Practice Lead Audit Tax and Finance

**Role & responsibilities** KEY RESPONSIBILITIES - Independently manage a portfolio of clients and take complete ownership of delivery - Plan, execute and complete statutory audits, tax audits and other assurance assignments - Handle Income-tax and GST compliance, assessments and advisory matters - Manage accounting, book closure, financial reporting and Virtual CFO engagements, where applicable - Understand client requirements and convert them into clear deliverables - Allocate work to team members and monitor engagement progress - Review working papers, financial statements, returns and other client deliverables - Ensure assignments are completed accurately and within agreed timelines - Communicate directly with clients and resolve engagement-related matters - Recruit, train, guide and review the work of junior team members - Support the Founder in client management, practice development and business growth - Assist in developing internal processes, templates and quality-control procedures **Preferred candidate profile** - CA Inter / semi-qualified Chartered Accountant - Approximately 4 to 8 years of relevant experience - Strong practical experience in statutory audits and tax audits - Working knowledge of Income-tax and GST compliance and assessments - Experience in managing clients and completing assignments independently - Strong team-management skills with the ability to train and develop juniors - Good written and verbal communication skills - Strong ownership, problem-solving ability and attention to quality - Willingness to work with an open and entrepreneurial mindset in a growing firm - Experience in FEMA and cross-border compliance will be an added advantage - Candidates with end-to-end accounting, financial reporting and Virtual CFO experience may also be considered - Five-day workweek under normal circumstances - Hybrid working arrangement, generally involving two days from the office or client location and two to three days working from home - As this is a client-facing role, the candidate must be willing to visit or work from client locations whenever required - The place of work and schedule will be aligned with client commitments and engagement delivery requirements