SFTS R&D - Senior Associate

Job Description:
R&D TAX CREDITS - SENIOR ASSOCIATE/TAX CONSULTANT

POSITION SUMMARY

The Strategic Federal Tax Services (SFTS) - R&D tax credit team at Grant Thornton LLP uses specialized, national staff to conduct Research Tax Credit Studies. Our employees in this area enjoy rewarding careers as tax specialists in federal and state R&D credit rules. By properly identifying qualified research activities and associated costs, we help our clients maximize their investments in innovation and realize substantial tax savings. Grant Thornton's tax specialists have worked extensively in the research tax credit arena for more than 20 years. We have leveraged our years of experience to develop a turnkey approach - one that is designed to effectively calculate and authenticate research tax credits in a manner accepted by the IRS. We have helped clients claim credits ranging from $25,000 to $20 million and have commented and testified on behalf on the interests of our clients to the IRS and Treasury Department.

The Senior SFTS R&D Tax Associate researches tax issues, conducts fieldwork, and supports sales and marketing efforts. The SFTS R&D group consists of regional teams directed by a national leader. Each regional team may have some additional specific requirements that will be discussed during the course of the interview process.

In order to meet professional certification requirements and to ensure continued professional development, consulting staff will be provided opportunities to work in other lines of business such as the Assurance and Tax Compliance practices.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
The tasks presented below are general in nature. Additional specific tasks will be discussed during the interview.
-Adhere to the highest degree of professional standards and strict client confidentiality.
-Conduct fieldwork - Staff will conduct fieldwork specific to the consulting projects. Field work typically involves visiting the client location, touring client facilities, investigating relevant facts, analyzing accounting information, preparing cost lead schedules and cost summary schedules, completing appropriate tax computations, and preparing written reports summarizing the findings.
-Travel - Typically some travel is required to perform fieldwork. Staff travel is typically 8 to 10 days per month. Travel is dependent on staff location, size of the local market, particular line of business, etc.
-Legal research - Tax consulting by nature requires that staff become "experts" in a particular field of the tax law. Staff will conduct research both in general and client specific.
-Personal development - Staff will be required to read and study relevant tax material related to the specific line of business. In this way staff will become "experts" in the related field.
-Client communication - Staff will be required to communicate with clients both verbally and in written form.
-Manage workload - Staff will be required to "multi-task" and manage various project tasks at once. Project managers will be ultimately responsible for the overall project and deliverables. Staff are expected to initiate internal communication regarding status of tasks, relevant technical issues discovered, status of work load, expected due dates, etc. The tax consulting practice has less structure at the staff level then the traditional audit and tax compliance practices.
-Attend professional development and training sessions on a regular basis.
-Perform other job-related tasks as necessary.

Job Experience:
QUALIFICATIONS AND REQUIREMENTS
-Bachelor's degree in Accounting or Finance. Master's in Taxation preferred.
-Two to four years of experience in Accounting or Tax in public accounting or consulting.
-Basic understanding of income tax theory and tax return mechanics/preparation. Candidate need not be expert in preparing tax returns; however, a basic understanding of the mechanics of the tax return is required.
-Strong verbal communication. Candidate must demonstrate ability to clearly communicate verbally. Much of the tax consulting fieldwork requires staff to interview client personnel and verbal communication skills are critical.
-Strong writing skills. Candidate must demonstrate ability to clearly communicate through writing.
-Time management. Candidate must demonstrate ability to manage time, multi-task, and meet deadlines.
-Proficient in basic tax concepts. Candidate must demonstrate proficiency in understanding basic tax concepts (i.e. revenue deferral, federal vs. state law, credits vs. deductions, various definitions).
-Critical thinking.
-Teamwork. Candidate must demonstrate experience in working as a productive member of a team.
-Ability to work additional hours as needed and travel to various client sites. Candidate must be willing and able to travel approximately 8 to 10 days per month.

Searchable Keywords: SFTS R&D - Senior Associate / gj-mo

Minimum Education Required: Bachelor

Years of Experience Required: At Least 3 Years

Expected Travel Time: About 25%