Client Tax Operations Compliance Manager

We're seeking someone to join our team as a Tax Compliance Manager in WM Operations to lead a critical global tax compliance program that enables Morgan Stanley's regulatory obligations while supporting business growth, innovation, and emerging initiatives.

In the Operations division, we partner with business units across the Firm to support financial transactions, devise and implement effective controls and develop client relationships.

This is a Director Advanced Specialist position at the P4 job level within Risk, Regulatory & Resilience, which performs various independent functions to ensure adequate controls are in place. We do this by providing an integrated risk and control framework to govern, assess, mitigate and manage financial and operational risk in Operations.

Since 1935, Morgan Stanley is known as a global leader in financial services, always evolving and innovating to better serve our clients and our communities in more than 40 countries around the world.

What you'll do in the role:
- Lead the execution and ongoing enhancement of the Responsible Officer (RO) Compliance Program supporting FATCA, FFI, QI, and QDD regulatory obligations. Program activities include compliance testing, control assessments, sub-certification collection, issue management, and delivery of Global Tax Compliance Awareness Training.
- Lead the preparation and execution of triennial IRS Responsible Officer certifications, including evaluating compliance program results, coordinating independent reviews, engaging senior stakeholders, and driving consensus on certification conclusions and regulatory submissions.
- Identify, assess, and escalate compliance risks, control gaps, and remediation activities as appropriate.
- Partner with Tax Operations, Tax Legal, Technology, and external stakeholders to strengthen controls and deliver sustainable compliance solutions.
- Assess the impact of new business initiatives, products, and regulatory developments - including digital assets - on the RO Compliance Program, and lead the design and implementation of governance controls and processes necessary to support business growth and ongoing RO compliance obligations.
- Drive strategic initiatives to enhance program effectiveness through process optimization, governance improvements, and automation.
- Prepare and deliver executive-level reporting, metrics, and presentations to senior management and key governance forums.
- Develop staff, lead projects and control deployment of resources, owning management tools/methods such as work queues, checklists, depth charts and calendars
- Set direction and expectations for your team(s), defining training plans and transfer of expert knowledge to contribute to team output and development
- Contribute to business plan for area, establish risk/contingency plans, raise and address issues with urgency when required
- Build and manage relationships with business unit partners, other Morgan Stanley infrastructure departments, and external contact points in Client or Market organizations What you'll bring to the role:
- Strong relationship building skills serving as a role model for client service
- Ability to think commercially, understand the impact of initiatives, risks on the operational budget
- Experience in managing teams, enhancing control, continuous improvement and reducing operational risk
- Culture carrier and role model, representing and leading the Firm's core values to influence and motivate those around you
- Strong knowledge of U.S. tax withholding, reporting, and compliance requirements, including IRS Chapters 3, 4 (FATCA), and 61; familiarity with Qualified Intermediary (QI) and Qualified Derivatives Dealer (QDD) requirements preferred
- Strong program management skills with experience leading complex, cross-functional initiatives and delivering against strict deadlines
- Exceptional analytical, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills, including the ability to assess risk and exercise sound judgment.
- Strong executive presence with excellent verbal, written, presentation, and stakeholder management skills.
- Advanced proficiency in MS Excel, PowerPoint, Word, and CoPilot
- Experience with data analytics and end-user automation tools (e.g., Power BI, Alteryx) preferred
- Experience with digital assets, emerging products, or new business initiatives preferred.
- Must obtain Series 99 license if supervising a covered function [RECRUITER to confirm with HM during intake meeting]
- At least 6 years' relevant experience would generally be expected to find the skills required for this role.

We are committed to maintaining the first-class service and high standard of excellence that have defined Morgan Stanley for over 85 years. At our foundation are five core values — putting clients first, doing the right thing, leading with exceptional ideas, committing to diversity and inclusion, and giving back — that guide our more than 80,000 employees in 1,200 offices across 42 countries.
At Morgan Stanley, you’ll find trusted colleagues, committed mentors and a culture that values diverse perspectives, individual intellect and cross-collaboration. Our Firm is differentiated by the caliber of our diverse team, while our company culture and commitment to inclusion define our legacy and shape our future, helping to strengthen our business and bring value to clients around the world. Learn more about how we put this commitment to action: morganstanley.com/diversity
We are proud to support our employees and their families at every point along their work-life journey, offering some of the most attractive and comprehensive employee benefits and perks in the industry.

Morgan Stanley's goal is to build and maintain a workforce that is diverse in experience and background but uniform in reflecting our standards of integrity and excellence. Consequently, our recruiting efforts reflect our desire to attract and retain the best and brightest from all talent pools. We want to be the first choice for prospective employees.
It is the policy of the Firm to ensure equal employment opportunity without discrimination or harassment on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, age, sex, sex stereotype, gender, gender identity or expression, transgender, sexual orientation, national origin, citizenship, disability, marital and civil partnership/union status, pregnancy, veteran or military service status, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by law.
Morgan Stanley is an equal opportunity employer committed to diversifying its workforce (M/F/Disability/Vet).

 

WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT FROM MORGAN STANLEY:

At Morgan Stanley, we raise, manage and allocate capital for our clients – helping them reach their goals. We do it in a way that’s differentiated – and we’ve done that for 90 years. Our values - putting clients first, doing the right thing, leading with exceptional ideas, committing to diversity and inclusion, and giving back - aren’t just beliefs, they guide the decisions we make every day to do what's best for our clients, communities and more than 80,000 employees in 1,200 offices across 42 countries. At Morgan Stanley, you’ll find an opportunity to work alongside the best and the brightest, in an environment where you are supported and empowered. Our teams are relentless collaborators and creative thinkers, fueled by their diverse backgrounds and experiences. We are proud to support our employees and their families at every point along their work-life journey, offering some of the most attractive and comprehensive employee benefits and perks in the industry. There’s also ample opportunity to move about the business for those who show passion and grit in their work.

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Expected base pay rates for the role will be $120,000.00-$172,500.00 per year at the commencement of employment. However, base pay if hired will be determined on an individualized basis and is only part of the total compensation package, which, depending on the position, may also include commission earnings, incentive compensation, discretionary bonuses, other short and long-term incentive packages, and other Morgan Stanley sponsored benefit programs.

Morgan Stanley is an equal opportunity employer committed to building and maintaining a workforce that is diverse in experience and background. Our recruiting efforts reflect our strong commitment to a culture of inclusion, where individuals are hired, developed, and advanced based on their skills and talents.

Our workforce reflects a broad cross-section of the global communities in which we operate, bringing a variety of backgrounds, talents, perspectives, and experiences.

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