Manager, Review Team

Cynch AI•Pleasanton, CA

12d•Hybrid

About The Position

Aardvark Tax Advisors is hiring a Review Team Manager to lead its return review team, manage the review queue, and ensure returns are completed on time and within budget. The role focuses on people leadership and operations rather than tax technical work; technical questions follow an established path to senior tax leadership. The manager reports to the practice leader and works closely with the leaders of tax preparation, client success, and operations. The position is hybrid and based in the Pleasanton, Cupertino, or Santa Cruz, California offices. The target start date is December 1, 2026, allowing time to learn the systems before busy season begins in January. The manager will lead a team of about five reviewers, with the team expanding to include seasonal reviewers, staff from acquired practices, and transitioning practice owners. The role is full-time, with contract-to-hire considered, and requires extended hours during peak tax season. Success is measured by timely reviews against service levels, review hours within budget, no returns exceeding the agreed time in review, a declining rate of returns sent back from review, productive seasonal and newly acquired reviewers by busy season, rare escalations to the practice leader, and retention of the team through the season.

Requirements

At least 5 years managing a team of roughly 5–15 skilled professionals in deadline-driven production work, such as tax or accounting firm operations, legal operations, insurance claims or underwriting, or a professional-services project office.
Experience managing work through queues, service levels, and capacity plans, and comfort using a ticketing or workflow system.
Experience leading people with greater subject-matter expertise and earning their respect by removing obstacles.
Ability to have direct performance conversations and maintain a calm, organized presence near deadlines.
Comfort with data and regularly monitoring the key measures of team performance.
Ability to manage the work and team without needing to serve as the subject-matter expert.
No tax credential is required.

Nice To Haves

Experience through a seasonal crunch, such as tax season, audit busy season, or insurance renewals.
Familiarity with HubSpot, CCH Axcess, or similar tax and workflow software.
A project management background or certification.

Responsibilities

Own review assignments, priorities, and the daily review standup to direct each return to the appropriate reviewer at the appropriate time.
Track review turnaround against service levels by return complexity and act early when queues begin to age.
Participate in weekly capacity reviews with tax preparation and operations leads to balance workload against demand.
Manage a team of about five reviewers, with staffing that may grow to include seasonal reviewers, staff from acquired practices, and transitioning practice owners.
Hold regular one-on-ones, set expectations, provide direct feedback, and conduct performance conversations.
Onboard new reviewers into the firm’s standards, tools, and operating rhythm.
Manage review hours per return against budget.
Partner with the tax preparation lead to identify patterns in returns sent back from review and address their causes.
Coordinate quality sampling and feedback; technical judgments are made by senior tax leadership.
Report review metrics on the weekly leadership scorecard, identify issues, and communicate actions being taken.
Route technical questions through the established path within 24 hours and resolve other issues within the team.