Technical Director, Sales and Use Tax

As a team member in Finance at Nationwide, a Fortune 100 company with nearly $70 billion in annual sales, the opportunities are endless! Let Nationwide help create your career journey! At Nationwide®, “on your side” goes beyond just words. Our customers are at the center of everything we do and we’re looking for associates who are passionate about delivering extraordinary care.

Position Summary
The Tax Director is responsible for leading the company’s sales and use tax and
personal property tax functions, with accountability for compliance, planning, legislative
monitoring, and audit management. This role provides strategic and technical
leadership to help ensure tax obligations are met accurately and timely, tax positions
are well supported, and tax risks and planning opportunities are identified and
addressed proactively.

Key Responsibilities
Compliance
• Lead all sales and use tax and personal property tax compliance activities,
including return preparation, filings, payments, and notices
• Oversee the accuracy, completeness, and timeliness of tax data, calculations,
accruals, reconciliations, and supporting documentation
• Establish and maintain processes and controls to support compliance with state
and local tax requirements
• Review taxability determinations for purchases, leases, software, services, fixed
assets, and other transactions
• Manage exemption certificate administration and other documentation required to
support tax positions
• Monitor compliance calendars, notices, registrations, and jurisdictional
requirements to help ensure all obligations are met
Planning
• Identify and lead tax planning opportunities related to sales and use tax and
personal property tax
• Evaluate transaction flows, systems, sourcing, and operational changes to
improve tax efficiency and reduce risk.

It is our intention to fill this role in Columbus, Ohio. However, on occasion, applications from candidates working remotely who bring critical industry skills and relevant experience may be considered. If the candidate is located in Columbus, you will be required to come into the office two days per week.

This role does not qualify for employer sponsored work authorization. Nationwide does not participate in the STEM OPT extension program.

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Job Description Summary

Our team collaborates to deliver results that regularly surpass our goals, we reward creative ideas, adopt technology and emphasize continuous improvement. Do you have a flexible approach, willingness to view issues holistically and have a knack for organizing information and workflows? If so, we want to hear from you!
As a Director, you'll advise the tax planning function to arrange business transactions in a manner that will minimize tax liabilities at the federal and/or state and local levels to achieve the corporate objective for the transaction. We'll count on you to advise the filing of the applicable return(s) and coordinates, controls and settles audits for assigned companies. You'll minimize the enterprise tax liability through a detailed knowledge and application of the consolidated tax return rules and regulations, including related acquisitions, divestitures, and general corporate activity in consideration of current tax case law, regulations and pending tax legislation.

Job Description

Key Responsibilities: 

• Determines the implementation of tax modules in programs for the production of accounting data and operating results. The complexity of the tax structure requires an active involvement with any system which incorporates tax calculations or generates data for tax calculations.

• Consults on the preparation and review of the federal and state/local tax return for all assigned enterprise companies. Tax areas include life and property/casualty insurance, C Corporation, international and tax-exempt organizations.

• Coordinates all federal and state/local tax audits. Provides research for use in negotiated settlements for the most advantageous position for Nationwide. 

• Reviews analysis and reports. Leads legislative workload with existing compliance and planning. Develops personnel in the area of legislative activity.

• Advises the various accounting departments in the enterprise of the accurate tax reporting policies of financial data and on record maintenance for tax purposes.

• Interacts with other departments, to provide guidance from a tax perspective, for federal and state/local tax filing and review of documentation for examination by the IRS and other authorities.

• Resolves work assignments for the development of the tax provision for statutory and GAAP reports. Establishes teams to support the reporting processes. Responsible for developing staff understanding of accounting as well as tax law. Resolves tax issues with accounting and/or financial auditors. Reports on Sarbanes Oxley controls. 

• Authorizes tax payments and intercompany settlements.

• Analyzes the impact of federal taxes on the current direction of the assigned enterprise companies. This includes analysis and evaluation of the current and proposed tax law on the tax status of the companies as calculated from the current financial documents. This information is used as a base for the evaluation of the tax posture in the one-year operational and five-year strategic plans for operations and investments.

• Works with senior management in evaluating current and proposed business transactions by incorporating the tax impact in the analysis. This requires a review of all acquisitions, divestitures, inter-company transactions and reinsurance agreements.

