What are the responsibilities and job description for the Tax Manager (Trust & Estate) position at Hungerford?
Description
As a key member of our Tax team, the position will assume a strategic role in high level tax oversight, client relationship management, and team development, with a particular emphasis on estate and trust taxation. The primary day-to-day responsibilities may involve; tax planning, tax return review, building and maintaining local business professional network, strategic planning, engagement planning and oversight, quality control review, and mentoring and training staff.
Responsibilities
- Prepare and review fiduciary, gift, and estate tax returns, ensuring accuracy and compliance with current tax law
- Lead estate and trust tax planning, including estate plan review
- Deliver exceptional consulting and advisory support
- Work closely with trustees, attorneys, and personal representatives to execute tax strategy and project management
- Analyze and interpret trust and estate documents, with a focus on understanding the tax implications of document language.
- Monitor and interpret legislative changes
- Provide engagement oversight and quality control, including technical review and internal staff leadership
Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree in Accounting
- Active CPA license
- 5 years of related public accounting tax experience
- 3 years of expertise in estate, gift, and trust tax planning and compliance
- Proven leadership abilities
Qualifications
- Proficient technical tax knowledge
- Must enjoy "taking care" of their clients
- Proven time and project management skills, able to effectively manage client relationships and workload
- Professional and personable
- Practices a high level of inclusion and collaboration skills
- Pays close attention to detail
- Able to adapt to multiple businesses/industries
- Prefers a fast-paced, hands-on work environment, able to handle stress and deadlines
- Embraces technology and uses it to improve processes
Benefits
- Health Insurance – Immediate eligibility for employer-sponsored medical, dental, vision
- Work-Life Balance – schedule flexibility, personalized hybrid work arrangements, generous PTO, parental leave
- Flexible Spending & Dependent Care Accounts
- 401k Retirement Advising
About Us
Hungerford is a forward-thinking, innovative firm with over 80 years of proud service to West Michigan. We offer expertise in tax, audit, accounting, business advisory, technology, and wealth management, and are deeply committed to diversity, equity, inclusion, and collaboration—within our team, with clients, and throughout the community. Our culture is rooted in excellence, inclusivity, and a shared dedication to client success and employee growth. By exchanging innovative ideas, we help organizations thrive, create new opportunities for our people, and give back in meaningful ways. Through it all, we make sure to have fun. As a locally owned and operated firm, we’re proud to call Grand Rapids, Greenville, Holland, Muskegon, and St. Joseph home.