Accounting and Onboarding Manager, Client Accounting & Advisory Services (Restaurant, Franchise, & Hospitality)

Work with a Top 20 CPA and advisory firm that Accounts for Anything. Aprio has 40 U.S. office locations, as well as international office locations and more than 3,200 team members that speak 60+ languages across the globe. By bringing together proven expertise, deep understanding, and strategic foresight for fast-growing industries, Aprio ensures clients are prepared for wherever life or business may take them. Discover a top-rated culture, vast growth opportunities and your next big career move with Aprio. Job Summary Aprio is seeking a Manager, Client Accounting Advisory Services – Restaurant, Franchise & Hospitality (CAAS RFH) to lead new client onboarding and own ongoing accounting delivery for assigned clients across the restaurant, franchise, and hospitality industries. In this role, you will guide clients from signed engagement through stabilization and into a well-run, recurring accounting relationship — creating structure around timelines, systems, responsibilities, and communication at every stage. You will coach and develop a team of accounting professionals while serving as the primary trusted advisor for your client portfolio, connecting financial results to operational insight and driving continuous improvement across engagements. This is an opportunity to combine technical accounting expertise, project leadership, and people development in a role that shapes both the client experience and the team behind it. What You'll Gain/ Impact New clients will move through onboarding with clear expectations, visible ownership, timely decisions, and fewer avoidable surprises Clients will receive accurate, complete, and timely financial reporting they can rely on to run their businesses The recurring accounting team will receive complete, documented, and operationally ready engagements, including established workpapers, reconciled opening balances, and clearly identified cleanup items Your advisory insights will help clients understand what is driving results and make stronger, more informed decisions Your team will have clear priorities, meaningful coaching, and the support needed to grow and deliver consistently Onboarding, implementation, and recurring delivery practices will become more consistent, scalable, and effective through thoughtful process improvement and technology adoption Key Responsibilities New Client Onboarding Own each onboarding from internal handoff and client kickoff through stabilization and transition to the recurring accounting teamBuild and manage project plans with clear scope, milestones, owners, dependencies, decisions, and target datesManage onboarding and client initiatives in accordance with the signed scope of services, while promptly identifying, documenting, and elevating potential add-on services or out-of-scope work for approval and separate billing before work proceedsLead kickoff, status, and transition meetings; keep clients and internal stakeholders aligned on progress, responsibilities, risks, and outstanding itemsIdentify delays, missing information, cleanup needs, scope gaps, and other risks early; develop recovery plans and escalate when needed Client Accounting & Financial Reporting Own accounting and financial reporting for assigned clients, including agreed-upon deliverables, deadlines, responsibilities, and scopeLead month-end and year-end close, using technology and automation where appropriate to improve consistency, identify exceptions, and accelerate routine workPrepare and review complete, accurate, and well-supported workpapers that clearly document account activity, reconciliations, conclusions, and the audit trail supporting financial reportingEstablish consistent workpaper preparation standards and ensure supporting schedules are organized, current, and ready for efficient reviewApply accounting expertise and professional judgment to surface trends, investigate anomalies, and recommend practical solutions Client Leadership & Advisory Serve as the primary accounting contact and trusted advisor for assigned clientsLead financial reviews that connect operational context and financial data, making results and key performance drivers clear and actionableHelp clients improve reporting, forecasting, and workflows so they gain better visibility into their businesses and make stronger decisions Client Projects & Technology Enablement Lead client initiatives such as system conversions, integrations, workflow redesign, reporting implementations, and process standardizationTranslate goals into actionable plans with defined deliverables, success criteria, resources, budget considerations, and governanceCoordinate work across accounting, Technology, Accounts Payable, Cash Management, Tax, Operations, and third-party providers, proactively managing dependencies and handoffs to deliver a seamless client experienceCoordinate system setup, data access, chart-of-accounts and reporting design, workflow documentation, training, and knowledge transferEstablish initial accounting workpapers, reconciliations, close schedules, and supporting documentation needed for an accurate and repeatable financial reporting processAssess historical accounting records and coordinate targeted cleanup, catch-up, or corrective activity as needed to ensure opening balances, reconciliations, and financial statements are complete and accurateCreate reusable templates, playbooks, dashboards, and status reporting that improve execution across the portfolio Team Leadership & Review Coach engagement teams, building their technical, advisory, and