Chief Operating Officer

WANTED: One of the BEST Chief Operating Officer (A Player only)

At Shah & Associates CPAs PA , we don’t just prepare tax returns—we partner with clients year-round to deliver proactive tax planning strategies that create measurable savings and long‑term wealth. Our mission is to elevate our clients’ financial position through collaborative advisory services designed to increase revenues, profits, and overall net worth.

This role exists because the firm is growing rapidly , and we need a senior operations leader who can bring structure, accountability, and execution discipline to support the next stage of scale.

If you thrive in fast‑paced environments, enjoy building systems, holding people accountable, and turning vision into execution, this role is for you.

Core Values

• Client Success – Our clients’ success is the foundation of everything we do.
• Communication & Collaboration – Open communication and teamwork are central to our culture.
• Accountability – We hire professionals who own their responsibilities and deliver results.
• Adaptability & Flexibility – We welcome change and thrive in an evolving industry.
• Transparency – Knowledge flows openly; informed teams make better decisions.
• Innovation – We’re forward‑thinkers always seeking better ways to serve clients.
• Growth – We invest in your professional and personal development.
• Aligned & Intentional – Clear goals, deliberate action, and consistency lead to big wins.
• Results‑Oriented – Success is measured by outcomes, not just effort.
• Gratitude, Integrity & Empathy – High integrity, empathy for people, and accountability for performance.

Primary Goal of the Role

The Chief Operating Officer owns everything related to delivery, people, process, and capacity—so the CEO never has to.

Your mandate is to drive operational excellence, accountability, and efficiency to support firm growth to $4M in Annual Recurring Revenue with a 50% profit margin . You will serve as the firm’s day‑to‑day execution leader, allowing the CEO to focus exclusively on vision, strategy, and R&D.

You will directly manage a team of approximately 8 team members (including administration and marketing) and will be responsible for scaling the organization to 15+ people while maintaining performance, culture, and profitability.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

• Achieve and maintain a 50% profit margin on ARR
• Successfully scale the team from 8 to 15+ A‑players
• Improve systems documentation from 6/10 to 8/10
• Reduce qualified client churn by 50%
• Implement firm‑wide utilization and billable‑time tracking via Karbon
• Reduce CEO time spent on operational and managerial tasks
• Improve system integration across core platforms
• Implement and adapt the firm’s SCALE operating model quarterly
• Eliminate last‑minute scrambles and seasonal chaos
• Maintain strong performance without losing A‑players

Tasks

Core Responsibilities

1. Leadership, People Management, & Accountability (The “Will” Driver)

• Serve as the direct manager for all department leaders and managers.
• Execute a consistent, non‑emotional accountability framework.
• Define and Track KPIs: Work with the CEO to define and track Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for all staff roles to drive desired outcomes (“the will”), not just tasks (“the skill”).
• Drive a high‑performance culture focused on ownership and execution.
• Run daily huddles, weekly planning, and monthly reviews.

2. Operational Execution & Systems Management

• Document and consolidate SOPs into a firmwide Operations Manual.
• Lead software transitions, automation, and AI initiatives.
• Convert CEO decision‑making into repeatable workflows.
• Own the P&L and partner with finance to improve margins, pricing, and cost control.
• Manage vendor and referral‑partner relationships and lead negotiation of terms/fees.
• Balance delivery capacity across tax strategists.
• Improve compliance and manage the existing team that owns client delivery – tax plans, tax return extension filing deadlines, tax return filing deadlines.

3. Scaling & Organizational Design

• Build scalable org charts for 15‑ and 50‑person firms.
• Create a predictable recruiting and onboarding system.
• Run quarterly planning to replace reactive execution.
• Identify and solve operational bottlenecks.

How You’ll Contribute

30 Days

• Shadow CEO heavily, map processes, understand systems and design, own a weekly ops meeting.
• Meet 1:1 with every team member.
• Map hidden dependencies on the CEO.
• Understand technology stack that the firm uses along with AI tools we’re rolling out.
• Complete the training on our client’s journey, how we deliver more value, how the firm plans to improve client retention, how to get client referrals from existing clients and how to install the upsell revenue streams.
• Meet with key stakeholders (Tax Planners; Sales Rep, Marketing Manager, Fractional HR, Fractional Recruiter, Fractional Legal Team, Existing Referral Partners, Client Success Manager) to understand our client base and determine what has and has not been working from an expansion perspective.
• Team up with Tax Manager to improve strength of our service.
• Understand performance management framework, PTO approval process, onboarding new client and onboarding new team member process.
• Deliverable by Day 30: Written Operational Assessment with a clear list of what COO vs CEO should be doing.

