Job Description
About the Firm Talley, LLP, and its affiliated entities, Talley Law Group, LLP (“TLG”), Talley Capital Group, LLC (“TCG”) and Talley Client Accounting Services, LLC (“TCAS”
fka Group 11) (collectively “Talley”) is a full service financial, tax, legal and consulting organization designed to meet the needs of entrepreneurially driven businesses and their owners. Talley looks to serve clients as business partners and not merely as providers of
traditional accounting or tax services. Talley is continuously in search of more effective ways to improve clients' bottom line and where suitable, seek to act in an advisory role adding knowledge and expertise.
Talley, LLP, was founded in 1989, with the mission of helping entrepreneurially driven businesses and their owners, along with athletes and high net worth individuals, to manage their financial affairs and to achieve their business objectives profitably and efficiently. The professionals at Talley strive to become their client’s Most Trusted Advisor (“MTA”), providing global solutions to the challenges and opportunities facing Talley’s clients and their business.
Talley's service profile has grown and evolved as has its clientele, now incorporating a broad array of services designed to serve the entrepreneur:
- Audit and assurance services, including traditional financial reporting
- Tax compliance
- Tax planning and proactive advice
- Business consulting
- Estate planning, business planning, M&A and tax law services delivered through TLG
- Outsource accounting, controller and CFO services, delivered through TCAS
- Mergers & acquisition, growth through acquisition and operational consulting delivered through TCG
Working in an entrepreneurial environment is not for the faint of heart. In order to serve clients at the highest level, Talley expects its professionals to be committed to the highest quality of advice and service. It is a culture of accountability and results. Talley is a boutique firm of over 50 US based team members and 20-30 offshore and outsourced team members. Talley’s office is located in Orange, CA. Talley has grown rapidly over the past few years, becoming one of the prominent professional service firms in Orange County. Talley embraces a hybrid work culture, emphasizing client service and quality provided by professional, competent and motivated individuals.
Position Summary Reporting directly to the Audit Partner and collaborating with audit team members and managers across other departments, the ideal candidate will bring strong technical skills and a commitment to becoming an MTA for the firm’s clients. This individual will spearhead process-improvement initiatives within the department and fuel the firm’s growth by understanding and deploying our full range of service offerings. The Audit Manager thrives in a fast-paced, ever-changing environment and embraces new challenges with agility.
The Audit Manager will work closely with all service departments and the administrative team. From the outset, they will engage directly with clients year-round and quickly assume the role of Client Service Manager (CSM). In this capacity, they will design and deliver audit and consulting engagements while proactively identifying and coordinating additional services to meet each client’s evolving needs.
Essential Functions of the Position Technical Competence - Plans, executes, and documents the entire audit lifecycle—planning, fieldwork, and financial reporting.
- Develops audit programs that align with the audit plan and sensibly divide work between interim and year-end phases.
- Drives innovation by identifying opportunities to enhance audit quality and efficiency, taking ownership of the implementation of best practices, advanced software tools, and AI-driven solutions across client engagements.
- Designs testing steps for key controls and integrates internal-audit procedures into the overall plan.
- Assesses business and professional risks and tailors audit approaches to each client’s risk environment.
- Leads fieldwork for all engagement types, ensuring timely completion and high-quality results.
- Knowledgeable about sources of accounting and auditing literature available for research and problem resolution.
- Demonstrates working knowledge of specialized accounting and auditing areas.
- Prepares and reviews financial statements and disclosures with minimal supervision.
- Recognizes and drafts appropriate audit reports for other than unqualified opinions.
- Documents audit issues, analyses, and conclusions clearly and convincingly.
- Demonstrates professional concern and exercises due care with respect to work reviewed.
- Performs thorough review of workpapers to assure audit steps have been completed, conclusions have been supported, and Firm policies have been met.
- Has working knowledge in specialized areas/industry-specific accounting, regulatory and reporting matters.
- Creates complex spreadsheets to support audit analyses.
Client Service - Understands the basic nature and strategy of the client’s operating, investing, and financing activities.
