Client Operations Director

Position Overview

CPN Legal is seeking a Client Operations Director to oversee all client service delivery, operational performance, and client relationship management across the departments. As a member of the Leadership Team, this position ensures clients consistently receive exceptional bookkeeping, payroll, invoicing, onboarding, and data analytics services while maintaining operational efficiency, compliance, profitability, and growth.

This position provides strategic leadership for Team Leads on the Bookkeeping, Payroll, Invoicing, Onboarding, and Data Analytics teams. With focusing on strategy and operational execution, it will be important to ensure processes, systems, people, and service delivery align with the organizational goals serving law firms and legal professionals.
CPN Legal offers comprehensive accounting and controller services to law firms across the country, on a daily, monthly, or as-needed basis. We work with each client to tailor an engagement that meets their unique needs.

We have a fun, collaborative, and casual work environment. Our success is directly credited to our team, and we continue to invest in hiring and growing the firm. We have been named a Fast 55 finalist company for our incredible growth in both 2023, 2024 and 2025, as well as a Best Places to Work finalist in 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025. CPN Legal provides a comprehensive benefits package complete with flexible work schedules, special events, and expected benefits (medical, dental, vision, 401(k), short term disability and more).

Primary duties & Responsibilities

• Serve as a member of the Leadership Team, contributing to organizational strategy, growth initiatives, and operational planning.
• Translate company goals into measurable operational objectives and goals across all client-facing departments including bookkeeping, payroll, invoicing, onboarding, and data and analytics.
• Develop and execute strategic initiatives that improve client relationships, operational and departmental efficiency, and profitability.
• Partner with leadership to establish annual goals, departmental KPIs, growth targets, and other key measurables.
• Drive strategy by creating and leading sustainable systems, processes, and team structures.
• Lead change management initiatives and other projects that improve operational effectiveness and client experience.
• Provide direction and support for all Team Leads across the departments, and develop emerging leaders within the team during succession planning.

Client Oversight & Retention

• Own the overall client experience to ensure client satisfaction and retention.
• Establish and maintain service standards that ensure exceptional client outcomes and consistent execution.
• Lead retention strategies and proactively address at-risk client relationships.
• Serve as escalation point for significant client concerns or complex matters working directly with internal team and Team Leads on resolution.
• Collaborate with department Team Leads to improve communication, responsiveness, and overall service quality.

Process Improvement & Operational Excellence

• Ensure compliance with accounting standards, payroll regulations, invoicing standards, and internal controls.
• Maintain operational policies and procedures that support quality and risk management.
• Oversee quality assurance programs across all client service functions.
• Monitor adherence to documentation standards and regulatory requirements.
• Ensure client information is handled securely and in accordance with company policies and industry requirements.

Compliance, Risk Management & Quality Assurance

• Own the continuous improvement process (QA, audits, etc.), strategy, and implementation across all departments.
• Evaluate workflows, identify challenges, and implement solutions from feedback from team and clients.
• Lead cross-functional initiatives focused on automation, standardization, and efficiency.
• Ensure consistent adherence to organizational processes, policies, best practices, and the CPN Way.
• Encourage collaboration and ideas on continuous improvement.

Departmental Operations Leadership

• Foster accountability, collaboration, and a high-performance culture.
• Provide leadership and oversight to Team Lead and their respective teams.
• Establish departmental performance expectations and quality standards.
• Manage utilization tracking to help team make expected targets.
• Ensure accurate, timely, and consistent delivery of bookkeeping, payroll invoicing, onboarding, and data analytics services.
• Monitor team workload and capacity to ensure balanced assignments, appropriate client allocation, and on-time delivery.
• Support leadership development, succession planning, and team growth initiatives.

Education & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field preferred or equivalent experience
• 10 + years of progressive accounting or bookkeeping experience
• 5 + years of leadership experience managing managers and multiple departmentsExperience leading client service operations within an accounting, bookkeeping, financial services, legal services, or professional services environment.
• CPA (active or inactive) preferred
• Experience in a CPA or professional services firm environment strongly preferred