Tax Director

About the Department:

The General Accounting office provides fiscal services to the university, promoting financial best practices, forming strategic partnerships, establishing efficient systems, and pursuing continuous improvement. Create and maintain a sustainable financial framework and strong internal controls to promote sound fiscal management, careful stewardship of university resources, and accountability. Foster innovation to support George Mason's overall mission by employing new methods to deliver financial services and collaborating on process improvements and new initiatives. Provide accurate and timely financial data to ensure comprehensive reporting, compliance, and analysis to enable strategic decision-making.

About the Position:

The Tax Director is a hands-on leadership role responsible for overseeing the university’s tax function including compliance, reporting, planning and advisory activities. This position combines strategic oversight with active execution, partnering with internal stakeholders and external advisors to ensure tax compliance while identifying tax-efficient solutions across a broad range of activities, including domestic and international operations. This position is also responsible for internal controls processes, research, system management, and changes in applicable tax law and its impact on the organization.

Responsibilities:

Tax Compliance & Reporting

• Leads the preparation, review, and filing of tax returns, including Form 990-T, Sales & Use Tax, Form 1042, and other federal, state, and international filings;
• Coordinates closely with external tax advisors to ensure timely and accurate compliance; and
• Collaborates and/or oversee tax matters related to payroll, fringe benefits, and payments to domestic and international individuals.

Tax Advisory & Strategic Support

• Advises departments and leadership on tax implications of programs, transactions, and new initiatives;
• Partners with Legal, Finance, HR, and other stakeholders to design and implement tax-efficient structures, including one-off transactions; and
• Provides institution-wide perspective on tax impacts and risk considerations.

International & Cross-Border Tax

• Identifies and manages U.S. and foreign tax requirements related to global operations;
• Supports the setup of new entities, branches, or international activities and implement ongoing tax processes; and
• Oversees compliance related to non-resident taxation and global workforce matters.

Tax Research & Risk Management

• Researches complex U.S. and international tax issues and document technical positions;
• Monitors changes in tax laws and assess impact to the organization; and
• Proactively identify risks and opportunities, and support audit activities as needed.

Leadership & Collaboration

• Supervises, mentors, and develops Tax Office staff, including performance management and goal setting;
• Establishes and tracks KPIs to measure team performance and effectiveness; and
• Collaborates cross-functionally with Payroll, HR, Procurement, Accounts Payable, Treasury, Legal, and other departments to ensure compliance and improve processes.

Process Improvement & Special Projects

• Develops and enhances tax policies, procedures, and internal controls;
• Leads and supports ad-hoc tax projects and strategic initiatives; and
• Drives continuous improvement in tax processes, systems, and reporting.

Other duties as assigned

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting or Tax with typically a minimum of 10 years of corporate tax experience in either a public accounting firm or multinational company, or equivalent combination of education and experience;
• Significant expertise in tax;
• Demonstrated knowledge of federal, state, and international tax compliance and reporting;
• Excellent analytical, communication, and collaboration skills;
• Ability to perform both US and foreign tax technical research and document conclusions;
• Ability to work towards process improvements and open to automation to support the tax team; and
• Demonstrated ability to work both independently and lead a team, and be comfortable influencing decision making.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in related field;
• CPA;
• Experience with a mix of both public accounting and non-profit company experience; and
• Experience working in higher ed.