At Lucida, we’re more than just a full-service accounting firm; we’re a community of over 100 professionals across four locations, dedicated to providing exceptional service. As a proud member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, Wisconsin Institute of Certified Public Accountants, and the National Association of Certified Valuation Analysts, we specialize in supporting closely held companies in diverse sectors including healthcare, real estate, construction, manufacturing, the arts, and more. Our mission is to simplify complexities for our clients, offering a collaborative environment that fosters innovative strategies and operational excellence.

The Director of Professional Services will lead and develop our internal employees, ensuring they are aligned with company goals and values. This role focuses on leadership and team development, fostering operational excellence and cultivating a culture of growth and success within a tax and accounting firm environment.

Supervisory Responsibilities:

• Leads a team of accounting and tax professionals across multiple office locations, providing strategic guidance and mentorship.
• Hires, trains and develops staff, creating a positive environment that supports personal and professional growth.
• Conducts performance evaluations and manages employee performance.
• Coordinates training programs for new hires and identifies ongoing professional development opportunities for current staff.
• Addresses team-related matters, providing effective solutions to promote team harmony, productivity and engagement.

Duties/Responsibilities:

• Ensures operational excellence by overseeing resource allocation, timelines, client deliverables and team performance.
• Leads with a client-first mindset, fostering a culture of service excellence by modeling strong, relationship-based engagement. Ensures teams anticipate client needs and consistently deliver with responsiveness, professionalism and integrity.
• Plays a key role in managing the financial performance of the team, including budgeting, forecasting, and monthly financial reviews, with a focus on supporting P&L and contribution margin goals.
• Oversees the planning, execution and delivery of internal initiatives and client-focused projects, ensuring they are completed on time, within scope and to a high standard of quality.
• Ensures consistent, repeatable processes across departments.
• Monitors team capacity and workload distribution, plans for seasonal and long-term demand and ensures effective resource utilization.
• Optimizes internal workflows, systems and tools, supporting the team’s ability to deliver timely and accurate tax and accounting services.
• Collaborates with firm leadership to develop and implement strategies for team growth, succession planning and long-term business development.
• Provides regular reports on team performance, project status, office operations and client satisfaction to senior leadership.
• Identifies and capitalizes on opportunities to increase revenue. Drives execution of lead generation initiatives by sourcing new business opportunities and overseeing the conversion of high-potential leads into long term clients.
• Cultivates a culture of collaboration, innovation, accountability and client service excellence within the department and organization.
• Develops and implements strategies to retain top talent, ensuring career pathing and employee engagement initiatives are prioritized.
• Stays current on industry trends, regulatory changes and best practices.
• Performs other related duties as necessary or assigned.

Required Skills/Abilities:

• Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to engage and influence at all levels.
• Strong leadership abilities focused on mentorship, operational excellence and driving continuous improvement.
• Strategic thinking with excellent problem-solving and decision-making skills.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite and tax/accounting industry-specific software platforms, with a willingness to adopt and champion new technologies.
• Ability to build and lead high-performing teams within a fast-paced, client-centered environment.
• Strong organizational and time management skills, with attention to detail and the ability to manage multiple priorities.
• Adaptability and the ability to effectively lead teams through growth and change initiatives.

Education and Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Business Administration, Management, or a related field.
• Minimum of 10 years of experience in a professional services environment, with at least 3 years in a leadership or director-level role overseeing teams and internal operations.
• Understanding of financial principles, with hands-on experience using financial analysis to influence operational and strategic outcomes.
• Experience working within a public accounting firm is a plus but not required.