Tax Lead - North America

Job Opportunity at AXIS Capital - Tax Lead - North America

This is your opportunity to join AXIS Capital a trusted global provider of specialty lines insurance and reinsurance. We stand apart for our outstanding client service, intelligent risk taking and superior risk adjusted returns for our shareholders. We also proudly maintain an entrepreneurial, disciplined and ethical corporate culture. As a member of AXIS, you join a team that is among the best in the industry.

At AXIS, we believe that we are only as strong as our people. We strive to create an inclusive and welcoming culture where employees of all backgrounds and from all walks of life feel comfortable and empowered to be themselves. This means that we bring our whole selves to work.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion or creed, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin or ancestry, citizenship, physical or mental disability, age, marital status, civil union status, family or parental status, or any other characteristic protected by law. Accommodation is available upon request for candidates taking part in the selection process.

Job Description: Tax Lead - North America

Reporting to the Head of Tax North America, the Tax Lead, as part of the AXIS Global Tax team, is responsible for tax reporting, planning and compliance management in the United States, Canada, and Bermuda. The Tax Department operates within a co-source model that works with tax professional service firms to assist in the preparation and management of tax activities.

Key Duties & Responsibilities:

• Assist with all day to day aspects of tax responsibilities for the United States, Canada, and Bermuda
• Support the preparation of quarterly GAAP and STAT tax provision for the United States and Canada ensuring adherence to ASC740 and SSAP101 accounting principles and standards
• Work closely with international tax personnel to insure global tax provisions are calculated and reported according to U.S. GAAP requirements
• Assist with the consolidation of quarterly global tax calculations for management reporting
• Support internal and external financial reporting including preparation of board presentations and tax footnotes for 10-K and annual statements.
• Liaising with third party outsource providers and other AXIS departments including Finance, Legal and HR to gather necessary data to support compliance and reporting for:
• U.S. federal and state income tax
• Canadian federal and provincial income tax
• Bermuda corporate income tax
• U.S. federal excise tax
• Canadian federal and provincial GST tax
• U.S. state and local premium tax
• U.S. state and local use tax
• U.S. state and local property tax
• U.S. state and local franchise tax
• Manage the withholding taxes exposure on investments/premiums by ensuring all documentation in place (residency certs/FATCA etc.)
• Manage audits and tax notices from various taxing jurisdictions
• Support tax inputs for budget process.
• Management of professional fees of global compliance provider, by preparing detailed quarterly reports on costs incurred versus budget.
• Engagement with Finance/Tax teams in India, review output of tax team and ensure documentation and standards are maintained.
• Support for the management, updating and further development of existing software solution (Hyperion Tax Provisioning) templates as well as testing and build out of new business unit calculations.
• Contributing to on-going training for other departments in relation to tax matters.
• Build and maintain tax relationships with internal departments (i.e. Finance, Legal, HR, Underwriting and Operations)
• Ensure appropriate documentation of procedures is maintained
• Manage assigned tasks to ensure adherence to deadlines and policies as well as to provide direct feedback on performance.

Required Education/Training & Experience:

• CPA
• 5+ years of tax work in a Big 4 public accounting firm and/or multinational publicly listed company (includes international tax or transfer pricing experience)
• 5+ years of experience with preparation of income tax provision supporting work papers which include ASC 740-10 (FIN 48) calculations, tax account roll forward schedules and return to provision analysis
• Prior experience managing tax compliance and provision processes
• Strong technical tax skills with emphasis on tax issues related to tax planning, indirect taxes, international tax, and transfer pricing
• Technical tax expertise; knowledge of U.S. and international tax concepts (e.g. BEAT)
• Experience with tax accounting and shared principles (e.g., ASC 740, SOX 404)
• Advanced in Microsoft Office applications

Preferred Education/Training & Experience:

• Master's degree in taxation, or closely related field.
• Experience within the Re(insurance) industry,
• Hyperion Smartview and Oracle experience
• Hyperion Tax Provision (HTP) experience

Other Desired Skills & Characteristics:

• Candidate must be able to build strong relationships, communicate with impact, develop self and others, make disciplined decisions and drive results.
• A proven ability to meet tight deadlines and work under pressure with ability to respond to changing priorities.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving skills and attention to detail
• Strong organizational skills and ability to successfully prioritize workload
• International travel may be required