Director, Tax

Corcept Therapeutics•Redwood City, CA

About The Position

The Director, Tax, fully owns and scales Corcept’s tax function, operating independently and making substantive decisions on tax strategy, risk posture, and resource allocation. The role will develop and execute a strategic vision for the tax function aligned with corporate goals and international expansion, and will advise executive leadership on tax matters. The Director will lead cross-functional change initiatives, manage external tax advisors, and decide which work should be handled internally or outsourced. The position leads tax matters related to international commercial expansion, including entity structuring, permanent establishment risk, market-entry strategy, transfer pricing, intercompany agreements, VAT/GST compliance, global mobility, and cross-border cash management and repatriation. It monitors evolving international tax legislation and balances tax optimization with compliance risk. The Director oversees tax accounting under U.S. GAAP, including quarterly and annual income tax provisions under ASC 740 and uncertain tax positions under FIN 48. The role also manages tax close processes, tax return filings and estimates, R&D tax credits and other incentives, audits and SOX Section 404 compliance, and compliance with income, sales and use, property, and VAT taxes. Additional duties include improving tax technology, advising on tax implications of commercial and vendor agreements, and supporting corporate development, M&A integration, and post-acquisition tax optimization. This is a headquarters-based position. The stated pay range is $215,000–$260,000. Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Economics, or a related field.
CPA.
10–12 years of progressive tax experience, including a combination of Big 4 public accounting and in-house corporate tax roles.
Demonstrated experience leading a tax function at a pharmaceutical company.
Deep expertise in U.S. GAAP tax provision (ASC 740), SOX compliance, and SEC reporting requirements related to income taxes and related disclosures.
Thorough knowledge of income tax return filing requirements in a multistate reporting environment.
Substantial international tax experience, including transfer pricing, cross-border structuring, BEPS/Pillar Two, and multi-jurisdictional compliance.
Experience with M&A tax due diligence and transaction structuring.
Currently authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis.

Nice To Haves

Master’s in Taxation (MST/MBT).

Responsibilities

Own the tax function end-to-end, making substantive decisions on tax strategy, risk posture, and resource allocation.
Develop and execute a strategic vision for scaling and transforming the tax function in alignment with corporate goals and international expansion.
Support ad hoc tax modeling and scenario analysis for strategic initiatives.
Advise executive leadership on tax matters, build business cases, present tax data and scenarios, and secure executive buy-in.
Lead cross-functional tax meetings and operational change initiatives across Finance, Legal, Commercial, and Operations.
Operate autonomously and manage upward by exception to the VP, Corporate Controller, surfacing material risks, opportunities, and recommendations.
Evaluate insourcing versus outsourcing tax work and manage external tax advisors, including Big 4 firms.
Lead tax aspects of international commercial expansion, including entity structuring, permanent establishment analysis, and market-entry tax strategy.
Design and implement transfer pricing policies and intercompany agreements in accordance with OECD guidelines, BEPS Action Plans, and Pillar Two requirements.
Manage VAT/GST compliance across jurisdictions, including registrations, filings, refunds, and reconciliations.
Oversee global mobility tax considerations for internationally deployed personnel in coordination with HR and external advisors.
Establish a risk management framework that balances tax optimization with global compliance risk.
Monitor international tax legislation and recommend proactive responses.
Partner with Accounting on cross-border cash management and repatriation strategies.
Oversee tax accounting under U.S. GAAP, including quarterly and annual ASC 740 provisions and maintenance of uncertain tax positions under FIN 48.
Ensure timely and accurate federal, state, local, and international tax filings, including estimates, extensions, and income tax returns.
Manage tax close processes, including journal entries, account reconciliations, and effective tax rate analysis.
Oversee federal and state R&D tax credit calculations and other tax incentive programs.
Support internal and external audits, including SOX Section 404 compliance for the tax function.
Maintain tax and regulatory compliance across jurisdictions, including income, sales and use, property, and VAT taxes.
Identify and mitigate indirect tax risks in the order-to-cash process.
Ensure timely filing of property tax returns and annual reports with Secretary of State offices.
Identify and implement tax technology solutions and provide tax expertise for ERP and system implementations.
Review commercial agreements, client contracts, and vendor arrangements for tax implications.
Support corporate development activities, including integration planning and post-acquisition tax optimization.