leadership capabilitiesProvide timely review and feedback while reinforcing firm standards and sound accounting practicesSet priorities, balance workloads, and foster accountability, collaboration, continuous learning, and thoughtful technology adoptionTake on increasing leadership responsibility across client relationships, team development, and engagement performance Quality, Process & Engagement Management Maintain strong quality, data privacy, documentation, and internal control standards across engagementsIdentify and lead practical process improvements, including appropriate uses of automation and AI, that enhance accuracy, efficiency, analysis, and the client experienceMonitor scope, efficiency, and profitability and help scale successful workflows across engagements Required Candidate Qualifications Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Business, Project Management, or a related fieldFive or more years of progressive accounting experience, including hands-on workpaper preparation, account reconciliations, month-end close, and financial statement preparation or reviewWorking knowledge of financial reporting, reconciliations, accounting systems, and related workflow dependenciesExperience leading multiple client-facing projects with competing priorities, cross-functional teams, and deadline-driven deliverablesStrong knowledge of GAAP, core accounting processes, and the professional judgment to evaluate information criticallyExperience guiding, supervising, or reviewing the work of other accounting professionalsAbility to connect financial results to business operations and explain data-driven insights clearly to non-accounting leadersStrong judgment, organization, facilitation, and communication skills, with the ability to distinguish project issues from accounting mattersAdvanced Microsoft Excel skills, comfort with Microsoft 365, project-management platforms, accounting systems, workflow technology, and automation Preferred CPA or equivalent certificationExperience supporting restaurant, franchise, hospitality, multi-entity, or multi-location businessesBackground in outsourced accounting, CAS, public accounting, implementation consulting, or another multi-client environmentExperience with accounting-platform conversions, integrations, data migrations, workflow redesign, or reporting implementationsProject-management certification or formal change-management training Leadership Skills Building Relationships Driving Execution Team Development Client FocusAdaptability Communication Continuous Improvement Coaching & Feedback Cross-Functional Collaboration Project Leadership Technical Skills Client Accounting & Advisory Services (CAAS)Client Onboarding & ImplementationFinancial Close & ReportingWorkpaper Preparation & ReviewGAAP & Accounting StandardsRestaurant & Franchise AccountingProcess Design & AutomationAccounting Systems & Workflow Technology Why Work For Aprio Whether you are just starting out, looking to advance into management or searching for your next leadership role, Aprio offers an opportunity to grow with a future-focused, innovative firm. Perks/Benefits We Offer For Full-time Team Members Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance on the first day of employment Flexible Spending Account and Dependent Care Account 401k with Profit Sharing 9+ holidays and discretionary time off structure Parental Leave – coverage for both primary and secondary caregivers Tuition Assistance Program and CPA support program with cash incentive upon completion Discretionary incentive compensation based on firm, group and individual performance Incentive compensation related to origination of new client sales Top rated wellness program Flexible working environment including remote and hybrid options What’s In It For You Working with an industry leader: Be part of a high-growth firm that is passionate for what’s next. An awesome culture: Thirty-one fundamental behaviors guide our culture every day ensuring we always deliver an exceptional team-member and client experience. We call it the Aprio Way. This shared mindset creates lasting relationships between team members and with clients. A great team: Work with a high-energy, passionate, caring and ambitious team of professionals in a collaborative culture. Entrepreneurship: Have the freedom to innovate and bring your ideas to help us grow to become the CPA firm of choice nationally. Growth opportunities: Grow professionally in an environment that fosters continuous learning and advancement. Competitive compensation: You will be rewarded with competitive compensation, industry-leading benefits and a flexible work environment to enjoy work/life balance. EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER Aprio is an Equal Opportunity Employer encouraging diversity in the workplace. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race; color; religion; national origin; sex; pregnancy; sexual orientation; gender identity and/or expression; age; disability; genetic information, citizenship status; military service obligations or any other category protected by applicable federal, state, or local law. Aprio, LLP and Aprio Advisory Group, LLC, operate in an alternative business structure, with Aprio Advisory Group, LLC providing non-attest tax and consulting services, and Aprio, LLP providing CPA firm services. We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses and identifying potential inconsistencies or verification signals in application materials based on available information. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. 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