Senior Accountant, Client Accounting Services

At Blackman & Sloop, we hire great people and give them a great place to work. We listen to what our employees value, and being a local firm gives us the flexibility to meet those needs. Our secret to retaining staff is a positive culture, strong community involvement, and a dedication to constantly increasing our competencies. We are a two-office firm, with locations in Chapel Hill and Greensboro, and approximately 45 full-time staff. For 8 years, we've been honored as one of Accounting Today's "Best Accounting Firms to Work For" and recognized by Business North Carolina as one of the "Best Employers in North Carolina." Most recently, we received the Best Companies Group award for Best Accounting Firms for Women in Chapel Hill. As an independent member of the BDO Alliance, we have access to the resources of BDO USA, LLP, the world's 5th largest accounting and consulting firm. In May 2024, we joined Ascend to support our next stage of growth.

At Ascend, we transform the public accounting experience by prioritizing work-life harmony, career advancement, and a supportive community. Backed by private equity from Alpine Investors, Ascend provides regional accounting firms with growth capital, talent acquisition and training, leading quality management resources, best-of-breed technology, AI tools, an offshore captive, shared back-office services, and modernized equity incentives to help firms reach their full potential.

About the Role

We are seeking a Senior Accountant, Client Accounting Services to help lead client engagements within our forward-thinking Client Accounting Services (CAS) practice. This team pairs modern accounting technology with hands-on advisory to help closely held businesses and nonprofits run on clean books, real-time financial data, and efficient systems. This is a hands-on, client-facing role for someone with three to five years of public accounting experience who is comfortable owning a portfolio of engagements and helping the team build smarter, more automated workflows.

You will manage a portfolio of client engagements—from monthly close and reconciliations to financial reporting and cash flow support, including the outsourced controller function—while leveraging AI-enabled tools and automation to streamline routine work and surface insights for clients. You will set clear expectations at the start of each engagement, respond promptly to client needs, and deliver quality work on time and within budget. You will also collaborate closely with our tax colleagues on shared clients and contribute ideas for how our practice and our clients can use technology to work smarter.

Responsibilities

• Client Service & Advisory
  • Manage a portfolio of client engagements—monthly close, reconciliations, financial reporting, cash flow support, fractional controllership, and management insights—using cloud-based tools and automation to improve accuracy and turnaround time
  • Prepare and review management reports, translating the numbers into clear, actionable insights for clients
  • Onboard new CAS clients and lead system setup and process design in QuickBooks Online, Bill.com, and other cloud accounting and automation tools
  • Develop a thorough understanding of each client's business to diagnose needs, suggest solutions, and identify opportunities to add value
  • Serve as the primary day-to-day contact, set clear expectations at the start of each engagement, and respond promptly to client inquiries
• Engagement & Project Management
  • Organize and manage client assignments so that tasks are completed within scope, budget, and deadlines
  • Manage a client portfolio across multiple engagements, prioritizing clients, tasks, and requests
  • Identify opportunities to automate or streamline recurring processes and champion adoption of new technology across the practice
  • Monitor engagement profitability and budgets and communicate financial performance where appropriate
  • Participate in team meetings, communicating regularly with managers on availability and progress
• Communication & Business Development
  • Communicate confidently and persuasively with clients, contacts, and team members, both verbally and in writing
  • Prepare complete, well-organized work products and reports that express complex ideas clearly
  • Recognize and communicate cross-sell and scope increase opportunities, presenting service options that address client needs
  • Build long-term client relationships and support the proposal and onboarding process for new clients

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in accounting
• 3–5 years of experience in public accounting
• Working knowledge of U.S. GAAP
• Proficiency with QuickBooks Online
• Experience processing or reviewing payroll and sales/use tax filings
• A curious, process improvement mindset and comfort working in a fast-paced, evolving practice
• Strong communication, organizational, and project management skills
• A client-first mindset with an entrepreneurial spirit

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience serving a variety of clients, including nonprofit clients
• Experience working across multiple client entities or industries simultaneously
• Experience in Client Accounting and Advisory Services
• Experience with AI-enabled accounting tools

Skills

A tech-forward accountant who's as comfortable in a spreadsheet as with new automation tools, and who takes genuine ownership of client work. Someone who pairs strong technical accounting skills with the curiosity to find a better way of doing things and the communication skills to guide both clients and other staff. A collaborative, entrepreneurial teammate who anticipates client needs, delivers quality work on time and within budget, and brings energy and high standards to a growing, progressive CAS practice.

Schedule

This is a full-time, exempt position. At Blackman & Sloop, our flexible hybrid or remote work structure supports both close collaboration with the team and independent, focused work.

Benefits

• Unlimited PTO
• Medical, dental, vision, and voluntary insurance options
• 401(k) matching
• Performance bonus
• 12 paid holidays
• Off-season Flex Fridays
• Closed on Fridays during the month of June
• Commitment to professional development