- Understands and can explain the client’s accounting policies and has knowledge of their financial information systems.
- Monitors external factors affecting the client’s industry and discusses their implications with management.
- Understands key ratios and statistics for the client and industry.
- Earns client respect and serves as a primary resource for inquiries and requests.
- Cultivates and nurtures strong client relationships to retain existing clients while attracting new ones.
- Builds and maintains an internal and external network of professionals and referral sources.
- Engages the appropriate client contacts to resolve issues efficiently.
- Adapts communication style to work effectively with diverse management personalities.
- Responds to client needs and requests in a timely and appropriate manner.
- Identifies cross-functional opportunities to enhance client service beyond the audit scope.
Engagement Management - Takes responsibility for overall engagement oversight.
- Prioritizes workload for self and staff.
- Coordinates with the Audit Senior for all phases of the planning process before fieldwork begins.
- Directs staff by clearly explaining objectives, procedures, and expected outcome.
- Manages multiple engagements concurrently and drives each to timely completion.
- Effectively delegates appropriate work among staff.
- Responds to changing engagement circumstances.
- Monitors job progress and anticipates staffing needs.
- Balances engagement demands with staff development and well-being.
- Performs a timely review of working papers.
- Ensures engagements are completed on a timely basis.
- Efficiently monitors and controls all time spent on engagements.
- Evaluates prospective client financial statements and prepares detailed budgets for engagements.
- Keeps Audit Partner informed of engagement timing and performance against budget.
- Takes ownership of delivering all active engagements to a successful close.
- Reviews the financial statements and footnotes to ensure accurate financial reporting.
- Verifies that all Audit Partner review notes are adequately cleared.
- Identifies and communicates significant accounting, auditing, and reporting matters to Audit Partner on a timely basis.
- Keeps Audit Partner informed of progress of engagement and problems on a timely basis.
- Informs Audit Partner of reasons for budget overruns, if any, and identifies work performed beyond the scope of the engagement.
Staff Development - Delegates tasks strategically to foster staff growth.
- Provides staff with on-the-job training on technical issues and audit methodologies.
- Gives clear instructions and monitors performance to ensure quality.
- Motivates staff through professional and technical reputation and enthusiasm.
- Conducts insightful workpaper reviews that challenge staff thinking.
- Offers timely, balanced feedback throughout each engagement.
- Documents and discusses review notes constructively with staff.
- Serves as an effective role model.
- Supervises staff by setting clear objectives, tracking progress, and minimizing conflict.
- Maintains a positive attitude with the staff.
- Works effectively with and manages diverse team personalities.
Department - Adheres to—and enforces—departmental policies and procedures.
- Identifies, evaluates and implements new audit software and/or AI applications.
- Manages all current A&A subscriptions/ licenses and upcoming renewals.
- Identifies and leads process-improvement initiatives.
- Plans and facilitates department meetings and after-action reviews.
- Coordinates continuing education and training sessions for the A&A team.
- Assists the Audit Partner with budgeting and monthly variance monitoring.
- Coordinates and assists with the department’s peer review, every three years.
Preferred Attributes Successful applicants will have a minimum of 5 years’ audit experience in a CPA firm.
- Active CPA required.
- Bachelor’s degree in accounting is required.
- Strong project management and time management skills are necessary.
- Strong financial and accounting expertise, with creativity, autonomy, and a high service orientation.
- Customer service focus.
- Able to collaborate with diverse personalities; tactful, mature, and flexible.
- Operates independently and self-manages projects.
- Result-and profit-oriented, with the ability to balance other business considerations.
- Strong analytical and reasoning skills.
- High energy level, comfortable performing multifaceted projects in conjunction with normal activities.
- Superior numeric skills.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
- Actively embodies and promotes firm values.
- Familiarity with CCH Engagement, Knowledge Coach and Accounting Research Manager (ARM) a plus, but not required.
Travel Must be willing and able to travel to client’s office.
This is a remote position however candidate must live in Southern California are
Job Tags
Full time, Interim role, Work at office, Remote work, Live in, Flexible hours,