Senior Tax Manager

Job Details:

Job Title: Senior Tax Manager

Location: Washington, D.C. (Hybrid)

Department: Corporate Finance & Accounting

Reports To: Vice President of Tax / Chief Financial Officer

About the Role

We are seeking an experienced and strategic Senior Tax Manager to lead our corporate tax strategy, compliance, and planning operations. Operating out of our Washington, D.C. headquarters, you will oversee federal, state, local, and multi-jurisdictional tax functions for major engineering, infrastructure, and federal contracting projects.

This role serves as a key financial partner to executive leadership, ensuring compliance with evolving tax regulations while optimizing tax efficiency across large-scale engineering joint ventures and public-private partnerships.

Key Responsibilities

Tax Compliance & Reporting

• Lead the preparation and review of domestic federal, state, and local corporate income, franchise, sales/use, and gross receipts tax returns.
• Oversee the quarterly and annual ASC 740 income tax provision calculations and financial statement disclosures.
• Manage multi-state tax exposure related to nationwide engineering projects, including nexus determinations and state apportionment strategy.
• Ensure strict tax compliance with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) standards and Cost Accounting Standards (CAS) applicable to government contracting projects.

Tax Strategy & Engineering Industry Planning

• Structure joint venture (JV) agreements, consortiums, and sub-contractor arrangements to maximize tax efficiency and minimize risk.
• Identify and capture tax incentives, including R&D tax credits (Section 41) for engineering innovations and energy efficiency incentives (e.g., Section 179D).
• Advise executive leadership on the tax implications of major project bids, mergers and acquisitions (M&A), and corporate restructuring.

Audits, Governance & Risk Management

• Act as the primary liaison for federal (IRS) and state tax authority audits, notices, and examinations.
• Maintain strong internal controls over the tax function in compliance with SOX / corporate governance standards.
• Monitor federal and state tax legislation (with emphasis on Mid-Atlantic and D.C. metro regulations) to proactively adjust corporate tax strategy.

Team Leadership & Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Supervise, mentor, and develop a team of internal tax analysts and accountants.
• Partner with project accounting, legal, and government relations teams to align corporate tax initiatives with overall business objectives.
• Manage relationships with external tax advisors and Big 4 accounting consultants.

Required Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field. A Master of Science in Taxation (MST) or Master of Taxation is strongly preferred.
• Certification: Certified Public Accountant (CPA) license required (D.C., VA, or MD active status preferred).
• Experience: 8–12+ years of progressive corporate tax experience in public accounting (Big 4 / regional) or a large corporate tax department.
• Industry Focus: Proven experience in engineering, construction, government contracting, or related project-based industries.
• Technical Knowledge: Strong expertise in ASC 740, federal corporate tax, complex partnership/JV structures, and multi-state taxation.

Preferred Qualifications

• Familiarity with government contracting regulations (FAR / CAS) and allowable cost structures.
• Experience claiming R&D credits (Section 41) or energy deduction incentives (Section 179D).
• Proficiency in enterprise tax software (e.g., Corptax, ONESOURCE) and ERP systems (e.g., Deltek Costpoint, SAP, Oracle).