Founding Senior Accountant / CAS Practice Leader
Location: Northern Virginia (Hybrid – 3x/week In-Person Required)
Employment Type: Full-Time
Salary: Competitive Base + Performance-Based Bonuses + Equity Incentive Plan
Experience Level: 5-7+ years in small business accounting, tax, and/or advisory services
Build, Shape, and Lead – Be a Founding Team Member
At Step Change Managed Finance and Advisory, we’re not just building an accounting firm—we’re redefining what a modern, client-focused, outsourced accounting and advisory practice looks like. This is an entrepreneurial opportunity to be a core part of something from the ground up, but is also a full-time role with a guaranteed salary.
As our first key hire, you won’t just deliver client work—you’ll help design the firm itself, co-authoring the systems, processes, and best practices that will shape how we operate, grow, and serve our clients for years to come. As we grow, you will take on a leadership role supervising and mentoring a growing team and helping to establish our firm's culture.
If you're a strategic thinker, systems designer, and entrepreneurial accountant with expertise and experience serving small business and/or nonprofits, this is your chance to play a pivotal role in shaping the future of an exciting new firm. We need someone who delivers excellent work to clients, but who is also excited about building efficient, scalable processes, leveraging technology, growing a team, and helping build a cutting-edge, outsourced accounting and advisory practice—all with the stability of a full-time role and without the financial risk and administrative burden of starting your own firm from scratch.
Why This is Different
✅ Be a True Founder: This isn't just another accountant job—this is an opportunity to help co-build a firm from day one. Your ideas, systems, and leadership will help define our foundation and growth trajectory.
✅ Own and Design Systems: Co-build the workflows, operational frameworks, and technology stack that will drive the firm's efficiency and scalability.
✅ Hybrid, But Engaged: Enjoy flexible work arrangements and healthy work-life balance, but be ready to collaborate in-person several days per week to foster a strong team culture and refine systems together.
✅ Growth & Leadership Opportunity: As the firm expands, you will have the opportunity to take on increasing team leadership roles.
✅ Entrepreneurial Spirit, Without the Risk and Headache: Experience the excitement of helping build and shape a firm from the start without sacrificing job security or predictable income in the short term.
✅ Make an Impact: Work directly with small business owners and entreprenuers, not just on compliance but on forward-thinking tax strategies, accounting solutions, and business advisory services.
Your Role – Client Accounting Services (CAS) Leadership
Lead our Client Accounting Services (CAS) Practice: Oversee the delivery of bookkeeping, tax planning, and outsourced controller/ financial management services to small business owners and entrepreneurs. Ideally there will be opportunities to offer tax preparation and/or CFO Advisory services as well, but at the very start the core offering to clients is an outsourced managed finance department.
Design & Implement Systems: Develop and refine technology and workflows to create an efficient, scalable practice.
Set the Standard: Help establish and maintain our firm's mission, culture, and values.
Collaborate & Build a Team: As we grow, help hire, train, lead, and mentor future team members.
Stay Ahead of the Curve: Continuously track changes in accounting standards, tax laws, technology, and industry trends to keep the firm at the cutting edge.
Who We’re Looking For
We are looking for a highly skilled accounting professional with a strong technical foundation who will take ownership over delivering our core Client Accounting Services (CAS) offering, including bookkeeping, tax planning, and outsourced controller functions.
In the very beginning this might include delivering the work yourself, but the vision for this role as we grow the team is that it quickly shifts into the role of senior team leader overseeing, reviewing, and providing final sign-off for this work, not doing the work yourself.
We would love to offer clients a "one stop shop" that includes filing their tax returns in addition to managing their accounting department. This means that previous experience and expertise with tax preparation and filing is preferred but is not a requirement—however, a solid understanding of tax concepts is necessary to provide thoughtful tax planning support as part of our core CAS offering.
We also aim to provide advisory services on top of our core offering, so experience in fractional CFO and client advisory roles is advantageous but not required.
Licensed CPA preferred: At least 5-7 years of experience with strong technical knowledge in small business accounting and taxation.
Previous CAS / Fractional Controller Experience: Demonstrated ability in a client-facing role to manage outsourced accounting functions for multiple clients at a time, including bookkeeping, reporting, and cash management.
Heart: You are a high-character, values-driven person who always does the right thing, is fun to work with, and treats people respect.
Hustle: You are a hard worker who pursues excellence and gets stuff done. You love to win and you always seek to be the best at whatever you decide to do.
Balance: You are motivated by wanting to build something that makes a positive impact in the world and you want to be a key part of a firm that makes a real difference in the lives of team members and clients. But you also want to have a vibrant life outside of work and want to have plenty of time and energy available to dedicate towards meaningful relationships, hobbies, and other non-work pursuits.
Tech-Savy Systems Thinker: Passionate about creating structured, repeatable, and scalable processes and comfortable using and implementing accounting, tax, and workflow automation tools, and interested in exploring the implications and possible uses of AI in the firm's work.
Committed to In-Person Collaboration: Willing to be in Northern Virginia three days per week to engage with the team and help build our culture.
About Your Co-Founder
As the founder of Step Change Managed Finance and Advisory, I bring a deep commitment to building a firm that makes a positive impact on both clients and the team. I am a high-integrity, values-driven leader who cares deeply about the success of my teammates and clients. I pursue excellence in all I do but I also remain humble and I listen more than I speak.
I have previous experience as an entrepreneur founding, growing, and leading a team so I understand what is required to launch and scale a thriving organization. You can see more about my background here.
I have two primary goals for this firm:
To create an amazing place to work where team members are empowered to achieve their best, have opportunities to grow, make good money, genuinely enjoy their time at work, and appreciate healthy work-life balance.
To positively impact the community by helping small business owners and entrepreneurs succeed, creating a ripple effect for their employees, customers, and communities.
By joining me in this journey, you’ll be working alongside someone who values collaboration, innovation, and long-term success. If you are looking for an opportunity to help shape a firm from day one, build something meaningful, and make a real difference—without taking on the financial risk of entrepreneurship—this is the perfect role for you.
Compensation & Benefits
💰 Competitive Salary + Performance-Based Bonuses + Equity Incentive Plan
🏡 Hybrid Work Arrangements (Must be based in Northern Virginia for in-person collaboration 3 days per week)
🩺 Health, Dental, and Vision Insurance to support your well-being
💼 401(k) Retirement Plan to help you plan for the future
🌴 Unlimited PTO to support work-life balance and personal well-being
Ready to Build Something Great?
This isn’t just another accountant role—this is a rare opportunity to help build a firm from day one. If you are a systems-minded, entrepreneurial accountant who wants to shape how a firm operates and grows, I'd love to meet you.