Director, Domestic Tax

Job Description

Job Description

Scholar Rock is delivering muscle-targeted breakthroughs to transform the treatment of spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) and other rare neuromuscular diseases where muscle atrophy remains a critical unmet need.

As a global leader in myostatin biology, a field focused on proteins that regulate muscle mass, the biopharmaceutical company is named for the visual resemblance of a scholar rock to protein structures. Our commitment to unlock fundamentally different treatment approaches is powered by broad application of a proprietary platform, which has developed novel monoclonal antibodies to modulate protein growth factors with extraordinary selectivity. Scholar Rock works every day to create new possibilities for patients through its highly innovative anti-myostatin program, including opportunities in additional rare neuromuscular diseases. Learn more about our neuromuscular franchise at ScholarRock.com and follow @ScholarRock on X and on LinkedIn.

Summary of Position:

We are looking for an experienced Domestic Tax professional to join our growing tax team. The Director, Domestic Tax will report to the Vice President, Tax and can be based in our Cambridge, MA or Miami, FL office. In this role, you will lead Scholar Rock’s U.S. federal, state, and local direct tax accounting, compliance, planning, and controversy activities, as well as U.S. sales and use tax and other domestic indirect taxes. The role owns the domestic components of the quarterly and annual income tax provision, the consolidated U.S. federal income tax return, multistate compliance, domestic audit defense, and U.S. tax planning. The Director, Domestic Tax also serves as the overall Tax workstream lead for the ERP implementation and related finance transformation initiatives.

Position Responsibilities

U.S. Tax Provision and Financial Reporting

• Lead the U.S. federal and state components of the quarterly and annual income tax provision under ASC 740.
• Oversee current and deferred tax expense, domestic tax balance sheet accounts, effective tax rate items, tax account reconciliations, return-to-provision calculations, and provision-to-return adjustments.
• Own deferred tax calculations for net operating losses, research expenditures under Section 174, R&D and orphan drug credits, Section 163(j), fixed assets, stock-based compensation, clinical and compensation accruals, and other domestic temporary differences.
• Lead domestic valuation allowance and uncertain tax position analyses and maintain complete, audit-ready support.
• Support income tax disclosures, external audit requests, and management reporting related to domestic tax matters.

 

U.S. Federal and State Compliance

• Own the consolidated U.S. federal income tax return, including workpapers, elections, disclosures, estimates, extensions, payments, and filing governance.
• Incorporate U.S. international calculations and information returns as prepared by advisors or other members of the Tax team.
• Lead state and local income and franchise tax compliance, including combined, consolidated, unitary, and separate-company filings.
• Review nexus, apportionment, state modifications, filing methodologies, tax attributes, credits, incentives, and payment requirements.
• Maintain the domestic compliance calendar, data collection process, review standards, and oversight of external and co-sourced providers.

 

U.S. Tax Planning and Business Advisory

• Identify and implement U.S. federal and state tax planning opportunities aligned with the Company's strategy and risk profile.
• Advise on the U.S. tax treatment of R&D, clinical trials, research credits, Section 174 capitalization, stock-based compensation, executive compensation, manufacturing incentives, product launches, and commercial operations.
• Analyze licensing, collaboration, milestone, royalty, co-development, product acquisition, and commercialization arrangements from a domestic tax perspective.
• Monitor U.S. federal and state legislative developments, assess financial and operational impacts, and lead implementation.
• Prepare technical memoranda supporting material domestic tax positions and transactions.

 

Audits and Controversy

• Lead U.S. federal and state income and franchise tax examinations, notices, information requests, protests, appeals, settlement negotiations, and litigation support.
• Coordinate with the Vice President, Tax on examinations involving transfer pricing or U.S. international tax matters.
• Ensure examination outcomes are reflected in the provision, returns, forecasts, controls, and process improvements.

 

U.S. Sales and Use Tax and Other Domestic Indirect Taxes

Candidate Qualification

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance or Taxation, or a related field.
• CPA, MST, Master of Accounting, JD, or another relevant advanced credential.
• 12+ years of corporate tax experience with significant ASC 740 and domestic tax provision responsibility.
• Reviewer-level experience with consolidated U.S. federal and multistate income tax compliance.
• Strong knowledge of U.S. federal, state, and local tax law, including tax controversy.
• Experience overseeing U.S. sales and use tax compliance and audits.
• Experience leading or materially supporting an ERP implementation or major finance transformation.
• Strong understanding of SOX, tax controls, tax technology, and data governance.
• Strong project management, analytical, technical writing, and executive communication skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Combination of public accounting and in-house corporate tax experience.
• Public company and multinational biotechnology, pharmaceutical, medical device, or life sciences experience.
• Experience with R&D credits, Section 174, Section 163(j), stock-based compensation, state incentives, licensing, product launches, and domestic M&A.
• Experience with SAP, ONESOURCE, Corptax, Vertex, Avalara, Alteryx, or comparable tools.

Scholar Rock is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees .