Executive Director of CAAS

About Ascend

At Ascend we understand the struggles that accounting & finance professionals face in traditional public accounting firms - from rigid hierarchies overwhelming workloads and the elusive work-life balance. Its time for a transformative change. We believe your ambition should not be constrained by outdated practices or opaque career paths. Here youre not just a number; youre a valued member of a community that supports & celebrates your professional & personal fulfillment. Our mission is to transform the public accounting experience into one where work-life harmony is a reality and where your career advancement is supported by a nurturing network and comprehensive resources.

Ascend empowers entrepreneurial CPAs to reach their goals with an innovative growth model that brings our partner firms into the new age. Backed by private equity from people-focused Alpine Investors Ascend is building a modern platform for regional accounting firms that enables them to stay independent while having access to resources of a large CPA firm. These resources include growth capital robust talent acquisition best-of-breed technology a catalytic leadership system shared back-office services and modernized equity incentives.

Founded in January 2023 Ascend attained revenues sufficient to qualify it as a Top 100 U.S. accounting firm within six months of operation.Explore Ascendwhere your career soars without sacrificing your quality of life.

About Tronconi Segarra & Associates

We are a top 3 accounting and advisory firm in Western New York with nearly 140 partners and associates including 70 CPAs serving clients across the U.S. Canada Europe and South & Central America. We serve all industries and have deep expertise in small business manufacturing education e-commerce aerospace & defense construction insurance professional services private equity non-profits and government entities. Our key services include Tax Advisory services M&A/Transaction Advisory services State & Local Tax services Client Accounting & Advisory Services (CAAS) Audit & Attestation Advisory services. We have many additional services that we specialize in. We strategically partnered with Ascend an accounting firm platform in 2025 to expand our footprint and enhance our capabilities and service offerings to our clients.

The Team You Will Join

At Tronconi Segarra & Associates (TSA) we empower every client to become his or her best and most confident self through the responsible provision of high-quality financial and business services products and information. Over the years our clients have told us that our solutions have made a difference in their businesses and given them the confidence to take the next steps buy or sell a business expand a plant open a new branch hire additional employees prepare for the next generation to run their business expand sales to a new country. And weve been with them every step of the way providing the support services and information they need to reach the next level of success.

The Opportunity

As the CAAS (Client Accounting & Advisory Services) Service Line Leader you will be the strategic and operational driver of a $3$6M practice. This role is designed for a high-impact leader who blends deep advisory expertise with a strong understanding of accounting fundamentals. You will shape the future of the CAAS practice by leading business development overseeing client relationships and mentoring a high-performing team. The CAAS practice is growing 30% yoy and needs to maintain this momentum through new go-to-market technology and organizational structure. This is a Director-level opportunity for a visionary professional who thrives in a dynamic entrepreneurial environment. This role is central to TSAs continued expansion and innovation in advisory services.

How Youll Help Us Build a Confident Future:

Practice Management

• Lead the strategic direction financial performance and operational execution of the CAAS practice.
• Drive growth profitability and resource allocation aligned to Financial Client People and New Business KPIs.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for firm leadership on CAAS-related initiatives and performance.
• Expand and stand-up new service offerings that build on transactional accounting & controllership to add CFO Finance CFO Business Insights and Trusted Advisor Business Insights services.
• Guide teams in identifying opportunities for deeper engagement and value creation.

Business Development

• Act as the primary growth engine for the CAAS practice identifying and converting new business opportunities.
• Lead prospecting efforts client assessments and proposal development.
• Collaborate across service lines to identify cross-sell opportunities and expand client relationships.
• Maintain a deep understanding of market trends client needs and competitor offerings.

Client Engagement

• Oversee key client relationships ensuring service excellence and strategic alignment.
• Deliver high-level advisory services on an ad hoc basis stepping in where strategic insight is needed.
• Lead or support special client presentations (e.g. board-level engagements) while delegating routine CAS delivery to the broader team.
• Ensure the new client onboarding process is efficient and seamless.
• Drive client awareness of TSAs full suite of capabilities and offerings.
• Support client transitions when engagements no longer align with the firms ideal client profile.

Team Leadership & Culture

• Build and mentor a high-performing management team preparing future leaders for advancement.
• Foster a culture of strong ownership accountability innovation and continuous improvement.
• Provide direct feedback and coaching to team members and when necessary clients.
• Share responsibility for recruitment and talent development with firm leadership.

Strategic Operations & Systems

• Partner with internal teams to streamline processes improve data integrity and enhance system efficiency.
• Advocate for process improvements in collaboration with other firm service offerings.
• Evaluate and implement technology solutions across integrated Cloud-Based GL Workflow Controller Tools and Reporting & FP&A capabilities.

What You Need to Succeed (Required Qualifications):

• Bachelors degree in Accounting Finance or related field.
• CPA CGMA or equivalent professional certification.
• 10 years of experience in professional services (public accounting consulting or investment banking).
• Proven success in leading /building a practice or business unit with measurable growth and profitability.
• Deep understanding of accounting principles (GAAP accrual cash basis) and advisory services.
• Strong business acumen with the ability to translate financial data into strategic insights.

What Will Give You an Edge (Additional Skills)

• Background in audit or tax with a strong appreciation for advisory.
• Experience in pricing strategy client segmentation and proposal development.
• High emotional intelligence and ability to navigate complex client and team dynamics.
• Entrepreneurial mindset with a focus on innovation and measurable outcomes.

Success Measures

• Practice revenue growth (20-30% yoy).
• Client satisfaction and retention (Client Net Promoter Score of 50 Client net retention %).
• Expansion of advisory services and cross-sell success (# New Clients Added % of Clients with multiple advisory services).
• Team engagement development and retention (Employee Net Promoter Score of 30).
• Operational efficiency and successful implementation of strategic initiatives (Revenue per Employee Gross Margin %).

The annual base salary range for this role is $140000-$160000. This range includes the anticipated low and high end of TSAs salary range for this position. Actual compensation may vary based on various factors including experience education and/or skill level.

At Ascend we provide a fair and equal employment opportunity for all candidates regardless of race color religion national origin gender pregnancy sexual orientation gender identity/expression age marital status disability or any other legally protected characteristic. Ascend hires and promotes individuals solely based on qualifications for the position to be filled and business needs.