Senior Associate - Corporate Tax

About the Role

As a Corporate Tax Senior Associate, you will be a key member of our corporate tax practice, focusing on business income tax planning, corporate compliance, and ASC 740 income tax accounting projects (including tax provision preparation and audit support).

The Corporate Tax Solutions Family typically holds the primary tax relationship with the client, giving you the opportunity to assist with engagement management across multiple clients within your service line. You will collaborate closely with specialists and other team members, including our Washington National Tax Office (WNTO), to support all facets of our clients' tax functions.

From day one, you will be empowered by robust tools, technology, and training to take ownership of your work, produce high-quality results, and continuously grow your career.

Key Responsibilities

• Engagement Management: Run client engagements from start to finish, which includes planning, executing, directing, and completing tax projects while managing strictly to budget.
• Leadership & Mentorship: Supervise, train, and mentor associates and interns on tax projects. Assess staff performance for engagement reviews and step into an in-charge role as needed.
• Review & Quality Control: Review tax returns prepared by staff, making recommendations on accuracy and identifying tax savings opportunities as you take on increasing review responsibilities.
• ASC 740 Provisions: Conduct primary reviews and prepare ASC 740 income tax provision engagements.
• Research & Preparation: Research and consult on complex tax matters and utilize tax-related software to accurately prepare and process returns.
• Authority Correspondence: Respond effectively to inquiries from the IRS, State, and other relevant tax authorities.
• Client Relations: Maintain strong working relationships with clients. Collaborate effectively with client management and staff at all levels to gather necessary information and execute tax services.
• Business Acumen: Develop a deep understanding of client operations, processes, and business objectives, applying this knowledge strategically to your engagements.
• Professional Development: Consistently attend training and development sessions. Adhere to the highest degree of professional standards and maintain strict client confidentiality at all times.
• General: Perform other duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications (Must-Haves)

• Education: Bachelor's degree in Accounting.
• Experience Level: Minimum of 1 to 2 years of experience currently operating at the Senior Associate level (Please note: this role is a backfill and is not structured as a promotion opportunity for current Associates).
• Core Tax Experience: 2 to 4 years of progressive tax compliance and/or tax consulting experience.
• Corporate Focus: Proven experience with corporate/federal compliance (Form 1120).
• Candidates with exclusively partnership tax backgrounds will not be a fit for this role.
• Client Scale: Hands-on experience working with clients generating revenues between $50M and $1B. Experience limited strictly to clients with under $50M in revenue does not meet the requirements for this position.
• ASC 740: End-to-end experience with ASC 740 tax provisions (preparation, review, and audit).
• Certification: An active CPA is highly preferred. If not currently certified, candidates must have a definitive plan to obtain their CPA. (Note: Future promotion to Manager requires an active CPA or active JD/Attorney's license).
• Travel: Ability to travel as needed.

Ideal Candidate Profile

• Prior public accounting experience is highly advantageous (professionals coming from firms such as Baker Tilly, BDO USA, RSM, Armanino, or Big 4 environments will transition well).
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Strong analytical abilities, sharp attention to detail, and a highly collaborative team mindset.

Role Expectations (First 90-120 Days)

• Successfully meet overall engagement goals and maintain an individual utilization target of 80%.