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

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