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Elevate LLC | Partner Firm Opportunity

Location: Tustin, CA, Hybrid

About the Firm

Elevate LLC is a next-generation professional services platform built to partner with entrepreneurial, growth-focused accounting, tax, and advisory firms. Our mission is to empower firms and their leaders by providing capital, operational support, technology, and strategic guidance to help them scale while preserving their independence and culture.

A partner firm of Elevate located in the Tustin, CA area is seeking an experienced Tax Manager to lead and grow the tax practice.

This is a high-impact leadership role offering the opportunity to shape the future of the firm's tax strategy, client service, and team development within Elevate's broader national platform. The ideal candidate has a generalist tax background, is comfortable with tax consulting work — including the preparation and review of construction contractors' tax returns — in addition to compliance, and brings experience in real estate and international taxation.

Key Responsibilities

Client Service & Technical Excellence

• Deliver exceptional tax advisory and compliance services to entrepreneurial businesses, family offices, and high-net-worth individuals, including identifying tax planning opportunities
• Demonstrated experience providing tax consulting and advisory services in addition to managing complex tax compliance engagements

• Strong professional services, real estate, construction, and light manufacturing tax expertise, including planning, structuring, compliance, and consulting for real estate entities and investors, including:
• Converting book-basis income from percentage-of-completion to cash, accrual, completed-contract, or hybrid percentage-of-completion/completed-contract methods
• Computing Alternative Minimum Tax adjustments related to long-term construction contracts under IRC Section 460, including look-back computations
• Shareholder and partnership basis and at-risk rules
• Changes in accounting method and Form 3115 preparation

• Proven experience with international tax matters, including cross-border transactions, foreign reporting requirements, and multinational tax planning
• Oversee preparation of individual, corporate, partnership, fiduciary, and multi-state tax returns (direct preparation may also be required)
• Ability to review complex returns
• Serve as a trusted advisor, offering guidance on complex tax issues, entity structuring, and planning opportunities
• Manage a personal book of business and related client relationships, proactively identifying opportunities to deepen and further develop those relationships over time
• Respond to client inquiries across income tax, franchise tax, sales/use tax, labor, benefits, and related compliance areas, including responding to and resolving IRS notices

Leadership & Practice Management

• Contribute to the management and growth of the tax practice, support oversight of the tax department's financial performance, and collaborate with multi-office teams to provide effective leadership across locations
• Support practice expansion by deepening services with existing clients and developing new relationships in the local market
• Recruit, mentor, and inspire a high-performing tax team, taking full ownership of team members' workload, output, and professional development, while fostering a collaborative, growth-oriented culture
• Take ownership of new client leads and referrals, managing the process from onboarding through structuring or reviewing structures for new engagements, and overseeing the relationship going forward

Operational & Strategic Responsibilities

• Conduct tax and accounting research to ensure accurate and compliant reporting
• Develop engagement budgets and pricing, assign staff workloads, and prepare internal reports
• Partner with leadership across the broader platform to unify processes, standardize quality, and leverage shared services, including data analytics, AI tools, and operational innovation

Qualifications

• Active CPA license required
• 8+ years of progressive experience in business taxation, ideally at a small to mid-size regional firm, with a high percentage of construction clientele
• Strong generalist tax background across individual, corporate, partnership, and other entity taxation, with heavy construction and real estate experience
• Demonstrated success managing a book of business and leading client engagements, including deepening and further developing client relationships over time
• Strong client relationship skills and a reputation for delivering exceptional service
• Proven ability to manage a team, taking full ownership of staff workload, output quality, and professional development
• Experience converting leads, referrals, and new clients into managed relationships, including onboarding, structuring or reviewing structures for new engagements, and ongoing relationship oversight
• Excellent communication, organizational, and analytical skills
• Entrepreneurial mindset with the ability to thrive in a growth-oriented environment

Compensation & Benefits

Compensation for this role is based on experience and is aligned with market rates. We value our team members and are committed to their success and well-being. As part of our comprehensive benefits and compensation package, we offer:

• Medical, Dental, and Vision plans
• 401(k) plan
• Generous Paid Time Off (PTO)
• Paid Firm Holidays
• Discretionary Performance Bonus

Eligibility for benefits is determined based on position, hours worked, and other criteria. Specific details will be provided during the hiring process.

Elevate and its related subsidiaries are equal opportunity employers. The Firm is committed to providing equal employment opportunity to all persons in connection with hiring, assignment, promotion, compensation or other conditions of the employment relationship regardless of race, color, age, sex, marital status, disability, pregnancy, citizenship, philosophy/religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, military or veteran status, political affiliation or belief, or any other status protected by federal, state or local law.