Onboarding & Implementation Manager at Rea in Avon Lake, OH

Rea is a growing Top 100 business advisory & accounting firm providing our clients services in tax, accounting, and business consulting.  We have a ‘People First’ culture and we focus on our employees’ well-being and professional development. With over 400 professionals and locations throughout Ohio, our firm has a culture that respects a work-life balance for our team. We also provide competitive compensation and a robust benefits plan.

The Onboarding & Implementation Manager on our Client Advisory Services team leads new client onboarding and transition engagements within Client Advisory Services (CAS). This role applies advanced accounting knowledge, project leadership, and professional judgment to set clients up for efficient, repeatable ongoing service through structured onboarding, accounting stabilization, and system implementation. The Manager owns onboarding engagements from initiation through handoff, remains accountable for onboarding quality through the initial transition period, and collaborates closely with CAS leadership to enable scalable, high-quality service.

Job Duties

Onboarding & Transition Services

• Lead new client onboarding and transition projects from kickoff through first-close readiness and formal handoff.
• Oversee historical accounting catch-up and clean-up, including resolution of legacy issues.
• Redesign and standardize charts of accounts aligned with service models.
• Execute data migrations, accounting system rebuilds, and workflow stabilization.
• Lead accounting system implementations, including QuickBooks Online (QBO) and Bill.com.
• Deliver clients to ongoing teams in a condition that enables efficient, repeatable service with minimal rework.
• Remain accountable for onboarding quality through the initial post-handoff transition period.

Project & Client Ownership

• Serve as primary client contact during onboarding engagements.
• Own scoping, pricing discipline, timelines, staffing plans, and budgets.
• Maintain scope discipline and proactively manage change requests.
• Communicate potential additional service offerings to clients.
• Collaborate with CAS leadership to maintain a portfolio of onboarding clients aligned with service models and pricing.

Financial Accountability

• Assist with project revenue and margin for onboarding services.
• Assist in the allocation of resources within the CAS team (who works on what and when).
• Monitor economics and escalate risks to margin or delivery.

Process, Quality & Collaboration

• Coordinate with CAS leadership on process development, standardization, and improvement.
• Develop and evolve standardized onboarding processes and tools.
• Develop and standardize QBO and Bill.com consulting service offerings.

Team & Firm Responsibilities

• Provide guidance and mentorship to junior team members through review feedback and knowledge sharing.
• Collaborate effectively with other Managers and junior team members to support engagement success.
• Delegate work effectively to junior team members based on their qualifications, capabilities, and interests.
• Maintain strict confidentiality of all firm and client information.
• Adhere to firm policies, procedures, and ethical standards.
• Maintain accurate and timely time records in accordance with firm billing requirements.
• Actively seek opportunities to be chargeable while balancing quality, client service, and professional responsibilities.

Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities

• Strong understanding of accounting principles, financial reporting, and regulatory compliance within a business environment.
• Ability to analyze complex issues, resolve discrepancies, and apply sound professional judgment.
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple clients, priorities, and deadlines.
• Effective written and verbal communication skills for client interaction and internal collaboration.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Word and Excel; experience with accounting and workflow software preferred.
• Demonstrated commitment to delivering high‑quality client service and maintaining professional standards.

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in accounting or a related field required.

Experience:

• Minimum of 5-7 years of relevant accounting experience.

Licenses/Certifications:

• QuickBooks Online ProAdvisor Certification encouraged or required based on engagement needs.

Rea offers a wide variety of benefits to help support our employees' health, wellness and financial goals.

• Health Care Plan (Medical, Dental & Vision)
• Retirement Plan (401k with 3% contribution)
• Life Insurance (Basic, Voluntary & AD&D)
• Family Leave (Maternity, Paternity)
• Short Term & Long Term Disability
• Training & Development
• Wellness Resources
• Four (4) weeks PTO
• Twelve (12) paid holidays, of which three (3) are floating holidays

Rea does not accept unsolicited resumes from individual recruiters or third-party recruiting agencies without pre-approval from Rea’s Talent team. Pre-approval is required before any external candidate can be submitted. Rea will not be responsible for fees related to unsolicited resumes and for candidates who are sent directly to our hiring managers.