Director, Client Experience

Description

Director, Client Experience - (US - Remote)

What to expect when you join Sikich

Team members at Sikich have a lot in common while also being part of a rich and varied group of contributors, creating a distinct and thriving culture. Chief among our commonalities is a desire for growth and a shared unity of purpose in our professional lives. We believe that through diverse perspectives, challenging the status quo and rewarding action, we accelerate innovation and drive growth – for our clients, for ourselves and for our communities.

The professional services landscape continues to evolve. For Sikich, this means we have an opportunity to further cement our leadership position in this industry and continue to grow our organization in increasingly exciting ways. This growth is meaningful for every team member at our company because larger companies simply see more interesting client opportunities and can attract impressively talented individuals like you. Through a dedicated focus on key business priorities and intentionally creating a rewarding employee experience, Sikich has developed into a highly regarded provider of professional services and a sought-after employer of choice.

Do you want to work with other skilled and agile practitioners who thrive on challenge and growth? We believe everyone has untapped potential. That’s why we lead with vision and act fast, pairing deep expertise with practical solutions. Our teams cut through complexity and deliver real impact. It's our hope that you find more than just a job. At Sikich, you'll find optimism, clear insights and genuine warmth, without egos.

Are you ready to grow with us?

Position Summary

The Director, Client Experience is a leadership role responsible for strengthening client relationships and reducing attrition across the ATW service lines. Partnering closely with service line leaders and engagement partners, this person will build and run a structured client experience program: listening to clients, identifying at-risk relationships early, driving service recovery, and coaching partners and teams to deliver a consistently excellent experience.

This role requires credibility with partners, a deep understanding of how audit and tax engagements are delivered, and the executive presence to engage C-suite clients and challenge firm leadership when the data demands it.

What will you do in this role?

Client Retention Strategy

• Define and own ATW’s client retention strategy, goals, and KPIs (retention rate, net promoter score, wallet share, relationship depth).

• Analyze attrition by service line, industry, and client segment to identify root causes and prioritize interventions.

• Build an early-warning framework that flags at-risk clients using engagement, billing, staffing, and feedback signals.

Client Listening and Feedback

• Design and run a client feedback program, including relationship interviews, post-engagement surveys, and executive-level check-ins.

• Synthesize insights into clear, actionable reports for firm leadership and service line leaders.

• Close the loop: ensure every piece of significant feedback has an owner, a response, and follow-up.

At-Risk Account Management and Service Recovery

• Lead structured reviews of at-risk and high-value accounts with engagement partners.

• Step into escalations and recovery situations, engaging directly with client executives alongside partners.

• Establish a repeatable service recovery playbook and track outcomes.

Partner and Team Enablement

• Coach partners and managers on relationship management, expectation setting, and proactive communication.

• Develop training, tools, and standards for client service excellence across audit, tax, and advisory teams.

• Work with Talent, HR and Quality leaders to align staffing continuity, responsiveness, and quality with client expectations.

Growth and Account Leadership

• Partner with Growth leadership on key account and client advisory programs for ATW’s most strategic relationships, as well as the conversion of strong relationships into cross-service-line opportunities.

• Support transition planning on key accounts so client relationships survive partner changes.

Governance and Reporting

• Report retention and client experience metrics to ATW Leadership on a regular cadence.

• Build the business case, budget, and roadmap for the function, including a team as the program scales.

• Select and manage client experience technology (CRM, survey, and analytics tools).

What do you need to succeed in this role?

• Bachelor’s degree in accounting, business, or a related field; CPA (active or eligible) strongly preferred.

• 12+ years of progressive experience in public accounting, with substantial time in audit and/or tax at the manager level or above.

• Demonstrated experience managing client relationships, resolving escalations, or leading client service initiatives in a professional services setting.

• Executive presence: the ability to command a room of partners and C-level clients, communicate with credibility, and influence without direct authority.

• Strong analytical skills, with comfort using data to tell a story and drive decisions.

• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience as a director, or in a role such as client service, quality, practice operations, or business development within a professional services firm.

• Experience with client feedback programs (e.g., NPS, relationship interviews) and CRM platforms.

• Experience across multiple service lines or industries.

• Change management or process improvement training.

Success Measures (First 12 Months)

• Baseline attrition analysis and retention targets by service line delivered within 90 days.

• Client feedback program and at-risk account review process live within six months.

• Measurable improvement in retention for priority service lines and in client satisfaction scores.

• Active partner adoption of the program, with consistent participation in account reviews.

In compliance with this state’s pay transparency laws, the salary range for this role is $170,362.50 $200,970.96 $231,579.43 (25%-50%-75%). This is not a guarantee of compensation or salary, as final offer amount may vary based on several factors including but not limited to experience and geographic location. Compensation ranges for roles in our Government Services pillar are determined by contract with the specific government agency Sikich is servicing.

In addition, the following specific traits required:

• Values driven – You embody and model absolute integrity and servant leadership and you have a bias for action and continuous innovation.
• Uncompromising problem solver – You see opportunities in every business challenge and can develop, articulate and implement solutions.
• Collaboration – You are a relationship builder across all levels of the organization and across all business units.
• Instills trust – You do what you say, without ego, and you follow through on commitments consistently and credibly.
• Impact & influence – You are relentlessly focused on making a difference and can gain support for ideas, proposals and solutions. You get others to act, with or without formal authority, to advance initiatives and objectives.

About Sikich

Sikich Total Rewards

Our team members enjoy expansive benefits ranging from competitive compensation and insurance options to wellness programs and a flexible time off policy, to name only a few. Sikich also takes pride in prioritizing team members’ health, total wellbeing and time spent with family, friends and in the pursuit of personal goals, hobbies, and endeavors.

Some examples of our many benefits:

Sikich maintains a Flexible Time Off (FTO) Policy. We encourage every full-time employee, as your role permits, to utilize paid time off (personal time, mental/physical health care, vacation, sick leave, etc.). Waiting for time off to accrue is common at other companies. At Sikich, you do not have to wait for this benefit to kick in. FTO is activated on your first day with our organization.

Sikich will also recognize paid holidays during the year and strives to permit employees to have time off the last week of the calendar year when client and project work permits.

Sikich offers a comprehensive wellness program to engage, challenge and empower team members to take responsibility for their wellbeing. Activities can be tracked through our wellness provider to obtain gift cards and other rewards.

We also offer:

• Flexible work arrangements
• Health, dental, vision, life, and accident/death/disability insurance options
• HSA employer contribution
• Nine (9) paid holidays annually.
• A robust paid Parental Bonding Leave program covering birth, adoption, and foster children.
• 401(k) with employer contributions
• CPA bonus with four (4) paid exam days & four (4) paid study days.
• Tuition reimbursement
• Generous employee referral bonus program
• Client referral bonus program
• Pet insurance
• FORCE – Sikich community volunteer program enabling each team member to use up to four hours of paid time annually to volunteer and make a difference in their local communities.

Official correspondence will come from a Sikich.com email address and applicants/candidates are invited to contact us directly to verify communications.

Want to learn more? Visit our Careers website or Glassdoor profile.

Sikich is an Equal Opportunity Employer M/F/D/V