Tax Principal

Tax Principal

Timonium, MD

$220,000 – $320,000 bonus pathway discussions

Most Principal level opportunities are sold backwards.

“Here’s the workload. Here’s the book. Here’s the pressure.”

Very few firms explain what senior leaders actually want at this stage.

Usually it’s this:

• Influence
• Strong clients
• A team they trust
• A platform that supports growth
• The ability to build something meaningful without sacrificing their entire life to it

That’s the opportunity here.

Why this role exists

The firm continues to grow aggressively but strategically across the region and they’re looking for an experienced Tax leader who can step into a high visibility Principal level role within the practice.

This isn’t a maintenance hire.

It’s a growth move.

Leadership wants someone who can:

• Strengthen key client relationships
• Drive advisory and consulting initiatives
• Mentor and develop future leaders
• Help shape office and regional growth
• Bring commercial thinking alongside technical excellence

This role sits firmly at the intersection of leadership, client strategy, and long term business growth.

What makes this platform attractive

You get the scale and resources of a major regional advisory firm without losing autonomy entirely to layers of corporate structure.

That balance becomes incredibly important at Principal level.

You have access to:

• Strong middle market clients
• Established infrastructure and support teams
• Cross service advisory collaboration
• Growth focused leadership

But still maintain the ability to genuinely influence the direction of the business around you.

You’re not simply inheriting a seat.

You’re helping shape the future of the practice.

The work itself

This is heavily relationship and advisory driven.

Yes, technical oversight matters.

But the real value here comes from your ability to:

• Build trust with clients
• Develop business organically
• Lead teams effectively
• Identify strategic opportunities
• Support broader firm growth initiatives

The client work spans multiple industries and the environment strongly supports cross functional collaboration and broader advisory conversations rather than purely compliance driven interactions.

The culture

Professional, ambitious, but refreshingly collaborative for a firm of this scale.

There’s far less internal politics than many professionals expect at this level.

The leadership team values:

• Long term relationships
• Sustainable growth
• Strong team culture
• Mentorship and development

That creates a much healthier long term environment for senior leaders than firms driven entirely by short term metrics.

What your week actually feels like

You’re trusted.

That’s probably the simplest way to describe it.

You’ll have flexibility, autonomy, and visibility internally.

The expectation is leadership and contribution, not performative overworking.

People here work hard, but there’s also an understanding that experienced leaders do their best work when they have the space to think strategically rather than constantly firefighting.

Who this suits

You’ll probably enjoy this if:

• You enjoy building long term client relationships
• You want influence alongside growth
• You still enjoy mentoring and developing people
• You’re looking for a leadership platform rather than just another title
• You want scale and opportunity without losing all autonomy

This role feels ideal for someone who wants the next chapter of their career to feel both commercially rewarding and personally sustainable.

What they’re looking for

• CPA required
• Significant public accounting tax leadership experience
• Strong advisory and relationship management background
• Experience leading teams and driving client growth
• Someone collaborative, commercially minded, and growth focused

Not ready with a resume? Or want a bit more information before applying? That’s fine. Apply the old-fashioned way, or simply reach out to me on LinkedIn or through the Distinct Recruitment website. I’ll happily talk you through the role, the firm, and where it could take you before you make any commitments.

I’m Abigail Stephen, Recruiter at Distinct. I don’t just look at job specs; I look at people, and where they’ll thrive. It’s not about filling gaps. It’s about finding a fit that lasts.

Outside of work, balance for me is Pilates to reset, travel to explore, and skiing to recharge. Because the truth is, you don’t slog through hours for the love of a spreadsheet. You do it for the freedom it buys you. Same principle here.