Tax Planning Lead
Financial Statement Optimization (FSO) is a new team within Financial Planning and Analysis composed of professionals with diverse backgrounds in actuarial science, capital management, consulting, investment banking and tax planning, among other disciplines. FSO is responsible for identifying and executing opportunities to optimize MassMutual’s financial position and results and to create enduring value through capital markets transactions, reinsurance, structured transactions, tax planning and similar initiatives. FSO is a vital partner to MassMutual’s enterprise strategy, corporate development and competitive market intelligence team.
FSO is also building an enterprise cost of capital framework and developing returns measures, including return on equity and return on invested capital, to inform future capital allocation and planning.
Tax planning is a core component of the FSO solution. The Tax Planning Lead will lead various U.S. and international tax planning projects, including reorganizations, strategic business initiatives and other actions that affect MassMutual’s income tax provision.
This is a unique opportunity for in-depth technical training. Development will be a key focus in this role as we look to broaden our tax planning expertise in FSO. The candidate will spend a significant amount of time on research and in 'shadowing' the Tax Planning Leader in support of this goal. A high degree of intellectual curiosity and creativity are required to be successful in this position.
This individual should excel at working collaboratively and across functions with both peers and leaders within and outside the finance function. This individual needs to be able to distill and translate complex tax and financial issues into 'plain English' while answering the 'so what?'. Finally, things move very quickly at MassMutual and especially within Financial Planning and Analysis, and so this individual must be able to 'roll with it'.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Lead internal and external reorganizations, tax planning and tax consulting initiatives
- Research tax legal and tax accounting impacts and document conclusions in writing; present to senior leadership as needed
- Prepare tax impact models and work closely with the tax compliance group to ensure proper reporting of tax planning initiatives and non-routine transactions
- Draft tax technical and accounting memorandums for highly significant transactions and planning initiatives
- Meet with external auditors to present and discuss impacts of planning and potential transactions on MassMutual’s tax returns and income tax provision
- Prepare related tax return disclosure documents
- Focus on continuous learning and keeping up-to-date on all relevant tax law changes
- Identify tax related risks and opportunities and propose solutions
QUALIFICATIONS:
- Ten or more years of total experience (or the equivalent) with 'Big 4' accounting or major law firm experience preferred
- MBA, JD and-or related degree
- Able to serve as a trusted advisor to C-suite on complex, 'high dollar' tax considerations across a wide range of accounting, capital management, investments, mergers and acquisitions, domestic and international activities
- Excellent analytical and organizational skills with prior experience leading important reorganizations, tax planning and tax consulting initiatives
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including prior experience writing tax memorandums, with the ability to express his or her ideas in an articulate, organized and persuasive manner
- Performs well in a matrix organization and able to bridge different working styles and help to resolve conflicts between team members and others
- Able to assume team leadership responsibilities in the future
- Strong knowledge of ASC 740 tax accounting concepts
- Knowledge of U.S. international tax law preferred
- Proficient in Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint and Word
- Able to work well under pressure and manage multiple deliverables
- Experience working closely with tax attorneys is also a plus