• Advises associate management, including performance management, salary planning and administration, training and development, workflow planning, hiring and placement and disciplinary actions.

May perform other responsibilities as assigned.

Reporting Relationships: Reports to Tax Executive. Leads a team of Tax professionals.

Typical Skills and Experiences: 

Education: Undergraduate degree with studies in tax, law or accounting. Progress toward a master's degree in taxation.

License/Certification/Designation: CPA or J.D. is desired.

Experience: Minimum of eight years in insurance tax field for a life or multi-line insurance company, public accounting firm or law firm. Six years tax management experience.

Knowledge, Abilities and Skills: Proven knowledge of federal and state/local tax law. Knowledge of statutory and/or GAAP accounting. Knowledge of modeling and tax systems. Knowledge of research techniques. Ability to communicate as exemplified in position papers. Good verbal communication skills that allow a technical area to be understood by business unit executives. Ability to develop teams. Ability to negotiate with federal and state/local auditors as well as with business partners. Ability to evaluate tax laws and their impact on business operations.

Other criteria, including leadership skills, proficiencies and experiences may take precedence. 

Staffing exceptions to the above must be approved by the hiring manager’s leader and HR Business Partner.

Values: Regularly and consistently demonstrates Nationwide Values.

Job Conditions:

Overtime Eligibility: Not Eligible (Exempt)

Working Conditions: Normal office environment. Extended periods of non-standard and additional hours.

ADA: The above statements cover what are generally believed to be principal and essential functions of this job. Specific circumstances may allow or require some people assigned to the job to perform a somewhat different combination of duties.

Credit/Background Check: Due to the fiduciary accountabilities within this job, a valid credit and/or background check will be required as part of the selection process.

We currently anticipate accepting applications until 07/10/2026. However, we encourage early submissions, as the posting may close sooner if a strong candidate slate is identified before the deadline.

Benefits

We have an array of benefits to fit your needs, including: medical/dental/vision, life insurance, short and long term disability coverage, paid time off with newly hired associates receiving a minimum of 18 days paid time off each full calendar year pro-rated quarterly based on hire date, nine paid holidays, 8 hours of Lifetime paid time off, 8 hours of Unity Day paid time off, 401(k) with company match, company-paid pension plan, business casual attire, and more. To learn more about the benefits we offer, click here.

Nationwide is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive culture where everyone feels challenged, appreciated, respected and engaged. Nationwide prohibits discrimination and harassment and affords equal employment opportunities to employees and applicants without regard to any characteristic (or classification) protected by applicable law.

This position could be filled within any of the lower 48 U.S. states.

Smoke-Free Iowa Statement: Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company, its affiliates and subsidiaries comply with the Iowa Smokefree Air Act. Smoking is prohibited in all enclosed areas on or around company premises as well as company issued vehicles. The company offers designated smoking areas in which smoking is permitted at each individual location. The Act prohibits retaliation for reporting complaints or violations. For more information on the Iowa Smokefree Air Act, individuals may contact the Smokefree Air Act Helpline at 888-944-2247.

For NY residents please review the following state law information: Notice of Employee Rights, Protections, and Obligations LS740 (ny.gov) https://dol.ny.gov/system/files/documents/2022/02/ls740_1.pdf

NOTE TO EMPLOYMENT AGENCIES:

We value the partnerships we have built with our preferred vendors. Nationwide does not accept unsolicited resumes from employment agencies. All resumes submitted by employment agencies directly to any Nationwide employee or hiring manager in any form without a signed Nationwide Client Services Agreement on file and search engagement for that position will be deemed unsolicited in nature. No fee will be paid in the event the candidate is subsequently hired as a result of the referral or through other means.

Nationwide pays on a geographic-specific salary structure and placement within the actual starting salary range for this position will be determined by a number of factors including the skills, education, training, credentials and experience of the candidate; the scope, complexity and location of the role as well as the cost of labor in the market; and other conditions of employment. If a Sales job, Sales Incentives, based on performance goals are possible in addition to this range. Note on Compensation for Part-Time Roles: Please be aware that the salary ranges listed below reflect full-time compensation. Actual compensation may be prorated based on the number of hours worked relative to a full-time schedule.

The national salary range for Director, Tax : $138,000.00-$243,000.00

The expected starting salary range for Director, Tax : $138,000.00 - $206,000.00