Senior Director, Tax Controversy and Strategy

Anheuser-Busch • Saint Louis, MO

4d • $162,400 - $223,300

About The Position

The Senior Director, Tax Strategy & Controversy is a senior leadership role within the North America Zone Tax organization. The position leads the Company’s federal tax controversy and audit defense efforts while helping shape and govern domestic tax planning initiatives. It serves as the primary tax controversy leader for North America, overseeing audit strategy, risk assessment, technical position development, and engagement with tax authorities and external advisors. The role reports to the VP Tax, North America Zone.

The Senior Director partners with the Tax Strategy team to ensure planning initiatives are designed, documented, and implemented with sustainability, governance, and defensibility in mind. Working across Tax Strategy, Tax Operations, Legal, Finance, Treasury, business teams, and external advisors, the role helps ensure tax positions are technically supportable, operationally executable, and defensible upon examination.

The role provides technical leadership on complex federal income tax matters, advises tax and executive leaders on risks and opportunities, and develops tax professionals and organizational capabilities. The position is based at Anheuser-Busch, a brewer and beverage company with a portfolio of beer, spirits, and other brands.

Requirements

• Deep expertise in U.S. federal income taxation, tax controversy, audit defense, and IRS examination processes.
• Significant experience managing large corporate IRS examinations, appeals matters, and complex controversy issues.
• Strong background in domestic tax planning, transaction structuring, and technical tax analysis.
• Experience assessing and managing tax risk within a multinational environment.
• Experience developing technical memoranda, audit defense files, and position documentation.
• Strong understanding of the interaction between tax planning, tax reporting, and tax compliance.
• Demonstrated expertise evaluating tax issues through both planning and controversy perspectives while balancing tax optimization with sustainable risk management.
• Proven ability to lead complex projects, influence stakeholders, and manage competing priorities.
• Strong executive presence and exceptional written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to communicate complex tax matters effectively to executive and non-tax stakeholders.
• Sound business judgment and a risk-management mindset.
• Demonstrated success building partnerships across Tax, Legal, Finance, Treasury, and business functions.
• Experience coaching and developing tax professionals and building organizational capability.
• Ability to influence decision-making and drive alignment without direct authority.
• Exceptional technical research, analytical, and writing skills.
• Ability to translate complex tax law into practical business recommendations.
• Experience preparing high-quality technical analyses, memoranda, and position papers.
• Strong understanding of business operations and financial drivers.
• Ability to integrate tax considerations into broader business planning and strategic decision-making.
• Ownership mentality focused on long-term value creation, governance, and responsible tax stewardship.
• Experience with leading tax research platforms and tax technology tools.
• Strong Excel, PowerPoint, and data analysis capabilities.
• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Law, or a related field required.

Nice To Haves

• CPA, JD, Master of Taxation (MST), and/or LLM in Taxation strongly preferred.
• Familiarity with large ERP environments, including SAP or similar systems.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Company’s federal tax controversy strategy, including IRS examinations, appeals matters, and other federal tax authority interactions.
• Develop and execute audit defense strategies for significant tax positions and transactions.
• Oversee responses to Information Document Requests, examination inquiries, and technical challenges from tax authorities.
• Manage relationships with external advisors, counsel, and subject matter experts supporting controversy matters.
• Evaluate tax risks, settlement opportunities, and litigation considerations with internal and external stakeholders.
• Keep tax leadership informed of significant controversy developments, risks, and potential financial impacts.
• Partner with the Tax Strategy team to evaluate and develop tax planning initiatives focused on sustainability, documentation, and defensibility.
• Assess proposed planning transactions for controversy risk and potential tax authority scrutiny.
• Ensure significant planning initiatives have appropriate factual development, legal analysis, and contemporaneous documentation.
• Establish governance standards for technical memoranda, business-purpose documentation, audit readiness, and transaction support.
• Promote tax planning that balances tax efficiency with long-term sustainability and risk management.
• Provide technical leadership on complex federal income tax matters, including restructuring transactions, financing arrangements, acquisitions, and dispositions.
• Review and challenge technical analyses prepared by internal teams and external advisors.
• Develop and defend positions supported by tax law, administrative guidance, and judicial authority.
• Monitor legislative, regulatory, and enforcement developments affecting the Company’s tax posture.
• Advise tax leadership and executive stakeholders on emerging tax risks and opportunities.
• Partner with Tax Operations to ensure planning positions and controversy outcomes are reflected appropriately in tax returns and financial reporting.
• Collaborate with Legal, Finance, Treasury, and business stakeholders on significant transactions and potential controversy matters.
• Support enterprise-wide initiatives requiring complex tax analysis, planning, and risk assessment.
• Mentor and develop tax professionals across the Strategy and Operations organizations.
• Foster technical excellence, strong documentation, accountability, and proactive risk management.
• Lead special projects and strategic initiatives as assigned.
• Influence tax governance, controversy management, and operational best practices across the North America Zone.

Benefits

• Health benefits, including medical, dental, vision, wellness, and tax-advantaged savings and spending accounts.
• Life insurance and disability income protection.
• Generous parental leave and FMLA policies.
• 401(k) retirement savings options with a company matching contribution.
• Free beer.
• Salary range of $162,400–$223,300; bonus and long-term incentive eligible.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior