Tax Director

Hippo Insurance•San Jose, CA

2d•$170,000 - $280,000•Hybrid

About The Position

The Tax Director is a senior leader responsible for the accuracy, timeliness, and audit-defensibility of Hippo’s income tax provision, compliance, and reporting obligations as a publicly traded insurance carrier. The role provides strategic leadership across the enterprise and owns core technical tax work, including U.S. GAAP and statutory tax provisions and financial reporting, multi-state tax compliance, and insurance-specific tax matters. The Tax Director partners closely with the Chief Accounting Officer and works cross-functionally with Accounting, Strategic Finance, Legal, external auditors, and advisors. The role is based in Austin, Texas; Dallas, Texas; Morristown, New Jersey; or San Jose, California, with a hybrid work arrangement. The position is eligible for equity compensation. The stated base pay range for San Jose and Morristown is $170,000–$280,000, pending final job code; exact compensation may vary based on job-related factors.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, or a related field; CPA required.
8–10 years of progressive tax leadership experience, including senior-level experience in a publicly traded, regulated insurance company in a public accounting or corporate environment.
Deep expertise in U.S. federal and state taxation, insurance tax regimes, ASC 740, SSAP 101, and premium tax compliance.
Demonstrated experience with technical, judgment-intensive tax positions in an audit-defensible, SEC-ready context.
Experience operating within a SOX control environment, including PBC response and documentation standards.
Excellent written and analytical skills, with the ability to independently own technical positions and defend them to auditors and senior finance leadership.

Nice To Haves

Exposure to reinsurance structures and their tax treatment.
Prior involvement in M&A tax diligence or structuring.
Familiarity with AI-enabled tax or accounting tools and an interest in process automation.

Responsibilities

Develop and execute a comprehensive tax strategy aligned with corporate initiatives, M&A activity, and capital allocation priorities.
Provide tax modeling to support enterprise forecasting and strategic planning.
Prepare quarterly and annual global income tax provisions under ASC 740 and related disclosures, including deferred tax asset and liability analysis, GILTI (NCTI) computations, ASC 718 stock-based compensation adjustments, §162(m) executive compensation adjustments, effective tax rate reconciliation, and uncertain tax position assessments.
Prepare quarterly and annual statutory income tax provisions and related disclosures, including the SSAP 101 admissibility test.
Prepare and maintain technical memoranda supporting the company’s tax positions, including valuation allowance and uncertain tax position conclusions.
Manage federal and multi-state income tax compliance, including return preparation, review, and filing across operating jurisdictions.
Oversee insurance premium tax compliance and reporting across licensed states, coordinating with internal accounting teams and external providers as needed.
Lead tax controversy management, including audits, appeals, and dispute resolution.
Manage relationships with external advisors and oversee special projects, including the R&D credit study, §174 analysis, §382 analysis, and transfer pricing documentation.
Maintain a strong SOX control framework, retain complete audit-ready documentation evidencing control performance, and act as a point of contact for auditor PBC requests.
Lead tax diligence, structuring analysis, and integration work associated with M&A activity, in coordination with outside counsel.
Maintain institutional knowledge of the company’s entity structure, filing history, elections, and open tax positions to support ongoing audit defensibility.
Identify and implement technology and process improvements, including automation and AI-assisted tools, to reduce manual effort and strengthen tax-function controls.
Monitor federal, state, foreign, and insurance-specific tax law changes, including NAIC and statutory accounting developments; assess their impact on the company and lead implementation of new laws.

Benefits

Multiple medical plans.
Dental and vision plans fully covered by the employer for team members and their families.
401(k) retirement plan.
Short- and long-term disability coverage.
Employer-paid life insurance.
Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) for health and dependent care.
Employee Assistance Program (EAP).
Equity compensation eligibility.
Training and internal career growth opportunities.
Flexible time off.
12 weeks of parental leave for primary and secondary caregivers.
Snacks, drinks, and catered lunches for onsite employees.