Tax Director

Director of Tax

Chicago, IL | Hybrid: 3 days in the office, 2 days work from home

This is not a traditional tax oversight role. You’ll be the company’s in-house tax authority, with the autonomy to set strategy, make decisions, and build the infrastructure that supports a growing, global business.

You’ll own a broad tax portfolio across a multi-entity international structure, complex SaaS revenue streams, an active M&A pipeline, and private-equity ownership. You’ll lead one direct report and a network of external advisors, but more importantly, you’ll be the person the business turns to when the answer isn’t obvious.

This is a role for someone who enjoys breadth, complexity, and ownership. You’ll move between technical tax, strategic planning, M&A, international structuring, SaaS indirect tax, and executive-level partnership. You’ll have the opportunity to get ahead of issues, build processes, and directly influence how the company grows.

Responsibilities:

• Own the quarterly and annual ASC 740 provision, including current/deferred tax, valuation allowances, UTPs, RTPs, and ETR analysis.
• Lead tax disclosures, lender reporting, audit support, reconciliations, and provision-to-return processes.
• Build scalable tax controls and documentation aligned with the broader finance organization.
• Own the global tax compliance calendar across U.S. federal, state/local, and international jurisdictions.
• Lead external tax advisors, including scope, deliverables, quality, deadlines, and fees.
• Manage tax audits, notices, and controversies from initial inquiry through resolution.
• Monitor legislative and regulatory developments and translate changes into business implications.
• Own the global transfer pricing framework across intercompany services, IP, and cost-sharing arrangements.
• Lead documentation, local files, country-by-country reporting, intercompany charges, and true-ups.
• Advise on entity structure, cross-border transactions, cash repatriation, withholding taxes, treaty positions, and permanent establishment risk.
• Model and manage U.S. international tax positions including GILTI, FDII, BEAT, Subpart F, and foreign tax credits.
• Serve as the tax lead across acquisitions, from diligence and deal structuring through integration.
• Identify and quantify tax exposures and recommend deal structures and purchase agreement protections.
• Partner with Accounting on acquisition-related deferred taxes and integration.
• Drive tax planning around cash taxes, R&D credits, legal entity structure, and post-acquisition integration.
• Support executives and sponsor stakeholders with transaction and financing tax analysis.
• Own global indirect tax across sales/use tax, VAT/GST, and digital services taxes.
• Determine nexus and taxability across software, hosted services, data, and professional services.
• Lead tax engine configuration and optimization in partnership with Finance Systems and Revenue Operations.
• Manage exemptions, customer tax questions, voluntary disclosures, and historical exposure remediation.
• Lead and develop one direct report while building a function that scales through technology, automation, and process improvement.
• Partner with Legal, FP&A, Accounting, Revenue Operations, People, and business leaders to incorporate tax into decisions early.
• Translate complex tax issues into clear, actionable recommendations for executives and sponsor stakeholders.

Required Qualifications

• CPA and/or advanced tax degree.
• 15+ years of progressive corporate tax experience, including meaningful multinational in-house experience.
• Combination of public accounting and industry experience; Big 4 or large regional firm experience preferred.
• Technology, SaaS, fintech, or other high-growth environment.
• Deep, hands-on ASC 740 expertise with the ability to independently own and defend the provision.
• Strong transfer pricing and U.S. international tax experience within a global, multi-entity environment.
• Hands-on SaaS/software indirect tax experience, including nexus, taxability, and multi-jurisdiction compliance.
• M&A tax experience spanning diligence, structuring, and integration.
• Experience managing external advisors and co-sourced compliance.
• Private equity or sponsor-backed experience.
• NetSuite, Avalara, or tax provision software experience.
• EMEA and APAC tax exposure.
• SOX or SOX-adjacent controls experience.
• Strong executive communication skills and the ability to make sound decisions in ambiguous situations.

Why This Role Is Different

• True ownership: Serve as the internal tax expert and own the decisions, not just the process.
• Broad scope: Lead income tax, international tax, transfer pricing, indirect tax, tax provision, compliance, and planning.
• M&A exposure: Be the tax lead on acquisitions from diligence and structuring through integration.
• Global complexity: Navigate a multi-entity international structure across U.S., EMEA, and APAC jurisdictions.
• PE-backed environment: Partner with executive leadership and sponsor stakeholders on tax strategy, transactions, financing, and reporting.
• Build, don't just maintain: Strengthen the tax function through automation, scalable processes, controls, and smart use of external advisors.