Senior Client Manager, Accounting
Position Summary
The Senior Client Manager is a senior leadership role within the accounting practice, responsible for managing and growing a substantial portfolio of clients while providing high-level taxation, compliance, and strategic advisory services. The role acts as the primary client relationship owner and plays a key part in people leadership, quality control, compliance oversight, and business growth. The Associate leads advisory discussions and planning engagements and supports the ongoing development of FPA Accounting.
This role is located in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Primary Responsibilities
Client Leadership & Advisory
- Act as the primary relationship manager for a diverse and complex portfolio of clients, including high net worth individuals and entities
- Lead client advisory meetings, strategic planning sessions, and business reviews
- Provide proactive, practical, and commercially focused advice across taxation, structuring, and business strategy
- Communicate complex technical matters clearly and succinctly to clients
- Maintain extensive and ongoing client contact, ensuring a high level of service and responsiveness
Accounting, Taxation & Compliance
- Oversee and review the preparation of annual financial statements and income tax returns, including complex client structures
- Ensure full compliance with taxation legislation, accounting standards, professional obligations, and ATO requirements
- Act as a Supervising Tax Agent, overseeing compliance and technical accuracy of work prepared by team members
- Manage and mitigate tax risk while identifying opportunities for optimisation and planning
- Apply advanced technical expertise across areas including:
- Self-Managed Superannuation Funds (SMSFs)
- Division 7A
- Capital Gains Tax (CGT) concessions
Quality Control & Risk Management
- Uphold rigorous quality control standards across all client deliverables
- Ensure compliance with internal policies, professional standards, and regulatory requirements
- Review and sign off work in accordance with delegation and authorisation frameworks
People Leadership & Development
- Provide leadership, coaching, and mentoring to team members
- Support the development of technical capability and client management skills within the team
- Contribute to performance management, workflow allocation, and capability development
- Foster a collaborative, accountable, and high-performance culture
Business Growth & Practice Contribution
- Contribute to business growth through client retention, upselling advisory services, and identifying new opportunities
- Support practice development initiatives and continuous improvement of systems and processes
- Apply strong business acumen and understanding of small business operations to enhance client outcomes
Qualifications
- 10+ years’ experience in business services, taxation, and financial reporting within a Public Practice environment
- Proven experience managing a portfolio of complex and high net worth clients
- Strong capability in reviewing and completing tax returns and financial statements
- Extensive technical knowledge, particularly in SMSFs, Division 7A, and CGT concessions
- Demonstrated people leadership experience
- CPA or CA qualification
- Certificate of Public Practice (CPP)
- Registered Tax Agent, with experience acting as a Supervising Tax Agent
- Relevant tertiary qualifications in Accounting or a related discipline
- Strong business acumen with a deep understanding of small business operations
- Proven capability in business growth and advisory-led client relationships
- Proactive and solutions-focused approach to client and team leadership
About Focus Partners Australia
Focus Partners Australia, the Australian business unit of Focus Partners, offers integrated capabilities in wealth advice, accounting, lending, insurance and related services from its offices in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and the Gold Coast. Guided by a client-first ethos, Focus Partners Australia leverages the global expertise, platforms and capital strength of Focus Financial Partners to deliver holistic, fiduciary guidance across strategic planning, portfolio management, insurance, credit and tax. By fusing local insight with world-class resources, Focus Partners Australia helps its clients protect, grow and transition their wealth at every life stage.
#LI-SF1
About Focus Financial Partners
Focus is a leading financial services firm comprised of integrated wealth management, family office, and business management services. Blending deep expertise and expansive resources with a boutique, client-first fiduciary philosophy, Focus helps individuals, families, and institutions navigate complex financial situations with highly personalized solutions tailored to their unique needs. To learn more about Focus, visit www.focusfinancialpartners.com or follow the company on LinkedIn.
Focus is an equal opportunity employer and bases its employment decisions on the employee or candidate’s skillset, and without regard to an employee or candidate’s race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by local, state and/or federal law.
Focus complies with federal and state disability laws and makes reasonable accommodations for applicants and employees with disabilities. If reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and/or to receive other benefits and privileges of employment, please contact careers@focuspartners.com.
The following language is for US based roles only
For California Applicants: Information on your California privacy rights can be found here
For Indiana Applicants: It is unlawful for an employer to discriminate against a prospective employee on the basis of status as a veteran by refusing to employ an applicant on the basis that they are a veteran of the armed forces of the United States, a member of the Indiana National Guard or a member of a reserve component.
For Maryland Applicants: I UNDERSTAND THAT UNDER MARYLAND LAW, AN EMPLOYER MAY NOT REQUIRE OR DEMAND, AS A CONDITION OF EMPLOYMENT, PROSPECTIVE EMPLOYMENT OR CONTINUED EMPLOYMENT, THAT ANY INDIVIDUAL SUBMIT TO OR TAKE A POLYGRAP OR SIMILAR TEST. AN EMPLOYER WHO VIOLATES THIS LAW IS GUILTY OF A MISDEMEANOR AND SUBJECT TO A FINE NOT EXCEEDING $100.
For Massachusetts Applicants: It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.
For Montana Applicants: If hired, the employment relationship is governed by the Wrongful Discharge from Employment Act. Mont. Code Ann. Section 39-2-901.
For Rhode Island Applicants: Focus is subject to Chapters 29-38 of Title 28 of the General Laws of Rhode Island and is therefore covered by the state’s workers’ compensation law. If you willfully provide false information about your ability to perform the essential functions of the job, with or without reasonable accommodations, you may be barred from filing a claim under the provisions of the Workers’ Compensation Act of the State of Rhode Island if the false information is directly related to the personal injury that is the basis for the new claim for compensation. The Company complies fully with the Americans with Disabilities Act.