Interim Accounting Manager

About the Opportunity

A growing, design‑focused professional services firm is seeking an Accounting Manager to join its leadership team. This role is ideal for a hands‑on, client‑facing accounting professional who enjoys building processes, partnering with leadership, and growing alongside a collaborative team.

The firm currently operates from a small office in Irvine. The Accounting Manager will play a key role in supporting operations as the business continues to scale. This is a hybrid (4 days/week onsite) consulting opportunity for 3‑6 months.

This is a broad, impactful role combining accounting oversight, people operations, and strategic partnership.

• Serve as the primary finance and accounting lead for the business
• Oversee payroll, onboarding, and offboarding
• Act as the internal point of contact for outsourced accounting partners
• Partner closely with leadership on billing questions, project accounting, and financial clarity
• Support and mentor internal administrative support (player/coach mindset)
• Review and improve financial and operational processes as the firm grows
• Assist with system optimization and implementation of new tools as needed

• Experience in a leadership or senior accounting role within a professional services environment, preferably architecture or engineering
• Strong client‑facing communication skills
• Comfortable being hands‑on while also thinking strategically
• Experience with payroll, employee onboarding/offboarding, and internal operations
• Background in architecture, design, engineering, or project‑based services strongly preferred
• Desire to grow with a team and help build scalable infrastructure

• Experience with project‑based billing
• Understanding of or experience reviewing proposals
• Exposure to or hands‑on experience with systems (Deltek preferred)

Vaco by Highspring values a diverse workplace and strongly encourages women, people of color, LGBTQ+ individuals, people with disabilities, members of ethnic minorities, foreign‑born residents, and veterans to apply.

Determining compensation for this role (and others) at Vaco/Highspring depends upon a wide array of factors including but not limited to the individual's skill sets, experience and training, licensure and certifications, office location and other geographic considerations, as well as other business and organizational needs. With that said, as required by local law, Vaco/Highspring notes the salary range for the role is noted in this job posting.

The individual may also be eligible for discretionary bonuses, and can participate in medical, dental, and vision benefits as well as the company's 401(k) retirement plan. Additional disclaimer:
Unless otherwise noted in the job description, the position Vaco/Highspring is filing for is occupied. Please note, however, that Vaco/Highspring is regularly asked to provide talent to other organizations. By submitting to this position, you are agreeing to be included in our talent pool for future hiring for similarly qualified positions. Submissions to this position are subject to the use of AI to perform preliminary candidate screenings, focused on ensuring minimum job requirements noted in the position are satisfied.

Further assessment of candidates beyond this initial phase within Vaco/Highspring will be otherwise assessed by recruiters and hiring managers. Vaco/Highspring does not have knowledge of the tools used by its clients in making final hiring decisions and cannot opine on their use of AI products.

• the individual's skill sets, experience and training;
• licensure and certification requirements;
• office location and other geographic considerations;
• other business and organizational needs.

With that said, as required by local law, Vaco/Highspring believes that the following salary range referenced above reasonably estimates the base compensation for an individual hired into this position in geographies that require salary range disclosure. The individual may also be eligible for discretionary bonuses.

Vaco by Highspring and its parents, affiliates, and…