Director of Accounting Advisory

About Us

Burkland's core purpose is to Accelerate Dreams. So often, turning dreams into reality helps change the world. We thrive at the forefront of this transformation. Startups desire our professionals as they are the best in the business. Startups seek our content because we are an industry thought leader. Startups trust our expertise, so founders can focus on their companies, products, and value-add. Because of our demonstrated value, our clients have raised more than $17.8B!

At Burkland, we lead with our Core Purpose. We do this for both our clients and our employees. We believe that leaning on our Core Values (Fresh Perspectives, Exponential Value, Empathy, Trusted Partner) will lead to happy clients and happy employees.
We are a remote-first company with over 185 team members, more than 800 clients, and a culture built on doing meaningful work with people who genuinely care about helping our clients grow. Come build something with us!

The Role

The Director of Accounting Advisory is the senior people leader for BKA's Service Delivery Team, directly managing the Division Managers, Project Team, and ERP Specialist. This is a manager-of-managers role. Success is measured by how well this leader coaches, develops, and holds Division Managers accountable to clear performance standards, and by the consolidated results those divisions deliver.
The Director is expected to lead through their managers, not around them. That means delegating real ownership, setting clear expectations, following through when those expectations aren't met, and building a bench of Division Managers who can run their divisions independently. The Director owns aggregate performance across divisions, including revenue per FTE, utilization, realization, and growth, and uses systems-of-record data to see where teams are thriving, where they need support, and where intervention is required.
On the client operations side, the Director makes sure capacity, staffing, and project work stay aligned so client commitments are met on time and at a high standard. They serve as an escalation point for client relationships, guide Division Managers through complex or at-risk engagements, and move teams from report delivery toward proactive advisory. The role partners with the Director of Technical Accounting to coordinate projects, and represents the production organization's needs, constraints, and resourcing decisions to the Sr. Director & Head of BKA.
This job description outlines the core of the role, but it isn't meant to cover everything you'll do. As Burkland grows, your responsibilities may shift and new projects, tasks, or priorities may be added along the way. We hope you'll see that as a chance to stretch, learn, and broaden your skills.

Where You'll Drive Impact

People Leadership

• Serve as the direct manager for all Division Managers, the Project Team, and the ERP Specialist.

• Coach Division Managers through regular 1:1s, performance conversations, and development planning, with a focus on building independent, capable leaders.

• Delegate clear ownership of division outcomes, and hold managers accountable for meeting agreed KPIs and commitments.

• Address underperformance directly and promptly, including documenting expectations and follow-through.

• Lead managers and their teams through change, including new tools, processes, and structures.

Performance & Client Operations

• Own aggregate performance across divisions, including consolidated revenue per FTE, utilization, realization, and growth metrics set for each Division Manager.

• Collaborate with Operations Manager on capacity planning, workload balancing, and resourcing decisions across divisions and project work using systems-of-record data to monitor performance and identify trends.

• Project manage and support BKA process and technology initiatives.

• Ensure client commitments are delivered on time and to standard across all divisions.

• Serve as an escalation point for client relationships, and guide Division Managers through complex or at-risk engagements.

• Drive the shift from report delivery to proactive advisory, and help managers spot cross-sell and service-expansion opportunities.

AI Enablement

• Serve as the primary driver of AI adoption across the production organization, setting the expectation that AI is part of everyday work.

• Build the team's AI fluency by leading training, sharing practical use cases, and making sure every manager and team member knows how to use firm-approved AI tools in their daily workflows.

• Lead Division Managers through identifying, testing, and rolling out AI use cases in client accounting work, from pilot to full adoption.

• Hold managers accountable for AI adoption within their divisions, and track progress through usage, efficiency, and quality measures.

• Model hands-on AI use personally, and coach managers who are hesitant or struggling to adopt new tools.

• Gather feedback from teams on what is and isn't working, and partner with Ops and Shared Ops to refine tools, processes, and guidance.

Cross-Functional Leadership

• Coordinate priorities and projects with the Director of Technical Accounting through a functional partnership.

• Consistent, proactive alignment with Operations Manager on priorities, metrics, and upcoming changes.

• Represent the production organization's needs, constraints, and resourcing decisions to the Sr. Director & Head of BKA in a clear, data-backed way.

About You

• 10+ years of progressive accounting work, including at least 1 year in leadership within public accounting, outsourced/fractional accounting, or a client-service firm.

• Proven track record managing a production team of 10+ accounting professionals, directly or through managers, with accountability for team results.

• Has coached and developed managers, including conducting performance reviews, building development plans, and addressing underperformance.

• Demonstrated ownership of division or department financial performance (P&L, revenue per FTE, utilization, realization).

• Background in capacity planning and workload balancing across teams or client portfolios.

• History of serving as an escalation point for client relationships, ideally with startup or high-growth clients.

• Leadership of managers — Coaching, delegation, holding managers accountable to KPIs, and managing through change.

• Performance Management — Setting and enforcing KPIs (utilization, revenue per FTE, realization, on-time delivery), with the discipline to use systems-of-record data instead of anecdote.

• Client Leadership — Escalation handling and supporting cross-sell and service-expansion opportunities.

• Change and AI enablement — Enthusiasm for AI-driven efficiency, and the ability to drive full adoption of firm tools, systems, and processes.

• Advisory mindset — Moving teams from report delivery alone to proactive advisory.

• AI Fluency — Hands-on comfort using AI tools in accounting and operational work, with sound judgment about where AI adds value, where human review is required, and how to protect client data.

• Cross-functional collaboration — working with team members across BKA and with other service lines/departments as needed

• Communication — Representing team needs, constraints, and resourcing decisions to senior leadership in a clear, data-backed way.

Bonus points if you have:

• CPA license.

• Background in project management.

• Working knowledge of workflow management and time-tracking systems, and of client-intelligence tools such as Knownwell.

• Exposure to AI or automation tools and implementing them into accounting workflows that drive team adoption

What We Offer

• Flexible work schedule to promote a healthy work-life balance

• Medical, Dental & Vision Insurance for you and your dependents

• Short & Long Term Disability Insurance to support you when you need it the most

• Flexible PTO — Take time off when you need it

• 401k with a company match to ensure you are ready for retirement

• A generous home office expense reimbursement so you have the office you need to be productive

• Forget the commute! We're a remote-first workplace, so you can work from your home office or from the beach, if you'd like!

• A collaborative, communicative culture driven by our Core Purpose + Values. We work with incredibly smart people who love to learn and share what they know.

Burkland Associates is committed to a diverse and inclusive workplace. Burkland Associates is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate based on race, national origin, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, protected veteran status, disability, age, or another legally protected status. For individuals with disabilities who would like to request an accommodation, please visit our careers page https://burklandassociates.com/careers/. Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider employment-qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.
The base pay range target for the role described in this job description is $135,000 - $150,000. Final offer amounts depend on multiple factors such as candidate experience and expertise, geographic location, total compensation, and market data. In addition, full-time regular positions are eligible for, 401(k), health benefits, and other benefits; some of these benefits may be available for part-time.