Tax Services Manager - Kingston, NY

Working at Ulster Savings Bank

At Ulster Savings Bank, you'll be part of an enthusiastic team of people where we believe in working closely together for the benefit of our customers, communities, and each other. When you add this to an environment that allows skills and experience to bring forth growth and change, you'll find plenty of room to grow professionally. We offer an excellent benefit package, including paid time off, paid holidays, medical, dental and vision insurance, matching 401k plan, and educational assistance. Final candidates are subject to a pre-employment background check, which will include, but is not limited to credit history.

Ulster Savings Bank is officially Certified by Great Place To Work

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Business Development drives financial performance through profitable revenue growth, goal attainment and exceptional customer service. All employees have a role in Business Development and are responsible for identifying potential opportunities to cross sell all Bank products and/or services to both new and existing clients. Employees will continually prospect, both within and outside of the Bank, to create new lead streams for any and all of the Bank's business lines.

Position Hours:

Monday through Friday - 8:30am - 5pm with additional hours as needed during tax season.

Position Summary:

Prepare and review individual and business tax returns, advise clients and help grow Ulster Financial Group's tax practice. The Tax Services Manager will help shape the tax area during a growth phase, leading process improvements to workflows with AI, automation and other technologies while maintaining accuracy and appropriate controls. The ideal candidate will have the ability to build relationships across the bank, gain visibility through bank-wide initiatives and develop the skills for broader tax leadership while contributing to the organization's overall success.

Minimum Requirements:

• Minimum of 5 years of progressive tax preparation experience required, with substantial hands-on experience independently preparing complex individual and business returns, reviewing work prepared by other staff, and handling partnership, S corporation and C corporation returns
• Experience evaluating and improving technology to increase efficiency, accuracy, and client service while maintaining appropriate reviews and controls
• Strong working knowledge of individual, business, fiduciary and related federal and state tax matters, including technical accounting skills to analyze business financial statements and support accurate business-return preparation
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and tax and accounting software, with the ability to learn new systems. Familiarity with UltraTax CS, Accounting CS, and GruntWorx is helpful
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills for working effectively with customers, staff, and business partners.
• Ability to prioritize work, assign daily responsibilities, monitor workflow, and respond effectively to changing business needs.
• Proven problem-solving skills for resolving complex issues as they arise.
• Strong organizational skills, sound judgment and the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines.
• Ability to lead, coach and develop employees, manage tax-season workflow and improve upon those workflows.
• Demonstrated ability to develop new and strengthen existing client relationships, including the ability to advise business owners and explain complex tax matters clearly.
• Flexibility to work additional or adjusted hours during tax season and willingness to assist with bookkeeping, sales-tax work and other department needs as priorities shift in a small team.
• Bachelor's degree preferred
• CPA preferred
• Management experience preferred

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Prepare and review federal, state, and local tax returns for individuals and business entities, including Forms 1040, 1065, 1120, 1120-S and 1041
• Serve as a senior resource for complex business tax matters, tax planning and client questions.
• Review returns prepared by other staff and provide coaching and technical guidance.
• Manage assigned tax-area workflow, including scheduling, quality control, staffing coordination and tax-season execution, while developing the capabilities needed for broader leadership of the tax area.
• Collaborate with colleagues across the bank and its subsidiaries to understand the full scope of existing and prospective customers' relationships and identify opportunities to refer new and existing clients to appropriate lines of business for bank products or services.
• Develop and maintain strong relationships with individual and business clients and develop new tax and accounting relationships through referrals, community involvement and business development activities, and identify when existing tax clients may benefit from services elsewhere in the organization.
• Lead improvements to tax and accounting workflows by evaluating technology, AI and automation tools, coordinating implementation of approved tools in accordance with bank policies and controls, standardizing processes and measuring gains in efficiency, accuracy and capacity.
• Develop and maintain standardized procedures across the tax area, and recommend pricing and service levels for Tax Officer approval to support consistent client service, quality control and scalable operations.
• Support the development of junior preparers and support staff and help build greater depth within the department.
• Maintain appropriate documentation and ensure compliance with applicable tax laws, professional standards, bank policies, and information-security requirements.

• Any other duty as assigned by management.

Ulster Savings Bank is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, genetics, disability or protected veteran status, and any other basis protected by applicable local, state, or federal law or Executive Orders.