Administrative Associate

Who We Are

_ About Ascend _

At Ascend, we understand the struggles that accounting & finance professionals face in traditional public accounting firms - from rigid hierarchies, overwhelming workloads, and the elusive work-life balance. It’s time for a transformative change. We believe your ambition should not be constrained by outdated practices or opaque career paths. Here, you’re not just a number; you’re a valued member of a community that supports & celebrates your professional & personal fulfillment.

Our mission is to transform the public accounting experience into one where work-life harmony is a reality, and where your career advancement is supported by a nurturing network and comprehensive resources .

Ascend empowers entrepreneurial CPAs to reach their goals with an innovative growth model that brings our partner firms into the new age. Backed by private equity from people-focused Alpine Investors, Ascend is building a modern platform for regional accounting firms that enables them to stay independent while having access to resources of a large CPA firm. These resources include growth capital, robust talent acquisition, best-of-breed technology, a catalytic leadership system, shared back-office services, and modernized equity incentives.

Founded in January 2023, Ascend attained revenues sufficient to qualify it as a Top 100 U.S. accounting firm within six months of operation.
Explore Ascend , where your career soars without sacrificing your quality of life.

_ About Blackman & Sloop _

Located in Chapel Hill, NC Blackman & Sloop Advisors Inc. has approximately 50 full-time staff. As a locally based accounting firm, we facilitate our clients’ ambitions to expand throughout the Research Triangle area, state, and country, while still providing each client the personal time and attention on which we pride ourselves.

For 6 consecutive years, we’ve been honored as one of Accounting Today’s “Best Accounting Firms to Work For”! We’ve also been recognized by Business North Carolina as one of the “Best Employers in North Carolina” list for the past 4 years. Most recently, we are proud to have received BDO’s award for outstanding workplace culture! We believe we’re receiving this recognition based on our commitment to and from each employee, regardless of level.

As an independent member of the BDO Alliance, we have access to the resources of BDO USA, LLP, the world’s 5th largest accounting and consulting firm. Additionally in April 2024, we made the strategic decision to join Ascend to usher us in our next stage of growth. What this means to you is that while we’re a local accounting firm, our reach and expertise have no boundaries.

Each member of our staff has access to an unlimited amount of resources to gain valuable information on levels that most local firms do not encounter.

We are seeking a Administrative Associate to provide dedicated administrative support to one of our three service lines — Tax, Client Accounting & Advisory Services (CAAS), or Audit. This role works alongside a service line team to keep client work moving, deliverables organized, and clients well-served through every stage of the engagement.

This is a generalist role designed for someone who could seat effectively in any of our service lines. We hire for the person, not the practice line — initial placement will be based on firm need and where your strengths align best, and the role is structured so Administrative Associates can move across service lines over time as the firm evolves.

You will work directly with Partners, Managers, and staff to support client engagements, and you will be a primary point of contact for clients themselves — answering questions, coordinating deliverables, and representing the firm in every interaction. This role reports to the Admin Lead, with strong working relationships with the Partners of your assigned service line.

• Serve as a primary administrative point of contact for clients — answering questions, coordinating deliverables, and maintaining warm, professional relationships
• Manage inbound client phone calls, emails, and requests for the…