Associate Controller, Payroll & Tax Compliance

Tax Compliance and Regulatory Oversight

• Provide strategic direction and executive oversight to the Senior Director, Corporate Tax, and team responsible for federal, state, and local tax compliance for Duke University and DUHS.
• Oversee preparation and filing of approximately 30 IRS Form 990 and 990Ts and related state returns, sales and use tax filings, property tax returns and unclaimed property reports.
• Ensure effective management of internal and external audits and serve as a senior institutional resource on tax compliance matters and risk mitigation.

Payroll

• Lead and provide oversight to the Senior Director, Corporate Payroll, responsible for the accurate and timely payment of over $4.7B in annual compensation to more than 52,000 University and DUHS employees and students.
• Ensure payroll operations utilizing SAP are compliant, auditable, and aligned with institutional financial controls, including accurate expense posting to the University’s financial accounting systems.
• Support continuous improvement initiatives to enhance efficiency, controls, and service delivery.

Fringe Benefits Forecasting and Accounting

• Oversees the Director of Fringe Benefits Accounting, responsible for monthly accounting, reporting and forecasting of fringe benefit expenditures and recoveries totaling over $1.3B annually.
• Ensure high-quality financial data and analysis to support budgeting, financial planning, and strategic decision-making.

International Operations

• Provide leadership oversight for International Administrative Support and act as a key advisor on financial, compliance, and operational matters related to international activities.
• Develop and implement policies governing international financial operations, requiring complex, cross-functional coordination across academic, legal, and administrative stakeholders.

Qualifications

• Minimum Qualifications: Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or a related field; ten years of progressively responsible experience, including significant management and leadership experience.
• Preferred Qualifications: MBA, Master of Accounting (MAcc), CPA, and/or CIA designation; higher education experience; SAP or other large-scale ERP system experience.