Tax Partner - UHNW (Orange County)

Mercer Advisors • Newport Beach, CA

1d • Hybrid

About The Position

Mercer Advisors is seeking an exceptional Tax Partner to serve as the lead tax advisor, strategist, and subject matter expert for their Regis families, which cater to ultra-high net worth families with complex, multi-generational wealth. This role involves leading engagements alongside senior wealth advisors and other Regis team members, with direct accountability for the tax outcomes and experience of these complex families. The position requires a high level of credibility, judgment, and gravitas expected from trusted advisors to UHNW families. The Tax Partner will be responsible for building practical, year-round, and multi-year tax strategies tailored to each family’s unique goals, ownership structures, businesses, trusts, investments, charitable activities, and succession plans. This role also includes leading and developing a select team of UHNW-focused tax professionals, overseeing staffing, engagement economics, billing, and service quality. The Tax Partner will identify planning opportunities and risks arising from various financial events and structures, oversee tax compliance, lead responses to tax notices and examinations, and collaborate with internal teams (estate planning, investments, financial planning, family office services) and external advisors to ensure integrated advice. The role also supports new client development and contributes to the evolution of the tax service model, team, and technology.

Requirements

• CPA license required.
• 12–15+ years of progressive tax experience, with the majority spent advising clients with balance sheets of $25M or greater; meaningful experience with $100M+ families required.
• Deep technical command of individual, fiduciary, partnership, corporate, estate, gift, and state and local taxation, including advanced planning strategies commonly used by ultra-high net worth families.
• Experience identifying cross-border tax and reporting issues and working effectively with international tax specialists.
• Experience managing significant tax notices, examinations, and controversy matters, including coordination with tax counsel.
• Meaningful experience advising entrepreneurs, business owners, executives, and multi-generational families through liquidity events, business succession, wealth transfer, and other significant transactions.
• Ability to analyze complex facts, focus on what matters, and deliver clear, practical recommendations — with excellent written and verbal communication skills to explain sophisticated tax matters in plain language.
• Demonstrated ability to lead and develop high-performing tax professionals and build a culture of accountability and technical excellence.
• Comfort operating in a team-based, integrated advisory environment within a regulated RIA structure.
• Unquestioned integrity and a strong commitment to confidentiality, sound risk management, and putting the client’s interests first.

Nice To Haves

• Advanced degree in taxation (MST/LL.M.), law degree, or comparable technical credential strongly preferred.
• Direct technical expertise in every international area is not required.
• Experience at a family office, multi-family office, wealth management firm, or national accounting firm strongly preferred.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the lead tax advisor and primary point of accountability for a select group of Regis families, maintaining and growing a book of clients with balance sheets that often exceed +$100M.
• Build practical, year-round, and multi-year tax strategies tailored to each family’s goals, ownership structures, businesses, trusts, investments, charitable activities, and succession plans.
• Lead and develop a select team of UHNW-focused tax professionals supporting Regis engagements, overseeing staffing, engagement economics, billing, and service quality.
• Identify planning opportunities and risks arising from business transactions, concentrated positions, real estate, carried interests, equity compensation, major charitable gifts, residency changes, and cross-border exposure (foreign trusts, PFICs, GILTI, FATCA/FBAR) bringing in specialists when the issue calls for deeper expertise.
• Oversee tax compliance at a level appropriate to each engagement: directly, when Mercer prepares the returns, or through active review and coordination when a family’s own CPA firm or internal tax team handles preparation.
• Lead the response to significant federal and state tax notices, examinations, and controversy matters, coordinating with counsel and other specialists through resolution.
• Partner with Regis wealth advisors and Mercer’s broader team — estate planning, investments, financial planning, and family office services — so tax advice is fully integrated with each family’s overall plan.
• When relevant, collaborate and coordinate the tax calendar / division of responsibilities with the families outside CPAs, attorneys, trustees, investment bankers, valuation professionals, controllers, and other advisors.
• Support new client development through prospective client meetings and partner with Regis leadership to evolve the tax service model, team, and technology.

Benefits

• Company Paid Basic Life & AD&D Insurance
• Company Paid Short-Term and Long-Term Disability Insurance
• Supplemental Life & AD&D; Short-Term Disability; Accident; Critical Illness; and Hospital Indemnity Insurance
• Three Cigna medical plans offerings including two High Deductible Health Plans and a Traditional Co-Pay medical plan.
• Kaiser Medical plans available in California
• Health Savings Account (HSA) with company contributions if enrolled in either HDHP medical plan.
• Two comprehensive Dental Plans
• Vision Insurance Plan
• Dependent Care Savings Account for child and dependent care.
• 14 Company Paid Holidays including a full week off at Thanksgiving.
• Generous paid time off program for vacation and sick days
• Employee Assistance Plan
• Family Medical Leave
• Paid Parental Leave (8 weeks)
• Maternity benefits utilizing company paid STD, any supplemental STD, plus Parental Leave (8 weeks) to provide time for recovery, baby bonding, and enjoying your family time.
• Adoption Assistance Reimbursement Program
• Company Paid Concierge Services for you and your loved ones for the spectrum of caring needs for your aging parents, young children, life’s challenges and more.
• 401(k) Retirement Plan with both Traditional and Roth plans with per pay period match as well as an after-tax option
• Pet Insurance
• Personalized financial planning and guidance from Mercer Advisors professionals, offered at preferred employee pricing

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: No Education Listed