Tax Director (San Diego)

You're already doing the job. The client calls come to you first, the reviews stop at your desk, and the partners lean on you for the stuff that actually matters. The only thing missing is the title and the seat at the table that comes with it.

Or maybe you had that seat lined up, until PE bought the firm and partner track quietly turned into wait and see.

I'm working with a multi-office, independent CPA firm in San Diego - no private equity, no plans to sell - looking for a Tax Director to step in and run engagements outright. Direct client ownership, not a layer of review between you and the partner.

A few things that set this one apart:

• A real path to partner, not a talking point. The partner you'd be working alongside is winding down over the next five years, with an actual book of business and succession plan behind it - built for someone ready to take it on.
• Autonomy that's actually real. Hybrid, flexible, remote-friendly for the right person anywhere in Southern California. The partner's philosophy: you can't fake competence past six months, so he doesn't try to manage you like you might.
• Technical work worth having. Multi-state and multinational business returns, real estate partnerships, HNW individuals - complex, varied, nothing that feels like assembly-line 1040 prep.
• Busy season that's actually seasonal. 60-65 hours at peak, a normal week the rest of the year. A firm with serious clients but none of the grind-culture baggage.
• Independence, on purpose. No PE ownership dictating partner-level decisions, and no intention of changing that.

Who fits

a CPA with 10+ years in tax, deep in business returns and partnerships (real estate a strong plus), comfortable with HNW work, based in Southern California, and actually wants to build toward partnership - not just move sideways into a new job with a better title.

If that's close to where you are, message me directly. No resume required to start - just a conversation to see if it's worth pursuing and we can go from there.

Not quite the right fit, but exploring what's out there?

Get in touch anyway.

We work with a range of independent CPA firms across California (San Francisco, San Jose, San Diego, Sacramento, LA) and we're regularly placing at Senior Associate, Manager and Senior Manager level across tax disciplines.

Reach out to Louis Fayers (View email address on apply.placed-app.com) or Sam Croft (View email address on apply.placed-app.com) to schedule a conversation.