Head of Tax - Family Office

Position Overview

Korn Ferry has partnered with a one of the wealthiest single family offices to find a Head of Tax to lead all tax matters across the family office, investment entities, operating businesses, trusts, partnerships, and personal wealth structures.

Reporting directly to the Chief Financial Officer, the Head of Tax will serve as the family's senior tax advisor and internal subject-matter expert, working closely with the CFO, investment professionals, attorneys, external tax advisors, and other trusted professionals.

This is a highly visible role requiring sophisticated technical expertise, sound judgment, discretion, and the ability to translate complex tax matters into clear, actionable recommendations for senior stakeholders.

The successful candidate will bring experience from a Big Four accounting firm and/or a sophisticated single-family office serving an ultra-high-net-worth individual or family . Experience advising UHNW individuals, complex private investment structures, family-owned businesses, trusts, estates, and multi-generational wealth is highly valued.

Key Responsibilities

Tax Strategy & Family Advisory

• Serve as the senior internal tax authority for the family, family office, and related entities.
• Develop and implement comprehensive tax strategies across the family's investments, operating businesses, trusts, estates, and personal holdings.
• Advise the CFO and family members on the tax implications of significant investments, transactions, liquidity events, restructurings, and wealth transfers.
• Partner with estate-planning attorneys and external advisors on sophisticated estate, gift, trust, and succession-planning strategies.
• Monitor changes in federal, state, local, and international tax legislation and proactively identify opportunities and risks.
• Provide clear, concise recommendations to the CFO and family on complex tax issues.

Investment & Transaction Tax

• Oversee tax considerations related to a diverse portfolio of investments, including private equity, venture capital, hedge funds, real estate, credit, public securities, and direct investments.
• Evaluate tax implications of new investments, acquisitions, dispositions, restructurings, and financing transactions.
• Partner with the investment team to incorporate tax considerations into investment decisions and portfolio strategy.
• Review partnership structures, K-1s, allocations, capital accounts, and complex investment tax matters.
• Advise on tax-efficient structuring of new investments and liquidity events.

Family Office Tax Operations

• Oversee preparation and review of federal, state, local, and international tax filings for individuals, trusts, partnerships, foundations, LLCs, and other family entities.
• Manage relationships with external Big Four and/or specialist tax advisors.
• Ensure accurate and timely tax compliance across the family enterprise.
• Establish appropriate processes, controls, calendars, and documentation for tax compliance and reporting.
• Review tax returns, estimates, tax projections, K-1s, and other tax deliverables for accuracy and completeness.
• Coordinate closely with the CFO and accounting team to ensure tax and financial reporting are fully integrated.

Wealth Transfer, Trust & Estate Planning

• Collaborate with estate-planning counsel on sophisticated wealth-transfer strategies.
• Provide tax expertise regarding trusts, GRATs, sales to trusts, family partnerships, charitable structures, and other wealth-planning vehicles.
• Support multi-generational planning and succession strategies.
• Evaluate gift, estate, generation-skipping transfer, and income-tax considerations associated with family wealth structures.
• Partner with philanthropic advisors regarding tax-efficient charitable giving and family foundations.

Tax Risk Management & Governance

• Identify and proactively manage tax risks across the family enterprise.
• Ensure appropriate governance around tax positions, elections, disclosures, and documentation.
• Manage federal, state, and local tax audits and examinations.
• Maintain the highest standards of confidentiality, professionalism, and discretion.

External Advisor Management

• Serve as the primary internal point of contact for external tax advisors.
• Direct and manage relationships with Big Four firms, law firms, specialty tax advisors, and other professional service providers.
• Ensure external advisors are appropriately scoped, challenged, and held accountable.
• Evaluate the quality and cost-effectiveness of external tax services.

Qualifications

Required

• 10+ years of progressive tax experience , ideally combining Big Four and/or sophisticated single-family office experience.
• Must have Big Four experience and/or currently be working in a sophisticated single-family office serving an UHNW individual or family.
• Significant experience advising ultra-high-net-worth individuals and families .
• Deep technical knowledge of U.S. federal income tax, partnership taxation, trusts, estates, gift tax, and wealth-transfer planning.
• Experience with complex investment structures and private investments.
• Proven ability to manage sophisticated external tax advisors and professional service providers.
• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Tax, or a related discipline.
• CPA, JD, LLM in Tax, or equivalent advanced tax credentials strongly preferred.
• Exceptional analytical, communication, and relationship-management skills.
• Demonstrated ability to handle highly confidential information with absolute discretion.