Tax Scheduling & Planning Manager

Ascend Partner Firms•Pasadena, TX

6d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Tax Scheduling & Planning Manager at Lucas Horsfall oversees the day-to-day operational workflow of the tax department. This role is primarily responsible for staff scheduling, workload distribution, and process efficiency during peak filing seasons and year-round engagements. It is a senior-level position that combines hands-on project and operational management with strategic planning to ensure the department meets client deadlines, regulatory due dates, and internal capacity targets. This role will be performed in a hybrid environment out of the Pasadena, CA office location.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Accounting, or related field
5+ years of experience in operations, scheduling, or practice management, ideally within an accounting/tax/professional services environment
Proven experience managing projects and complex scheduling systems
Strong proficiency in scheduling/practice management software (e.g., CCH Axcess, Karbon, ProSystem fx, or similar) and Microsoft Office/Excel
Excellent organizational skills with the ability to manage competing deadlines under pressure

Nice To Haves

Experience specifically within a CPA firm or corporate tax department
Familiarity with accounting, tax season cycles, IRS deadlines, and e-filing requirements
Comfort working with utilization and capacity data to inform resourcing decisions.
An awareness of staffing needs based on historical filing volume and upcoming deadlines (e.g., March 15, April 15, extension deadlines)
Project management certification (PMP) a plus

Responsibilities

Develop and manage the master scheduling system for all tax preparers, reviewers, and support staff.
Coordinate staffing against engagements across offices and tax service lines.
Allocate client engagements based on staff capacity, expertise, and certification levels.
Monitor real-time workload distribution and rebalance assignments.
Resolve scheduling conflicts and escalated staffing requests.
Lead weekly staffing calls and communicate assignment decisions.
Design and refine departmental workflows to improve turnaround and throughput.
Establish and track key metrics of projects such as turnaround time, return accuracy, and on-time filing rates.
Identify recurring bottlenecks and create efficiency.
Coordinate with Tax Professionals, Directors/Partners on resource allocation for complex or high-priority engagements.
Facilitate communication between preparers, reviewers, and client-facing staff.
Prepare, review, and monitor regular operational and utilization reports for department leadership.
Maintain accurate records of engagement status and deadline compliance.
Serve as the single point of contact for scheduling and capacity questions.
Oversee deadline tracking across the client portfolio.
Coordinate extension filings across offices and triage urgent or escalated client requests.
Serve as a liaison between the tax team and other departments on shared resources.
Maintain accurate records of staff hours, engagement status, and deadline compliance.
Ensure scheduling practices align with firm policies and applicable labor regulations.