| Detail | For this role |
|---|---|
| Department | CA and Consulting |
| Level | Senior management |
| Reports to | Managing Partner or partnership board |
| Direct reports | Director (Consulting), Audit Manager, Tax Manager |
| Experience | 15 or more years post qualification, with a proven book of clients |
Partner (CA Firm) job description template
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Job title: Partner (CA Firm)
Department: CA and Consulting
Reports to: Managing Partner or partnership board
Location: [City], [office, branch or site]
About the role
A Partner in a chartered accountancy firm is an owner of the practice. They sign audit reports and other attest work in their own name, carry the professional and legal responsibility for it, and share in the firm's profit and risk. Partners bring in clients, set fees, own the largest relationships, and decide the firm's direction, quality and independence policies. A good Partner grows a healthy client base, keeps the firm out of trouble with regulators, and builds managers and directors into the firm's future owners.
Key responsibilities
- Sign statutory audit reports, tax audit reports and other attest work, taking personal responsibility for the opinion issued.
- Own the largest client relationships, agree engagement terms and fees, and act as the final point of contact for the client's board.
- Bring in new clients and new lines of work, and set the firm's yearly targets for revenue and profit share.
- Approve engagement acceptance and continuance, checking independence, conflict and reputational risk before the firm takes on work.
- Set the firm's quality control, documentation and review standards, and make sure every engagement follows the applicable standards.
- Represent clients before tax and regulatory authorities on significant assessments, appeals and inspections.
- Review the firm's financials, partner drawings, receivables and investments with the other partners.
- Decide admissions, promotions and exits at manager, director and partner level.
- Manage the firm's exposure through professional indemnity cover, peer review readiness and regulator relationships.
- Mentor managers and directors, and pass down technical and client judgement built over a career.
Requirements
- Chartered Accountant (CA) with a valid Certificate of Practice
- Post qualification experience across audit, tax or advisory
- A DISA, or other ICAI certification, is an advantage
- 15 or more years post qualification, with a proven book of clients
KRAs and KPIs for a Partner (CA Firm)
Key result areas for the appraisal form, each with a KPI you can measure every month or quarter.
| Key result area | How to measure it |
|---|---|
| Book of business | Client fees originated and retained meeting the partner's yearly target |
| Audit quality | Clean peer review and no adverse regulator or quality finding on signed engagements |
| Profitability | Realised recovery rate on the partner's clients held above the firm's benchmark |
| Risk management | Every new engagement cleared through independence and conflict checks before acceptance |
| Receivables | Outstanding fees on the partner's clients kept within the agreed debtor days |
| Succession | At least one director readied for partnership over a defined period |
Skills and tools
Tools used day to day: Audit software, Tally Prime, Income tax and GST portals, MCA and ICAI portals, Document management systems.
Reporting line and career path
Next roles: Managing Partner, Senior Partner, Regional Head
Interview questions for a Partner (CA Firm)
- How do you decide whether to accept a new audit client, and what would make you decline the engagement?
- A long standing client pushes you to sign an audit opinion you are not comfortable with. What do you do?
- How do you keep a firm independent while also selling advisory work to the same client group?
- Walk me through how you grew your book of business over the last five years.
- What does good quality control across engagements look like, and how do you enforce it under deadline pressure?
- How do you prepare the firm for a peer review or a regulatory inspection?
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What does a partner in a CA firm do?
A partner owns part of the firm and shares in its profit and risk. They sign audit and other attest reports in their own name, bring in and keep clients, set fees, and decide the firm's quality and independence rules. Partners also represent clients before authorities and build the managers and directors who will lead the firm next.
How do you become a partner in a CA firm?
You first qualify as a chartered accountant and hold a certificate of practice. After many years across audit, tax or advisory, and with a book of clients you can bring or retain, the existing partners may admit you to the partnership. It usually needs both technical standing and the ability to originate business.
What is the difference between a partner and a director in a CA firm?
A partner is an owner who signs regulated work and shares in profit and liability. A director is usually a senior employee who runs a practice but does not carry ownership or sign audit opinions. In many firms, becoming a director is the last step before being considered for partnership.