Director, Client Accounting & Advisory Services (Restaurant, Franchise, & Hospitality)

Work with a Top 20 CPA and advisory firm that Accounts for Anything. Aprio has 40 U.S. office locations, as well as international office locations and more than 3,200 team members that speak 60+ languages across the globe. By bringing together proven expertise, deep understanding, and strategic foresight for fast-growing industries, Aprio ensures clients are prepared for wherever life or business may take them. Discover a top-rated culture, vast growth opportunities and your next big career move with Aprio.

Job Summary

Aprio is seeking a Director, Client Accounting & Advisory Services to lead a profitable, scalable outsourced accounting practice serving multi-unit restaurant, franchise, and hospitality operators. You will own end-to-end delivery across three technology stacks, lead a team of approximately 40 onshore and offshore professionals, and manage a book of approximately 175 client relationships spanning 1,000+ locations. This is an operator-first leadership role for someone who understands how process and technology transform a service into a business that grows faster than its headcount. You will set the standards, build the team, and shape the future of a practice being redefined by cloud technology and AI.

What You'll Gain/ Impact

• Opportunity to own and scale a high-performing outsourced accounting practice within a growing, specialized industry vertical
• Direct influence over the adoption of automation and AI tools that transform how accounting services are delivered at scale
• A leadership platform to develop managers, build careers, and create clear growth paths for a team of 40+ professionals
• Exposure to cross-functional collaboration across tax, advisory, and technology practices
• Competitive compensation with incentive tied to practice performance and client growth

Key Responsibilities

• Own the P&L for the practice, including job margin, realization, utilization, revenue per FTE, and billing

• Lead three delivery teams operating across distinct technology stacks; standardize where it creates leverage and specialize where platforms demand it

• Design and manage the staffing model to ensure the right work is performed at the right level

• Deliver an accurate, on-time monthly close and financial reporting package backed by documented quality-control and sign-off standards

• Produce restaurant-specific reporting, including prime cost at the unit and group level, multi-entity consolidations, and franchisor-required and lender covenant reporting

• Build repeatable workflows and operational processes that enable practice growth without proportional increases in cost

• Evaluate, implement, and drive adoption of cloud accounting, automation, and AI tools; lead the team through continuous change

• Maintain client data security, access controls, and internal controls across all platforms and automation tools in use

• Own new-client onboarding to ensure every engagement reaches target margin within its first 90 days

• Hold scope and pricing discipline; ensure out-of-scope work is quoted, billed, or declined

• Recruit, develop, and retain managers and staff across onshore and offshore teams with clear career paths and succession planning

• Lead and grow a book of multi-unit restaurant, franchise, and hospitality client relationships for the long term

• Drive relationship expansion through cross-serve opportunities in tax, advisory, and technology, and represent Aprio in the RFH industry community

Candidate Qualifications

Required:

• 10+ years of accounting experience, including 4+ years leading an outsourced accounting, CAAS, or shared-services finance operation; bachelor's degree in accounting, finance, or a related field, or equivalent experience

• Demonstrated track record of running a profitable delivery operation with direct accountability for margin, utilization, and realization

• Hands-on experience across multiple cloud accounting platforms, including POS, financial back of house, payroll, and bill-pay integrations to the general ledger

• Experience building or rebuilding processes, policies, and standards at scale, and leading the adoption of automation and AI

• Proven ability to develop managers and lead teams through change; strong written and verbal communicator

• Client-facing relationship ownership and business development experience

• Working knowledge of AICPA independence rules for non-attest services

Preferred:

• Restaurant, franchise, or hospitality industry experience, including POS-to-GL integration, tip reporting and FICA tip credit coordination with tax, and franchisor royalty and advertising fund reporting
• CPA; CMA or equivalent considered; relevant platform certifications valued

Leadership Skills

• Building Relationships

• Driving Execution

• Team Development

• Client Focus

• Adaptability

• Communication

• Continuous Improvement

• Strategic Thinking

Technical Skills

• Outsourced Accounting / Client Accounting & Advisory Services (CAAS)

• Cloud Accounting Platforms

• Financial Close & Reporting

• Restaurant & Franchise Accounting

• Multi-Entity Consolidations

• Process Design & Automation

• AI & Technology Adoption

• Profit & Loss Management

Why work for Aprio:

Whether you are just starting out, looking to advance into management or searching for your next leadership role, Aprio offers an opportunity to grow with a future-focused, innovative firm.

Perks/Benefits we offer for full-time team members:

• Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance on the first day of employment
• Flexible Spending Account and Dependent Care Account
• 401k with Profit Sharing
• 9+ holidays and discretionary time off structure
• Parental Leave - coverage for both primary and secondary caregivers
• Tuition Assistance Program and CPA support program with cash incentive upon completion
• Discretionary incentive compensation based on firm, group and individual performance
• Incentive compensation related to origination of new client sales
• Top rated wellness program
• Flexible working environment including remote and hybrid options

What's in it for you:

• Working with an industry leader: Be part of a high-growth firm that is passionate for what's next.
• An awesome culture: Thirty-one fundamental behaviors guide our culture every day ensuring we always deliver an exceptional team-member and client experience. We call it the Aprio Way. This shared mindset creates lasting relationships between team members and with clients.
• A great team: Work with a high-energy, passionate, caring and ambitious team of professionals in a collaborative culture.
• Entrepreneurship: Have the freedom to innovate and bring your ideas to help us grow to become the CPA firm of choice nationally.
• Growth opportunities: Grow professionally in an environment that fosters continuous learning and advancement.
• Competitive compensation: You will be rewarded with competitive compensation, industry-leading benefits and a flexible work environment to enjoy work/life balance.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

Aprio is an Equal Opportunity Employer encouraging diversity in the workplace. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race; color; religion; national origin; sex; pregnancy; sexual orientation; gender identity and/or expression; age; disability; genetic information, citizenship status; military service obligations or any other category protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.

Aprio, LLP and Aprio Advisory Group, LLC, operate in an alternative business structure, with Aprio Advisory Group, LLC providing non-attest tax and consulting services, and Aprio, LLP providing CPA firm services.

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses and identifying potential inconsistencies or verification signals in application materials based on available information. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.