Tax Manager (Cleveland)

Tax Manager

Cleveland or Sheffield, Ohio | Flexible / Hybrid

You have built real depth in tax over the years, and you are ready for a seat where that experience matters day to day. At Barnes Wendling CPAs, a Tax Manager is not a cog in a large machine. You will own client relationships, perform/guide the technical work, and help the people around you get better. We are a regional CPA firm serving businesses and families across Northeast Ohio since 1946. We are looking for someone who wants to grow here and stay for the long haul.

Position Overview

As a Tax Manager, you are the trusted point of contact for a portfolio of clients and the technical anchor for the teams serving them. You review complex federal, state, and local returns, shape tax planning conversations, and keep engagements moving on time and on budget. Just as important, you coach the staff and seniors working alongside you and help bring in new work through the relationships you build. It is a role that blends technical leadership, client service, and people development, with room to shape how you spend your time.

What You'll Do

• Own client relationships
• Serve as one of the primary contacts for a portfolio of business and individual tax clients, understanding their goals well enough to anticipate issues before they surface – sometimes helping the clients set them.
• Lead planning conversations that go beyond compliance, helping clients make informed decisions throughout the year rather than only at filing time.
• Respond to questions, notices, and curveballs with clear, practical guidance clients can act on or be able to identify the resource you need to contact in order to do so.
• Review complex returns and lead tax planning
• Review individual, partnership, S-corporation, C-corporation, trust, and multi-state returns, catching technical issues and coaching preparers on what you find.
• Research and resolve complicated federal, state, and local tax questions, and translate the answer into plain language for clients and colleagues.
• Develop tax planning and projection strategies that fit each client's situation, from entity structure to timing to credits and deductions.
• Manage engagements and projects
• Plan engagements, set budgets and timelines, and keep work on track across multiple clients at once.
• Balance competing deadlines during busy season without letting quality or communication slip.
• Keep directors, principals and senior managers informed on status, risks, and anything that needs a decision or attention.
• Coach and develop staff
• Give timely, specific feedback on returns and workpapers so staff learn in the moment, not months later.
• Delegate thoughtfully, matching assignments to where people are and where they want to grow.
• Hold honest career conversations and advocate for the people on your teams as they advance.
• Improve process and quality
• Look for ways to make the work cleaner and more efficient, from workflow to review approach to use of technology.
• Help maintain the technical quality standards clients count on and the firm stands behind.
• Build business through relationships
• Grow existing client relationships by spotting additional ways the firm can help.
• Build your presence in the Northeast Ohio community and professional networks in a way that feels natural to you.
• Contribute to new business through referrals and relationships rather than hard selling, because the best work tends to come from trust.

Required

Active CPA license in the state of Ohio.

Bachelor's degree in accounting or a related field.

Roughly seven or more years of progressive public accounting tax experience.

Prior experience reviewing returns and leading or mentoring staff.

Strong working knowledge of business taxation (partnerships, S-corporations, and C-corporations) and individual taxation.

Clear communication and genuine relationship-building skills with both clients and colleagues.

Preferred

Master's degree in taxation.

Experience with middle market clients, multi-state or specialized industry work.

Comfort with modern tax and workflow technology. CCH a bonus!

What You Can Expect

We are intentional about what it feels like to work here, and here is what you can count on:

Meaningful career growth. We invest in managers who want to keep advancing, and we are clear about what the path looks like. Direct access to firm leaders. Directors are reachable with an open door policy, and your voice carries weight in how we work. Flexibility is real but grounded. We trust you to manage your schedule around client needs and your team, not a rigid clock. We also expect you to communicate with your team. Varied, interesting clients. Because we serve a range of industries and families across the region, the work stays fresh. A collaborative culture. People here help each other, share knowledge, and like working together. A sustainable, long-term career. We want you here for years, not for one busy season, and we build the role with that in mind.

Success in This Role

Six months in, you are the person your clients call first and the reviewer your team trusts. You are catching the issues that matter, giving feedback people can use, and keeping engagements on track without drama. A year in, you have deepened a few key client relationships, helped a staff member or two reach the next level, and started to make the role your own. Success here is measured by the quality of your work, the strength of your relationships, and the growth of the people around you.

Equal Opportunity

• Barnes Wendling provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by law.