US Tax Manager - Federal & SALT

Optimizely•St. George, UT

1d•Remote

About The Position

Optimizely Tax is seeking a technically strong and forward-thinking US Tax Manager - Federal & SALT to own our US income tax function. Reporting to the Global Head of Tax, you will lead US federal and state & local tax compliance and provision – both of which are delivered through external advisors – with full responsibility for quality, timeliness, and strategic oversight. You will act as Optimizely's primary internal US tax authority, partnering closely with Finance, Legal, and business leaders. This is also an AI-enabled process transformation role. Optimizely equips its Tax team with a market-leading suite of AI tools and trusted tax knowledge platforms, including: Opal (Optimizely's own internal AI platform), Claude Cowork Enterprise, Bloomberg Tax AI, and Loctax (connected to IBFD, providing deep cross-border and international tax intelligence). We will invest in developing your capability across these tools and expect you to become an increasingly confident user and advocate, using them to drive research quality, reduce manual effort, and unlock capacity for higher-value, more rewarding work. Why you will enjoy this role: You'll have unusual autonomy for a -level tax role. Rather than preparing returns yourself, you'll direct external advisors, shape tax strategy, modernise processes using AI, and work closely with senior Finance leadership and the business on high-impact projects. You'll be joining a tax function that actively invests in technology, equipping you with the tools and the support to simplify and automate routine work, modernise the way tax is delivered, and ensure your expertise can be focused where it adds the greatest value. As Optimizely continues to grow, you'll have the opportunity to broaden your technical expertise, increase your strategic influence, and help shape the future direction of the global tax function.

Requirements

7+ years of progressive corporate tax experience with a strong focus on US federal and state income tax compliance, provision, and tax account management.
Recent technical knowledge of US federal corporate income tax law, including consolidated return regulations and international provisions.
Solid understanding of multi-state income tax, including apportionment, nexus, and unitary filing across a broad US footprint.
Proficiency in income tax accounting, including deferred tax analysis, ETR management, and Uncertain Tax Positions.
Solid public accounting experience gained in either Big-4 or a large regional firm is required.
Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field required.
CPA licence preferred; equivalent experience and credentials will be considered.

Nice To Haves

Experience with California is advantageous.
Candidates making their first move into industry, as well as those with a blend of public accounting and in-house experience, are encouraged to apply.
Experience in a SaaS, technology or other fast-paced multinational business environment is advantageous but not essential.

Responsibilities

Own end-to-end US tax compliance and provision, directing our external US tax advisors and holding accountability for quality and on-time delivery.
Serve as Optimizely's recognised internal tax advisory expert for US federal and SALT income tax, advising Finance stakeholders, Legal and business leaders on the tax implications of transactions, business changes, and strategic decisions.
Direct and review the preparation of US federal corporate income tax returns (Form 1120) and combined/consolidated state and local income and franchise tax returns by our external US tax advisors; own the quality and accuracy of all filings.
Review the annual outsourced tax provision, including deferred tax analysis, uncertain tax positions and financial statement disclosures, ensuring accuracy and completeness before sign-off.
Maintain US federal and state tax account reconciliations, ensuring balance sheet tax accounts are accurately reconciled and any variances are investigated and resolved on a timely basis.
Review, schedule, and remit all estimated federal and state tax payments, calculated by our external US tax advisors, ensuring timeliness to minimise interest and penalty exposure.
Lead federal and state tax audits and inquiries (should they arise) as the primary internal tax contact, coordinating external tax advisors (where appropriate) and preparing required workpapers and documentation.
Own nexus analysis and state filing obligations, including registration, apportionment methodology, and unitary group determinations across most US states.
Track and optimise the utilisation of NOLs, R&D tax credits, and other tax attributes across federal and state jurisdictions.
Monitor US federal and state tax legislative developments, including: BEAT, NCTI (formerly GILTI), FDEII (formerly FDII), tax reform and state conformity and proactively advise the Global Head of Tax and the business on impact and required action.
Drive the effective use of Optimizely's AI toolset (Opal, Claude Cowork Enterprise, Bloomberg Tax AI and Loctax), applying AI to simplify, automate and continuously improve US tax compliance, provision, reconciliations, research and reporting.
Drive the automation and continuous improvement of the Federal R&D tax credit preparation process, reducing manual effort while strengthening quality, consistency and auditability.
Partner with IT to optimise tax data flows and ERP integrations (including NetSuite), ensuring high-quality data supports AI-enabled tax processes.
Monitor emerging AI and tax technologies, proactively identifying opportunities to improve the efficiency, quality and scalability of the tax function.