Tax Manager (Murrieta)

You're a Tax Manager - or operating at that level - who's spent the last few years in a role where the work is mostly compliance and the client relationship belongs to someone else. You prep the return, you review the return, and then it moves on. You don't really own it, but you wish you did.Or maybe you've been at a larger firm long enough to know it's not the right long-term fit. The work is siloed, the client contact is limited, and the path to doing something more meaningful keeps getting longer.This is a different kind of role.This firm is an independent CPA firm based in Murrieta that works exclusively with entrepreneurs and business owners - growth-stage businesses across professional services, medical and dental practices, real estate, and manufacturing. Every client is a long term engagement, they don't do one off 1040s. The relationship doesn't switch off after April 15th.The model is full-service and advisory-led. That means owning client engagements from the ground up - working with the financials, understanding the numbers, and then providing the tax planning and strategic guidance that sits on top. This isn't a role where you receive a clean trial balance and prepare a return. Supported by a team of bookkeepers and seniors, you'll be involved in the full accounting and tax cycle, from the bookkeeping and financial reporting layer through to compliance and planning. If you want a role that is strictly tax-only, this probably isn't the right fit. If it sounds like the breath you've been missing, keep reading.The workMulti-state compliance across individuals, S corporations, partnerships, and C corporations. Quarterly financial reviews, tax projections, cash flow planning, and year-end strategy. Client-facing from day one - you'll be the primary point of contact for your portfolio. The clients are complex enough to be interesting, and the advisory layer means you're not just turning out returns.The opportunityThe California office is actively growing and this hire is central to that. The California team lead is stepping into partnership - they're looking for someone to come in, take ownership of client relationships, and grow with the office as it builds out. The progression here is real and the headroom is there.The cultureDiverse team, Partner-led, and genuinely collaborative. The partners are working partners - accessible, involved, and focused on building something together rather than managing from a distance. No one here is precious about title or scope. Everyone does what needs doing.What they're looking forActive CPA license required8+ years in public accounting with broad entity experience - individuals, S corps, partnershipsRecent, hands-on exposure to the full accounting cycle, not just the tax return at the endStrong California tax knowledge (multi-state compliance, CA-specific issues)QBO experience preferredCCH Axcess experience a plusClient-facing - comfortable owning relationships and communicating directly with business ownersSelf-starter who takes ownership rather than waiting to be directedThe setupHybrid working with genuine flexibility - the expectation is a couple of days in the Murrieta office per week, with the rest from home. Full-time or part-time arrangements considered for the right candidate. They trust people to manage their own time and get the work done.Comp$150,000+ (depending on experience) - there's genuine flexibility hereInterested? Get in touch with Louis Fayers at Faycroft Search (louis@faycroft-search.com) for more information and next steps. No resume ready? Not a problem. We can work on that together once we've spoken.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 (louis@faycroft-search.com) to schedule a conversation.