Senior Manager, State Tax Operations

Your Opportunity as the Senior Manager, State Tax Operations:

Become a key leadership role within the Tax Department, responsible for overseeing the company's domestic state and local tax compliance, planning, and audit functions. This role ensures the accurate and timely filing of all state and local income and franchise tax returns, manages the company's state tax footprint, and leads efforts related to tax incentives, audits, and controversy resolution. The ideal candidate will bring deep technical expertise, strong leadership skills, and a strategic mindset to support the company's growth and compliance objectives.

Location: Orrville, OH

Work Arrangements: Hybrid - onsite a minimum of 9 days a month primarily during core weeks as determined by the Company; maybe more as business need requires

In this role you will:

State and Local Tax Compliance & Operations

• Lead the preparation, review, and timely filing of all state and local income and franchise tax returns (including extensions and estimated payments), including effectively managing in-house resources and external co-sourcing providers, appropriately leveraging and optimizing the use of tax compliance software and technology tools.

• Support the preparation and review of certain aspects of the overall federal compliance process, as appropriate

• Ensure compliance with all applicable state and local tax laws and regulations.

• Oversee the annual state tax provision process in accordance with ASC 740.

• Support the interim/quarterly state tax provision process to ensure accurate tax amounts are reported in the Company's financial statements and related disclosures, including: forecasting annual state effective tax rate and state-specific discrete effective tax rate items, and reviewing state general ledger account reconciliations.

• Effectively execute internal controls over the financial reporting of state and local taxes on a quarterly and annual basis.

• Provide insight and support for queries and notices on an ongoing basis.

Audit & Controversy Management

• Lead the defense of state and local tax audits, including managing information requests, coordinating responses, and negotiating settlements.

• Maintain documentation and support for tax positions taken on returns, including conducting ad hoc tax research and preparing technical memoranda to support state and local tax positions.

State Tax Planning & Strategy

• Monitor legislative and regulatory developments affecting state and local taxation.

• Evaluate and implement tax planning strategies to minimize state tax liabilities and support business initiatives.

• Analyze the state tax impact of strategic business transactions, including mergers, acquisitions, plant and distribution optimizations, reorganizations, and business process/systems integrations.

• Proactively anticipate and/or effectively react to changes in business activities and state tax laws that create tax risks by proposing restructuring solutions or business changes, as appropriate.

State Tax Footprint & Nexus Management

• Maintain and monitor the company's state tax nexus footprint, including economic and physical presence.

• Collaborate with business units and legal to assess and manage state tax exposure related to new markets, facilities, and operations.

Tax Incentives & Credits

• Identify and pursue state and local tax incentives, credits, and grants, in partnership with operations and supply chain leadership.

• Collaborate closely with internal indirect tax and payroll teams to track and deliver incentives compliance requirements across all contracts, including engaging and managing external providers as necessary.

• Partner with internal government relations and legal teams, as well as state and local economic development teams to support incentive negotiations and compliance.

Leadership & Collaboration

• Directly manage and develop a team of 1 to 3 tax professionals, providing ongoing coaching, performance feedback, and career development, and indirectly mentor/coach approximately 5-7 other tax department members.

• Support internal and external audit requirements.

Right Place for You

We are bold, kind, strive to do the right thing, we play to win, and we believe in a strong community that thrives together. Our culture is rooted in our Basic Beliefs, and we believe in supporting every employee by meeting their physical, emotional, and financial needs.

What we are looking for:

Minimum Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field.

• 8+ years of progressive experience in state and local taxation, preferably in a multi-state corporate tax department with a complex legal entity structure (public company preferred) and/or Big Four public accounting firm.

• Strong technical knowledge of state and local income/franchise tax laws, regulations, and compliance requirements.

• Experience with tax provision (ASC 740) and tax provision / compliance software (e.g., OneSource, Oracle Tax Provision Cloud Solution).

• Excellent analytical, communication, and leadership skills. Executive presence required.

• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a dynamic environment, and enthusiasm for flowing to new and interesting project work.

• Proficient in driving intra-team and cross-functional collaboration with internal teams (including senior management and all other levels) in Finance, HR, Legal, and Operations.

• Strong project management, staff development, and process improvement skills, with a demonstrated enthusiasm for continuous improvement across multiple processes and activities (inclusive of technology optimization).

• Excellent organization, analytical, and presentation skills.

• Proficient in advanced Microsoft Excel features.

• Very strong attention to detail and focus on accuracy of work.

Additional skills and experience that we think would make someone successful in this role:

• CPA or MST

• Working knowledge of federal corporate income tax matters

• Familiarity with indirect taxes (e.g., sales/use, property) is preferred and a key potential future growth and development opportunity

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