Backed by private equity from people-focused Alpine Investors, Ascend is building a dynamic platform for regional accounting firms that enables them to stay independent while accessing the resources of a Top 25 firm to help them grow. Ascend provides access to growth capital, robust talent acquisition and training, leading quality management resources,best-of-breed technology, AI tools, an offshore captive, shared back-office services, a catalytic leadership system, and modernized equity incentives so that firms can surmount today’s industry challenges to reach their full potential. BiggsKofford is seeking an experienced audit leader to manage and expand our Metropolitan District audit practice.

The successful candidate will lead a portfolio of district audit engagements through clear procedures, effective delegation, reliable tracking tools and timely decision-making. This person will not be expected to personally control every detail of every engagement. The work requires a leader who can maintain perspective across many engagements rather than becoming absorbed in any one project.

This is a hands-on leadership role for someone who can organize work, set expectations, coach different personalities, improve how work gets done and deliver consistent quality by building and maintaining effective systems, procedures and accountability across the practice.

BiggsKofford combines the resources and sophisticated client work associated with larger firms with the accessibility, collaboration and entrepreneurial environment of an independent CPA firm. Our professionals work closely with clients and with colleagues across audit, tax, advisory, valuation and other disciplines.

The person in this position will have meaningful responsibility for a growing portfolio of engagements and will help shape the systems that allow the practice to deliver more work with consistent quality.

We are looking for an audit leader who is as solid at building an effective operating system as they are at understanding audit quality. Have significant public accounting audit experience, typically at the Manager or Senior Manager level.

Have led or reviewed multiple financial statement audit and/or review engagements.

Manage multiple engagements simultaneously across different stages of planning, fieldwork, review and completion.

Create and maintain practical tools for tracking deadlines, staffing, budgets, status, risks and open items.

Make timely, well-reasoned decisions and avoid becoming stalled by one difficult project.

Identify process failures and implement improvements to prevent recurring problems.

Improve engagement workflows, planning, staffing, communication, review cycles and completion procedures.

Set clear expectations, provide timely feedback and address performance issues directly and professionally.

Serve as the central point of coordination for clients, engagement teams and firm leadership.

Understand when to escalation an issue or involve a technical resource.

Be dependable and practical, know when personal intervention is necessary, and avoid becoming the bottleneck for the team.





Take satisfaction in making the entire system more effective, not merely in personally solving the most difficult technical issue.

Hold a CPA license and be capable of assuming signing responsibility for audit engagements.

Experience with small government or district audits is helpful but not required.

Comfortable managing many moving projects at once.

Motivated by consistent quality, throughput and predictable execution.

More motivated by building a reliable team and practice than by being the hero on one engagement.

Lead, coach and develop audit professionals at all levels.

Manage different working styles and personalities effectively, creating clarity and accountability across teams.

Build a culture in which team members are comfortable raising questions, identifying risks and making recommendations.

Develop team members who can make sound decisions without requiring constant personal oversight.

Help identify high-potential team members and support their progression within the firm.

Engagement and Portfolio Management Serve as project manager for multiple audit engagements simultaneously.

Maintain a real-time view of deadlines, staffing, budgets, risks, open items and client deliverables.

Coordinate planning, fieldwork, review and completion activities across multiple engagements.

Keep high-volume projects moving by identifying bottlenecks early and resolving open items promptly.

Maintain organized engagement files and repeatable documentation standards so quality does not depend on individual memory or heroics.

Partner with engagement leaders and technical resources when complex issues arise.

Develop, maintain and improve the tools used to manage the practice.

Own the continuous improvement of engagement processes, tracking tools, templates and review procedures.

Help create a scalable delivery model that allows the firm to accept and complete more work without sacrificing quality.

Client Service and Quality Build trusted working relationships with client management teams.

Perform final technical review of financial statements, workpapers and audit documentation for completeness, clarity and quality.

Use a risk-based approach to determine where deeper review or additional attention is needed.

Identify risks and unusual matters requiring escalation.

Help ensure engagements are completed accurately, efficiently and in accordance with professional standards and firm expectations.

The successful candidate will spend significant time creating clarity across a portfolio of engagements: setting expectations, assigning responsibility, monitoring progress, resolving bottlenecks, improving tools and helping teams make sound decisions.





This is not a role that requires the individual to be the firm’s foremost technical specialist or to generate a traditional book of new client business. Technical resources are available within the firm, and business development is not a requirement for success. The central challenge is to build a reliable, scalable delivery model that allows the firm to complete more high-quality work without sacrificing client service or professional judgment.

BiggsKofford has significant demand for district audit work and currently has more potential projects than it can accept. In many CPA firms, advancement to partner depends heavily on originating new client relationships. The person who builds and maintains an efficient, scalable system for staffing, managing and completing engagements will directly increase the firm’s capacity to serve clients and accept additional work.

Advancement will be based on engagement performance, operational leadership, people development, client trust and the ability to expand the firm’s capacity—not solely on traditional business development activity.

Engagement deadlines and status are visible and actively managed.

Engagement leaders have reliable information about capacity, risk and progress.

The practice can accept and complete more work without compromising quality.

The role may be structured as Audit Senior Manager or Audit Principal.

BiggsKofford supports long-term career growth, and a strong performer may have the opportunity to pursue a partner role over time. Advancement will be based on demonstrated leadership, engagement performance, client service, people development, process improvement and contribution to the firm—not on an expectation that the individual must bring in new business.

The position may also include performance-based compensation, a comprehensive benefits package and opportunities for long-term advancement within the firm.

CPA license required.

Substantial audit management experience.

Experience leading multiple audit projects simultaneously.

Demonstrated people-management and coaching experience.

Strong organization, communication and project-management skills.

Ability to manage deadlines and priorities in a high-volume environment.

BiggsKofford has served Colorado businesses since 1982. Our professionals are expected to be accessible, accountable and committed to helping one another deliver high-quality work.

For an audit leader who enjoys developing people, improving how work gets done and taking ownership of client delivery, this is an opportunity to build a meaningful long-term career with BiggsKofford.

For the person who can build the system, strengthen the team and execute consistently, the opportunity is substantial: the work is already there, the demand is growing and the firm needs a leader who can help it serve more clients well.

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.

📌 Audit Senior Manager or Principal (Quinte West)
🏢 Ascend Partner Firms
📍 Quinte West