Audit Partner - High-Growth Top 20 Firm

London | Privately Owned & PE-Backed Clients | Equity Opportunity

A high-growth Top 20 accounting firm is looking to appoint an ambitious and commercially minded Audit Partner to join its expanding practice.

This is an exciting opportunity to join a business with significant growth ambitions and a differentiated client proposition. The firm works exclusively with privately owned and private equity-backed businesses, giving its Partners the opportunity to build deep, long-term relationships with entrepreneurial management teams, investors and business owners.

The successful candidate will play a key role in the continued growth of the firm, combining audit leadership, client relationship management and business development.

The Opportunity

You'll take responsibility for a portfolio of high-quality privately owned and PE-backed clients across a broad range of sectors.

Working closely with entrepreneurial businesses and their investors, you'll provide strategic and technical audit leadership while acting as a trusted adviser to senior management and shareholders.

This is a particularly attractive opportunity for an established Audit Partner, or a strong Director looking to make the move to Partner, who wants to work within a high-growth environment where there is genuine scope to build a client portfolio and influence the direction of the firm.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead a portfolio of privately owned and PE-backed businesses.
• Take overall responsibility for audit quality, delivery and client service.
• Build trusted relationships with owners, CEOs, CFOs, Finance Directors and private equity stakeholders.
• Provide commercially focused advice on audit, accounting and financial reporting matters.
• Lead complex and high-profile audit engagements.
• Identify opportunities to grow existing relationships and win new business.
• Develop a strong network within the private equity and entrepreneurial business community.
• Work collaboratively with specialists across the wider firm to deliver a broad range of services.
• Lead, develop and mentor high-performing audit teams.
• Contribute to the strategic growth and development of the wider practice.

About You

We're looking for a senior audit professional with strong technical credentials and a genuine commercial and entrepreneurial mindset.

You'll ideally have:

• Significant external audit experience gained within a Big 4, Top 10 or similarly respected firm.
• Existing experience working with privately owned and/or PE-backed businesses.
• Strong technical audit and financial reporting knowledge.
• Experience managing senior client relationships at CFO, Board and shareholder level.
• A proven track record of business development and client relationship growth.
• Strong leadership and team development experience.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• The ambition to play an active role in growing a business rather than simply managing an established portfolio.

Why This Opportunity?

This is more than a traditional Audit Partner position.

You'll be joining a high-growth Top 20 firm at an exciting stage of its development, with the opportunity to build your profile, develop client relationships and contribute directly to the firm's future growth.

The firm offers:

• An excellent Partner-level remuneration package.
• A genuine sweet equity opportunity, allowing you to participate in the future value creation of the business.
• Exposure exclusively to privately owned and PE-backed companies.
• A broad and interesting client base across multiple sectors.
• Significant opportunity for business development and portfolio growth.
• A highly entrepreneurial and commercially focused environment.
• The opportunity to work closely with ambitious business owners and private equity investors.