Associate Manager Tax Controversy

Job Description

Build your best future with the Johnson Controls team  

As a global leader in smart, healthy and sustainable buildings, our mission is to reimagine the performance of buildings to serve people, places and the planet.  Join a winning team that enables you to build your best future! Our teams are uniquely positioned to support a multitude of industries across the globe. You will have the opportunity to develop yourself through meaningful work projects and learning opportunities. We strive to provide our employees with an experience, focused on supporting their physical, financial, and emotional wellbeing. Become a member of the Johnson Controls family and thrive in an empowering company culture where your voice and ideas will be heard – your next great opportunity is just a few clicks away! 

What we offer  

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• Competitive salary 
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• Paid vacation/holidays/sick time 
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• Comprehensive benefits package including 401K, medical, dental, and vision care 
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• On the job/cross training opportunities 
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• Encouraging and collaborative team environment 
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• Dedication to safety through our Zero Harm policy 
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What You Will Do

Under the general direction of the Tax Counsel, Tax Controversy, you’ll play a key role in end-to-end US federal and state tax controversy—owning issues from initial request to resolution. You’ll research and defend the company’s technical positions, help shape audit strategy, partner with cross-functional teams to deliver clear, timely responses, and support day-to-day relationships with tax authorities. If you’re a CPA or lawyer who thrives in fast-moving, high-visibility work, this is a chance to jump in and make an immediate impact on active disputes.

How You Will Do It

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• Drive responses to tax authority requests and notices (e.g., IDRs, NOPAs, proposed adjustments, protests), ensuring accuracy, consistency, and a strong technical story.
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• Own controversy documentation: organize workpapers, correspondence, and issue trackers using audit management tools.
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• Build strong relationships across Treasury, Legal, HR, and business stakeholders to quickly translate facts into defensible tax positions.
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• Research and analyze complex federal tax issues—plus select international and transfer pricing topics—to support positions, quantify exposure, and evaluate settlement options.
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• Coordinate with external advisors to align on strategy, manage deliverables, and keep matters moving toward resolution.
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• Spot opportunities to streamline—improving templates, trackers, and workflows—and leverage technology to raise the quality and speed of our controversy support.
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• Partner with tax planning, transfer pricing, compliance, and finance to build audit-ready files and deliver crisp, well-supported responses to IRS and state inquiries.
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Why You’ll Love This Role

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• High-visibility ownership: you’ll run real issues end-to-end and see your work directly influence audit outcomes.
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• A strong fit for Big 4 or Big law talent: bring your federal technical chops and client-service instincts in-house—without losing the pace or complexity.
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• Cross-functional exposure: partner with planning, transfer pricing, finance, legal, and business teams to build fact patterns and craft positions.
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• Room to build: help improve templates, trackers, and processes—leaving the function stronger than you found it.
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What We Look For

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• 4+ years of experience in public accounting (Big 4 strongly preferred) or in-house, with a focus on US federal corporate tax; controversy/exam experience is a plus.
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• CPA, admission to the bar of at least one state, or other professional certification strongly preferred.
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• Excellent project management and organizational skills, with the ability to prioritize and handle multiple competing deadlines.
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• Self-motivated and an ability to work independently.
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• Comfort with common tax/accounting systems and audit/controversy tools (e.g., Corptax, HFM/OneStream, Bloomberg Corporate Tax Analyzer, Deloitte Tax Controversy Manager, or similar).
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• Clear, confident communicator who can distill technical issues for both tax and non-tax audiences.
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• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills to effectively handle and resolve tax-related issues.
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• Ability to maintain strong working relationships with internal stakeholders, external advisors, and tax authorities.
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HIRING SALARY RANGE: $100,000 - $134,000 (Salary to be determined by the education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities of the applicant, internal equity, and alignment with market data.) This position includes a competitive benefits package. The posted salary range reflects the target compensation for this role. However, we recognize that exceptional candidates may bring unique skills and experiences that exceed the typical profile. If you believe your background warrants consideration beyond the stated range, we encourage you to apply. To support an efficient and fair hiring process, we may use technology assisted tools, including artificial intelligence (AI), to help identify and evaluate candidates. All hiring decisions are ultimately made by human reviewers. For details, please visit the About Us tab on the

Johnson Controls Careers site at -us

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