Director of Operations

About the Role

Whitman Advisory is collaborating with a boutique CPA firm that is expanding and looking for a seasoned Director of Operations to oversee and enhance its daily business functions. This leadership role is remote but requires the candidate to travel periodically across various office locations in the United States.

The candidate should possess a strong background within CPA or public accounting firms, familiar with operational workflows, systems, and client service standards typical of professional services environments.

Primary Responsibilities

• Manage daily operational activities across multiple offices, departments, and distributed teams.
• Collaborate with firm leadership to formulate and implement operational strategies aimed at fostering growth, profitability, and superior client service.
• Assess current processes and introduce standardized, scalable workflows throughout the organization.
• Oversee and refine workflows related to tax, audit, accounting, and administrative functions.
• Track project schedules, staff workloads, utilization rates, realization metrics, and engagement progress.
• Identify operational inefficiencies, challenges, and resource shortages, and propose practical remedies.
• Support the deployment and optimization of practice management, workflow, timekeeping, billing, document management, and client service technologies.
• Create operational reports, dashboards, and key performance indicators for executive review.
• Coordinate activities among partners, managers, HR, finance, IT, and administrative personnel.
• Assist with staffing strategies, scheduling, resource allocation, onboarding, and employee growth initiatives.
• Manage vendor relations, contracts, facility matters, and third-party services.
• Develop and uphold firm-wide policies, procedures, controls, and documentation standards.
• Guide change management processes and effectively communicate new workflows throughout the firm.
• Engage in strategic planning, budgeting, acquisitions, office integrations, and other growth initiatives.
• Travel domestically as required for business operations and meetings.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Accounting, Finance, Operations Management, or a related discipline.
• Extensive experience in operations, administration, practice, or firm management within a CPA or public accounting environment.
• In-depth knowledge of public accounting processes such as tax, audit, client accounting, billing, scheduling, and engagement management.
• Proven track record of implementing operational improvements across various teams, departments, or offices.
• Capability to develop and enforce policies, procedures, systems, and scalable workflows.
• Strong project management, organizational, analytical, and problem-solving expertise.
• Familiarity with accounting technology, workflow platforms, and practice management systems.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills for effective collaboration with partners, professionals, staff, and vendors.
• Ability to prioritize and function effectively in high-pressure, deadline-driven settings.
• High level of discretion handling confidential employee, client, and firm information.
• Willingness and capability to frequently travel across the United States.

Preferred Experience

• Previous roles such as Director of Operations, Firm Administrator, COO, Practice Manager, or similar leadership within CPA firms.
• Experience working with multi-office, remote, or fast-growing accounting firms.
• Exposure to process automation, technology rollouts, mergers, acquisitions, and office integrations.
• Understanding of accounting firm performance measures including utilization, realization, profitability, and workforce capacity.

Work Arrangement

This is a remote position based in the United States, with periodic domestic travel required to support business needs and engage with leadership and teams.

Ideal Candidate Profile

The successful candidate will be an engaged, collaborative leader comfortable bridging strategic planning and operational execution. They will excel in building relationships across senior staff and supporting staff while introducing systems that improve accountability, efficiency, consistency, and overall firm performance.