Assurance Partner - Life Science

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RSM has an exciting opportunity for an experienced Assurance Partner to join our Life Sciences practice.  You will be provided with opportunities to work on projects in RSM offices in biotech hubs across the country. You will also get exposure to various types of entities within the industry, ranging from companies in the clinical R&D phase to large public biopharma’s. Common accounting areas encountered in the industry include collaboration and licensing arrangements, complex debt and equity transactions and internal controls over financial reporting.

Role Summary

As an Assurance Partner, you will lead audit and assurance client relationships for the Assurance line of business while advancing quality, growth, and consistent delivery. This role focuses on leading engagement teams, managing complex audit portfolios, and serving as a trusted advisor to clients and firm leaders.

Job Responsibilities

• Serve as audit engagement leader and/or client service coordinator, managing required financial statements, related disclosures, and other client deliverables.

• Manage multiple engagements, oversee engagement status, and maintain milestones for complex audit and assurance projects.

• Identify technical accounting and auditing matters early, assess impact, and coordinate with firm specialists as needed.

• Review work product, communicate audit status to clients, and assess resources needed for project completion.

• Maintain contact with clients throughout the year to build deeper relationships and better understand client goals and strategies.

• Manage profitability, billing, collections, engagement economics, and operational discipline consistent with firm expectations.

• Assess risk and design and communicate audit procedures to engagement teams.

• Develop external relationships and centers of influence to support business growth and brand presence.

• Provide insightful business advice and present as a trusted business advisor to clients and stakeholders.

• Understand team member skillsets and capabilities, monitor and review work product, and provide timely coaching and performance feedback.

• Develop others within the firm through training, career development, coaching, and participation in firm initiatives.

• Anticipate and address client concerns, escalate issues promptly, and support quality, independence, and risk management expectations.

• Maintain professional development through ongoing education and stay current on relevant standards, firm policies, and quality expectations.

• Use digital quality enablers, data, and global delivery resources where appropriate to support consistent, efficient, high-quality outcomes.

• Lead with an enterprise mindset, aligning decisions to long-term firm value, cultural stewardship, and client outcomes.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in accounting or related field.

• Active CPA license in state of residence (or equivalent professional credential) required.

• 13+ years of progressive public accounting / external audit or assurance experience, including significant experience leading audit engagements of increasing complexity and size.

• Proven track record of building and maintaining a substantial client portfolio, including bringing in new business, retaining clients, and ensuring engagement profitability and growth.

• Demonstrated leadership and management skills, with success managing multiple large or complex audit portfolios, supervising senior leadership teams, and guiding firm-wide talent development and staffing strategies.

• Deep technical mastery of accounting and auditing standards including US GAAP, US GAAS or other relevant regulatory standards. Ability to apply risk-based audit methodology, internal control frameworks, complex financial reporting, and capacity to guide complex / multi-entity / high risk audits.

• Demonstrates strong business development and strategic leadership, identifying and advancing growth opportunities, driving cross firm service expansion, and shaping market strategy. Builds and leverages deep local market and COI relationships to generate sustained client growth while ensuring exceptional client service delivery.

• Strong stakeholder management, communication, and relationship-building skills, able to interact with senior client executives, boards or audit committees, firm leadership, and cross-functional teams.

• Strategic thinking and firm-wide vision, with ability to influence firm direction, contribute to leadership decisions, and participate in governance or partnership-level deliberations.

• Leads with strong ethical judgment and independence, ensuring firmwide compliance with audit standards, quality expectations, and professional conduct.

• Flexibility to travel, manage demanding workloads, and adapt to client and market pressures.

At RSM, we offer a competitive benefits and compensation package for all our people. We offer flexibility in your schedule, empowering you to balance life’s demands, while also maintaining your ability to serve clients. Learn more about our total rewards at https://rsmus.com/careers/working-at-rsm/benefits.

All applicants will receive consideration for employment as RSM does not tolerate discrimination and/or harassment based on race; color; creed; sincerely held religious beliefs, practices or observances; sex (including pregnancy or disabilities related to nursing); gender; sexual orientation; HIV Status; national origin; ancestry; familial or marital status; age; physical or mental disability; citizenship; political affiliation; medical condition (including family and medical leave); domestic violence victim status; past, current or prospective service in the US uniformed service; US Military/Veteran status; pre-disposing genetic characteristics or any other characteristic protected under applicable federal, state or local law. 

Accommodation for applicants with disabilities is available upon request in connection with the recruitment process and/or employment/partnership. RSM is committed to providing equal opportunity and reasonable accommodation for people with disabilities. If you require a reasonable accommodation to complete an application, interview, or otherwise participate in the recruiting process, please call us at 800-274-3978 or send us an email at careers@rsmus.com.

RSM will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records. For those living in California or applying to a position in California, please click here for additional information.