workflows and other practice management systems used by the team.