Senior Manager, Tax Preparation

Optima Tax Relief•Santa Ana, CA

4d•$73,000 - $78,000•Onsite

About The Position

The Senior Manager, Tax Preparation provides strategic leadership and oversight for the Tax Preparation department. This role requires strong technical expertise in preparing complex returns (individual, partnership, and corporate) and proven leadership experience. The Senior Manager, Tax Preparation is accountable for driving departmental performance, ensuring accuracy in complex tax matters, and making high-level decisions that impact operations, staffing, and strategic direction.

Requirements

High school diploma or equivalent education required.
Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field; advanced degree preferred.
Enrolled Agent (EA), CPA, or equivalent required.
Minimum 3 years of hands-on experience preparing 1040, 1065, 1120, and 1120-S returns.
3–5 years of leadership experience in tax preparation or related field.
Excellent organizational, time-management, written, and communication skills.
Strong listening skills with the ability to understand and influence people.
Strategic thinking and director-level decision-making.
Advanced problem-solving and critical-thinking skills.
Strong-to-excellent computer proficiency (Excel intermediate-to-advanced, tax prep software).
Leadership capabilities: ability to manage managers, coach leads, and drive departmental outcomes.
Excellent communication skills and ability to influence executives.
Ability to identify inefficiencies, design process improvements, and implement solutions.
High degree of accountability and integrity in handling sensitive tax matters.

Responsibilities

Oversee all aspects of the Tax Preparation department, including managers, leads, and staff.
Serve as a subject matter expert on individual, partnership, and corporate returns (1040, 1065, 1120, 1120-S).
Review and resolve complex tax issues, providing technical guidance to staff and managers.
Lead department-wide initiatives, including workflow improvements, technology adoption, and compliance updates.
Monitor and interpret KPIs, providing recommendations to executive leadership.
Directly manage large-scale projects and ensure deadlines and quality standards are met.
Partner with cross-functional leaders to align department operations with company objectives.
Mentor and develop leaders, with emphasis on succession planning and staff advancement.
Enforce accountability for performance standards and departmental policies.
Act as the final escalation point for high-level client and tax issues.
Represent the department in leadership meetings, contributing to company-wide decision-making.
Follow company protocols to ensure the highest level of security to protect the client Personal Identifiable Information (PII).
Other duties as assigned.
In order to be provided the essential training required to be successful in this role, it is mandatory that you are present for and complete all essential/initial training onsite for up to 5 business days (unless prior management approval is provided).
Please note that additional onsite training may be required depending on business need.