Senior Audit and Accounting Manager

Cerity Partners•Los Angeles, CA

16d•$150,000 - $180,000•Hybrid

About The Position

Cerity Partners’ Encino practice is seeking an experienced, hands-on accounting professional at the Manager or Senior level. The role focuses primarily on accounting and financial statement work, including compilations, reviews, and audits under GAAP and income tax basis reporting. The work involves complex entities that primarily own real estate and partnership interests, high-net-worth individuals and their personal financial statements, trusts, closely held businesses, and private foundations. Audit experience is required. Candidates should be self-sufficient and able to take ownership of engagements from trial balance through final report, producing accurate, complete, review-ready financial statements with minimal supervision. The position includes research, analysis, and forensic special projects, as well as client relationship management and coordination with clients’ bookkeepers, controllers, and CFOs. Deep tax expertise is not required, but working knowledge of tax concepts—particularly for real estate, partnerships, and closely held businesses—is advantageous. The role is remote or hybrid, with optional in-person collaboration at the Encino, California office. Work is full time with overtime during the two busy tax seasons; reduced hours or time off may be available during the off-season. The practice specializes in serving family offices and real estate private equity sponsors, as well as multigenerational trust and estate compliance and planning. The firm emphasizes long-term client relationships, team stability, professional development, and career advancement, including a potential path toward Principal and equity opportunities. The role offers a base salary of $150,000–$180,000 plus bonus.

Requirements

CPA, or CPA candidate with strong and relevant experience.
Minimum 5–7 years of public accounting experience, including hands-on preparer-level work.
Minimum 3–5 years of hands-on audit, review, and compilation experience, including preparation of complete financial statements and footnotes.
Strong understanding of GAAP and income-tax-basis financial reporting, including real estate and partnership entities, personal financial statements under ASC 274, and foundation reporting under ASC 958.
Hands-on experience preparing financial statements for complex entities primarily owning real estate and partnership interests, including multi-tier structures, consolidations, and equity-method investments.
Experience preparing personal financial statements for high-net-worth individuals and audited private foundation or not-for-profit financial statements.
Working knowledge of AICPA AU-C audit standards and SSARS AR-C standards for audits, reviews, and compilations.
Strong research and analytical skills, including ability to research technical accounting questions and complete forensic and special projects.
Ability to produce accurate, complete, review-ready financial statements on time, with minimal supervision and few review comments.
Stable prior employment history and interest in a long-term professional home.
Ability to manage multiple engagements simultaneously and meet deadlines while maintaining quality.
Willingness and availability to work overtime during the two tax seasons.
Proficiency in QuickBooks, CCH Engagement, and Microsoft Office 365.
Excellent organizational, communication, and leadership skills; detail-oriented and analytical, with the ability to manage multiple priorities accurately.
Strong workpaper discipline and documentation habits.
Self-motivated, client-focused, and able to take ownership with a commitment to excellence.
Ability to work independently with minimal supervision in a remote environment and judgment to know when to ask questions.
Flexibility and sense of urgency to accommodate shifting client deadlines, and willingness to support the team when needed.

Nice To Haves

Local or regional CPA firm experience.
Working tax knowledge or private industry experience.
Experience with real estate entities, partnerships, high-net-worth clients and personal financial statements, or private foundation audits.
Partnership accounting experience, including capital accounts, allocations, and waterfall or promote calculations.
Forensic accounting, litigation support, or special-project experience.
Exposure to tax-basis financial statements and some knowledge of taxation of real estate and partnerships.
Familiarity with Workstream.

Responsibilities

Prepare compiled, reviewed, and audited GAAP- and income-tax-basis financial statements for complex real estate and partnership entities, individuals, trusts, closely held businesses, and private foundations, including complete statements and footnote disclosures.
Prepare personal financial statements for high-net-worth individuals and families, including estimated current values of real estate and partnership or other closely held interests under ASC 274.
Prepare and support GAAP audited financial statements for private foundations under ASC 958, including coordination with Form 990-PF.
Apply relevant GAAP to real estate and partnership structures, including consolidation and variable interest entities, equity-method investments, real estate and impairment, leases, fair value, investment companies where applicable, and related-party disclosures.
Perform audit fieldwork under AICPA AU-C standards and prepare compilations and reviews under SSARS AR-C standards, maintaining complete and well-organized workpapers.
Conduct research, analysis, and forensic special projects, including reconstructing records, tracing transactions, reconciling entity and partnership accounts, analyzing capital accounts and allocations, and resolving complex accounting questions.
Review client bookkeeping and make necessary adjustments.
Manage and execute engagements independently from planning through completion, with minimal supervision, while handling multiple active projects.
Maintain high-quality management standards and meet engagement deadlines, including when client timelines shift.
Manage client relationships and provide responsive client service.
Use CCH Engagement and Workstream to manage engagements.
Use Office 365 applications, including Excel, Word, Outlook, and Teams, for reporting, documentation, and collaboration.
Work full time with overtime during the two tax seasons; reduced hours or time off may be available in the off-season.

Benefits

Generous bonus paid twice a year after each tax season.
Health insurance, dental insurance, and vision insurance beginning on day one.
401(k) savings and investment plan with a 4% match.
Flexible PTO policy.
Parental leave.
Financial assistance for advanced education and professional designations.
Opportunity to give back time to local communities.
Commuter benefits.
Career advancement opportunities, including a path toward Principal and opportunities for equity.
Leadership development and learning platforms.