60 Days

• Take over Daily Huddle meetings, weekly capacity planning, deadline management, workflow assignments, client onboarding execution, internal escalations.
• Improve or rebuild SOPs.
• Establish clear KPIs: On‑Time Delivery; Utilization; Rework rate and Client Satisfaction.
• Start implementation on how the firm plans to improve client retention, to get client referrals from existing clients and how to install the upsell revenue streams.
• Start meeting (all virtually) our external stakeholders to build the network.
• Ad Hoc Projects, if any.
• Deliverable by Day 60: CEO is no longer the operational hub; Team goes to them first; CEO can miss a week without chaos.

90 Days and Beyond

• Complete implementation on how the firm plans to improve client retention, to get client referrals and install upsell revenue streams.
• Proactive hiring plan and margin improvement initiatives.
• AI/process improvements across Delivery.
• Bring solutions to CEO, not problems.
• Push back on bad ideas.
• Deliverable by Day 90: CEO is fully out of the day‑to‑day ops; Clear Scorecard for operations; Predicted Delivery; 70‑80% TRE (Tax Return Equivalent) work completed on or before June; Calm Busy Seasons – Q4 (Sept through December) mainly (as calm as possible in Tax).

Requirements

What You’ll Bring (Non‑Negotiables)

• A True Executor: Demonstrated track record of taking vision/strategy and translating it into clear, measured, and successful execution. You should have done this kind of role before (if not in an accounting firm, at least in a professional services industry). Most importantly, you should have been able to take CEO out of the operations in your prior role.
• Accountability Driver: The confidence and ability to have direct, fact‑based conversations that hold team members accountable without emotion.
• Systems Thinker: A deep passion for building and documenting scalable systems (SOPs, workflows, decision trees) to remove organizational bottlenecks.
• Prior Experience: You MUST have ran ops for a similar professional service business from $2M to $10M range.
• Ability to work Hands On: You run everything that is not sales/content/vision.
• Record of Stable Work History: We are looking for someone that has lived the consequences of their operations design.

You’re A Fit If You

• Have 10+ years in operations / delivery / client success in professional services, consulting, tax, accounting, or similar environment AND have achieved the KPIs.
• Are highly organized, data driven, have solid attention to details and critical thinking skills.
• 30-day resignation notice (in place of two weeks).
• Disincentives for resigning mid–tax season.
• We are accepting candidates US Based Candidates only in Central and Eastern Time Zone.
• MUST currently have a full time job.
• MUST have worked remotely before.

Nice to have (not required):

• Experience in tax, accounting, financial services, or compliance‑heavy industries.
• Familiarity with CRMs (Karbon, ProConnect), project management tools, and basic reporting.

Benefits

Compensation & Benefits

• Base Salary: $190,000 - $200,000
• Performance Bonus: Up to $60,000
• Mainly Remote, Occasional Travel for Conferences, Team Retreats, and Learning Events
• 100% company‑paid health, dental, Short Term and Long Term disability insurance
• PTO (up to 4 weeks)
• 401(k) with up to 6% company contributions
• HSA or FSA Available
• Fully covered CPE, if applicable.

Schedule

• This is a full‑time exempt remote role with occasional travel.
• We operate primarily on U.S hours (EasternTime Zones). You must be consistently available Monday‑Friday, 9 am-5 pm ET for internal and external facing meetings.
• As a senior operations leader, there will be periods (quarter‑end, launches, right deadlines) where additional hours are required to ensure delivery and client success.
• Outside of core hours, you have flexibility to structure your day as you see fit, but you have to be ready for times (including evenings and weekends) where there’s a hot and time sensitive issue which requires immediate attention.

Who This Role Is NOT For

• This role is not for B‑players, clock‑watchers, or anyone who needs hand‑holding, avoids accountability, struggles with changing priorities, or is unwilling to put in additional hours during peak periods.
• People who guard their evenings and weekends like sacred ground — this role flexes when Firm and CEO do.
• People who hesitate to take initiative or wait for permission to lead.

Next Steps

If you have read through this description and are thinking “Heck Yes, I’m in”, then here are the next steps:

• Submit application
• Round 1 - Prescreen interview with CEO (60 minutes) | Take Home Pre‑Employment Tests
• Round 2 – Deep Dive Interview with CEO (60‑90 minutes) | Take Home Pre‑Employment Tests
• Round 3 - Final interview and offer (30‑45 minutes)