Tax Specialist Jobs in Salt Lake City, UT

Tax Operations Manager

Tanner LLP | Salt Lake City, UT | Tax Practice

About the Role

Tanner LLP is growing! We are seeking a Tax Operations Manager to join our tax practice in Salt Lake City. This is a newly created role reporting to the Tax Practice Leader and is central to how we deploy our team of approximately 90 tax professionals across roughly 1,700 client engagements each year.

The person in this role will own the scheduling and resource allocation process end-to-end — from initial project staffing through ongoing adjustments as our project mix, client base, and team composition evolve. They will also build and maintain capacity models that help our partners understand where we have bandwidth and where we have opportunity to take on new work. The role comes with clerical support from an existing team member who will assist with day-to-day scheduling tasks.

This is a high-visibility position that requires the ability to build credibility with tax department management and navigate competing priorities diplomatically. The role also demands bringing structure and rigor to a process that directly affects our ability to deliver exceptional service to our clients and develop our people.

Key Responsibilities

Resource Scheduling & Allocation

Own the firm's resource scheduling process for the tax practice and ensure appropriate allocation of staff, seniors, and managers across active engagements, including for engagements where tax department professionals are engaged in projects for other departments (tax provisions for audits, etc.)

Maintain and update project assignments as new clients are onboarded, engagements close, staff join or depart, and workloads shift

Identify resource conflicts proactively and work collaboratively with engagement teams to resolve them

Oversee resource scheduling during peak tax season (primarily March, April, September, and October), effectively managing heightened workload, last-minute adjustments, and competing deadlines through disciplined prioritization and responsive decision-making

Manage scheduling workflows within CCH Axcess Workflow (XCM) and other internal software tools and evaluate opportunities to improve or supplement the current technology stack

Capacity Planning

Develop and maintain capacity models that provide tax management with a clear picture of available bandwidth across the practice

Analyze capacity data to generate actionable insights,identifying opportunities to absorb new work and highlighting areas of resource constraint

Support partner-level business development conversations by providing data-driven staffing perspectives

Process & Continuous Improvement

Establish clear scheduling protocols and standards for the practice

Develop metrics and reporting to track utilization, workload distribution, and forecast accuracy

Identify and lead improvements to scheduling processes, including evaluation of dedicated resource management software where appropriate

Supervise and direct clerical scheduling support

Stakeholder Collaboration

Build strong working relationships with tax management and engagement teams

Serve as a trusted resource for staffing questions and a neutral voice in resource allocation decisions

Communicate proactively with tax management on capacity trends, risk areas, and upcoming constraints

Qualifications

Required

5+ years of experience in resource management, project scheduling, or operations management in a professional services environment

Demonstrated ability to manage complex, competing priorities across a large portfolio of concurrent projects

Strong analytical skills and proficiency with Excel for data modeling and scheduling analysis

Proven ability to build relationships and influence at the senior level without direct authority

Excellent communication and facilitation skills; comfortable presenting to firm leadership

Experience managing a team of administrative professionals

Strongly Preferred

Experience working in or directly supporting a CPA firm or public accounting practice

Familiarity with tax practice workflows, including the seasonal dynamics of tax return preparation

Experience with CCH Axcess Workflow (XCM) or comparable practice management platforms

Project Management Professional (PMP) certification or equivalent project management training

Nice to Have

Working knowledge of income tax concepts and U.S. tax return preparation workflows

Experience evaluating or implementing resource management software

What We Offer

Base salary: $107,000 – $120,000, depending on experience

Comprehensive benefits package

Primarily on-site in Salt Lake City, with flexibility for occasional remote work

A collaborative, professionally oriented environment with direct access to firm leadership

About Tanner LLP

Tanner LLP is one of Utah's leading public accounting and advisory firms, headquartered in Salt Lake City. Our tax practice serves a diverse client base including corporations, partnerships, LLCs, S-Corps, and high-net-worth individuals. We are committed to building a firm where people do their best work and clients receive exceptional service.
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