Manager Corporate Tax

Company

Highmark Health

Job Summary

The Manager, Corporate Tax manages the tax compliance function for Highmark Health, Allegheny Health Network (AHN), affiliated tax-exempt entities, and related partnerships, joint ventures, employee benefit plans, limited liability companies, trusts, and other structures. The role oversees the preparation and filing of Forms 990, 990-T, and other federal, state, and local filings, ensuring compliance with applicable requirements for tax-exempt organizations. The Manager, Corporate Tax supervises tax compliance processes and staff, ensuring activities are completed accurately and on time and that positions taken are well supported and documented. This includes coordinating with external auditors and tax advisors, supporting audits and regulatory inquiries, and managing responses to tax notices. In addition, the Manager, Corporate Tax evaluates business activities, investments, and joint venture arrangements to identify and address tax-exempt compliance considerations, including unrelated business income (UBIT) and protection of exempt status. The role partners with Finance, Legal, and operational leadership to communicate tax implications and support business initiatives. This position also coordinates the resolution of tax controversies and leads the development, implementation, and continuous improvement of tax processes, controls, and compliance procedures.

Essential Responsibilities

• Communicate effectively: Identify senior management’s business objectives and identify tax strategies that will accomplish those objectives. Coordinate activities, make recommendations, and support decisions to ensure projects that require tax planning services can proceed to a resolution as quickly as possible. Defend existing tax strategies and positions against challenge or make appropriate and timely revisions to our tax positions when necessary. Coordinate the communication, education and implementation on all tax matters associated with evaluating business opportunities.
• Manage the tax function for the Company and its Affiliates: The Highmark Group must file a significant number of Federal, state and local returns, registrations, licenses and other filings. The Manager is expected to independently make the majority of decisions regarding recurring matters of tax and regulatory compliance. The incumbent must bring matters to the attention of the Director that have a major impact upon the tax liability of the company, that would impact corporate policy, or that would impact Highmark business strategies. However, the incumbent is expected to provide a detailed analysis of the business alternatives, the impacts of the alternatives, and a recommendation as to the best alternative. The Manager must integrate tax, statutory and GAAP knowledge bases in directing the Corporate Tax Department functions. This includes thousands of documents covering many different types of taxes (income, excise, sales and use, capital stock/franchise, property, international, business privilege, etc.) and many different varieties of each of those taxes from many different jurisdictions (federal, all states, a wide range of municipalities and international). Ensure the accurate calculation and preparation of monthly, quarterly, and annual tax accruals for the financial statements of the Highmark Group. Research and integrate tax, statutory, and GAAP issues, to identify available alternatives, and to communicate the results.
• Structure business transactions: Ensure the Highmark Group’s business transactions are structured to take advantage of opportunities and avoid the pitfalls inherent in tax law so that liability associated with all types of taxes is minimized. This means continuous assessment of all current tax positions assigned by the Director, Corporate Tax, which involves staying abreast of legislation, regulations, rulings and court cases affecting all types of taxation in a wide range of U.S. tax jurisdictions and certain international jurisdictions.
• Evaluate business opportunities: Coordinate the communication, education and implementation on all tax matters associated with evaluating business opportunities. This includes determining the tax implications then developing and possibly implementing tax planning strategies on all types of prospective business transactions for the Highmark Group. It involves consulting with all levels of management, supporting the operational staff, engaging and guiding the appropriate internal resources and directing outside counsel (when employed).
• Coordinate tax controversies: Coordinate the settlement of tax controversies, including management of activities related to tax litigation. This includes defending our tax positions on audit from a variety of taxing authorities, regulatory agencies, internal auditors and our external auditing firm.
• Process improvement: Coordinate the development, implementation and refinement of departmental processes and procedures. This includes documentation of major processes, risk assessments, design of adequate internal controls and compliance with testing procedures required under Sarbanes-Oxley Act - Section 404 and related auditing standards.
• Other duties: Other duties as assigned or requested.

Qualifications

Minimum

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting or related field, or relevant experience and/or education as determined by the company in lieu of bachelor's degree
• 7 years of tax compliance, planning and ASC 740 experience either in a corporate tax department or public accounting firm
• 3 years in a management or leadership role

Preferred

• Experience with tax-exempt organizations, including preparation and review of Forms 990 and 990-T, and analysis of unrelated business income (UBIT)
• Familiarity with healthcare systems, including tax-exempt compliance considerations related to hospitals, affiliates, and joint ventures
• Knowledge of federal, state, and local tax requirements impacting tax-exempt entities and partnerships
• Experience coordinating with external auditors, tax advisors, and regulatory agencies on compliance and audit matters
• Ability to assess business activities and transactions and communicate related tax implications to finance, legal, and operational leadership
• Understanding of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) and the ability to partner effectively with accounting teams
• CPA, Master’s Degree in Taxation, MBA, JD, or relevant advanced certification preferred

Skills

• Proven leadership skills – ability to motivate others to quickly achieve results in a matrixed environment.
• Uses knowledge of industry and market trends to develop and champion long-term strategies.
• Demonstrates the ability to effectively persuade others to listen, commit, and act on a new approach.
• Self-confident with an ability to accept and respond to challenges in a positive manner.
• Strong and effective verbal and written communication skills.
• Effectively presents complex topics in a concise manner to audiences at various levels and in various sizes.
• Broad understanding of business issues, metrics, organizational linkages and customer value.
• Successful experience in achieving results through people in a complex environment.
• Strong organizational and analytical skills in addition to project leadership and management skills.

Additional Details

Language (Other than English): None

Travel Requirement: 0% - 25%

Physical, Mental Demands and Working Conditions

• Position Type: Office-based
• Teaches / trains others regularly: Occasionally
• Travel regularly from the office to various work sites or from site-to-site: Rarely
• Works primarily out-of-the office selling products/services (sales employees): Never
• Physical work site required: Yes
• Lifting: up to 10 pounds: Constantly
• Lifting: 10 to 25 pounds: Occasionally
• Lifting: 25 to 50 pounds: Rarely

Disclaimer

The job description has been designed to indicate the general nature and essential duties and responsibilities of work performed by employees within this job title. It may not contain a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities, and qualifications required of employees to do this job.

Compliance Requirement

This job adheres to the ethical and legal standards and behavioral expectations as set forth in the code of business conduct and company policies. As a component of job responsibilities, employees may have access to covered information, cardholder data, or other confidential customer information that must be protected at all times. In connection with this, all employees must comply with both the Health Insurance Portability Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) as described in the Notice of Privacy Practices and Privacy Policies and Procedures as well as all data security guidelines established within the Company’s Handbook of Privacy Policies and Practices and Information Security Policy. Furthermore, it is every employee’s responsibility to comply with the company’s Code of Business Conduct. This includes but is not limited to adherence to applicable federal and state laws, rules, and regulations as well as company policies and training requirements. Highmark Health and its affiliates prohibit discrimination against qualified individuals based on their status as protected veterans or individuals with disabilities and prohibit discrimination against all individuals based on any category protected by applicable federal, state, or local law. California Consumer Privacy Act Employees, Contractors, and Applicants Notice