Senior Tax Director

Senior Director, Tax Controversy & Strategy

Location: St. Louis, Missouri

Working Model: Onsite, 5 days per week

Base Salary: $162,400 – $223,300

Incentives: Bonus + long-term incentive eligible

The Opportunity

A large, multinational consumer products organization is seeking a Senior Director, Tax Controversy & Strategy to join its North American tax leadership team.

Reporting directly to the VP of Tax , this position will lead federal tax controversy and audit defense while playing a significant role in shaping and governing domestic tax planning initiatives.

The role will have responsibility for audit strategy, risk assessment, technical position development, and interaction with tax authorities , while partnering extensively across Tax, Legal, Finance, Treasury, and the wider business.

This is an excellent opportunity for a senior tax professional with deep U.S. federal tax expertise who enjoys operating at the intersection of tax controversy, planning, transactions, and strategy .

Key Responsibilities

Tax Controversy & Audit Leadership

• Lead federal tax controversy strategy, including IRS examinations, appeals, and other federal tax authority interactions.
• Develop and execute audit defense strategies for material tax positions and transactions.
• Oversee responses to Information Document Requests (IDRs), examination inquiries, and technical challenges.
• Manage external tax advisors, legal counsel, and subject‑matter experts supporting controversy matters.
• Assess tax risks, potential settlements, and litigation considerations.
• Keep senior tax leadership informed of significant developments and potential financial implications.

Tax Planning & Governance

• Partner with the Tax Strategy team to evaluate domestic tax planning opportunities.
• Assess proposed transactions from a controversy, sustainability, and audit‑defense perspective.
• Ensure significant planning initiatives have appropriate factual development, technical analysis, and contemporaneous documentation.
• Establish strong governance standards around technical memoranda, business‑purpose documentation, and audit readiness.
• Balance tax efficiency with long‑term defensibility and risk management.

Technical Tax Leadership

• Provide technical leadership on complex U.S. federal income tax matters.
• Advise on restructurings, financing arrangements, acquisitions, dispositions, and other strategic transactions.
• Review and challenge technical analyses prepared internally and by external advisors.
• Develop and defend tax positions supported by relevant legislation, administrative guidance, and judicial authority.
• Monitor legislative, regulatory, and enforcement developments and advise leadership on emerging risks and opportunities.

Cross-Functional Leadership

• Partner with Tax Operations to ensure planning positions and controversy outcomes are appropriately reflected in tax returns and financial reporting.
• Collaborate with Legal, Finance, Treasury, and senior business stakeholders on material transactions and tax matters.
• Mentor and develop tax professionals across the broader tax organization.
• Influence best practices around tax governance, controversy management, and operational execution.

Candidate Profile

• Deep expertise in U.S. federal corporate income tax, tax controversy, and IRS examination processes .
• Significant experience managing large corporate IRS examinations, appeals, and complex controversy matters.
• Strong background in domestic tax planning, transaction structuring, and technical tax analysis.
• Experience operating within a large multinational corporate environment and/or advising similarly complex organizations.
• Proven experience preparing and reviewing technical memoranda, audit‑defense files, and supporting documentation.
• Strong understanding of how tax planning interacts with compliance, provision, and financial reporting.
• Ability to lead complex, high‑stakes projects and influence senior stakeholders.
• Strong executive presence with excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Track record of partnering effectively across Tax, Legal, Finance, Treasury, and business functions.
• Experience coaching and developing tax professionals.

Education & Credentials

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Law, or related discipline.
• CPA, JD, MST and/or LLM in Taxation strongly preferred.

Systems & Technical Skills

• Experience with major tax research platforms and tax technology tools.
• Strong Excel, PowerPoint, and data‑analysis capabilities.
• Familiarity with large‑scale ERP environments such as SAP or comparable systems.

Why This Role

• Senior leadership position reporting directly to the VP of Tax .
• Ownership of significant federal tax controversy and IRS audit strategy .
• Broad exposure across controversy, planning, M&A, restructurings, and strategic transactions.
• Opportunity to influence the organization’s approach to tax risk and governance.
• Significant interaction with Legal, Finance, Treasury, and senior business leadership.
• Opportunity to mentor and influence tax professionals across a sophisticated multinational tax function.
• Competitive compensation with annual bonus and long‑term incentive eligibility.

Compensation & Benefits

• Base salary: $162,400 – $223,300
• Annual bonus eligibility.
• Long‑term incentive eligibility.
• Medical, dental, and vision coverage.
• 401(k) with company matching contributions.
• Life and disability insurance.
• Parental leave and additional wellbeing benefits.

Working Arrangement

• Based in St. Louis, Missouri.
• Five days per week onsite.

Equal Opportunity

The hiring organization is committed to providing equal employment opportunities and reasonable accommodations to qualified applicants in accordance with applicable law.