Director, Tax

Company Overview (Who are we? Why should you join us?)

At ecoATM the proof of our success is in our staggering growth, extraordinary impact on protecting the planet, and providing a work culture unlike any other. We are a technology company and a pioneer of device re-commerce. Through our 7,000 automated kiosks and online marketplace Gazelle.com, we enable people all over the world to join the mobile device re-use revolution, a revolution that will get billions of used smartphones out of the e-waste cycle and into the hands of people who don’t have affordable access to the empowerment of the latest mobile technology.

At ecoATM we know our employees are our greatest strength and the key to our continued growth and success. When you join our team, you will enjoy more than just a job, you will be empowered to develop and utilize your unique talents and skills to build a rewarding career while making a lasting, positive impact on the planet.

Our Values and Leadership Behaviors

About the Role 

ecoATM is hiring a Director, Tax reporting to our Chief Accounting Officer (CAO).  This role owns ecoATM's global tax function end to end; tax planning, the quarterly and annual income tax provision under ASC 740, and all U.S. federal, state, local, and non-U.S. compliance. The role is the company's principal internal tax authority and the primary point of contact for external tax advisors, the external auditors, and taxing authorities. 

This is a hands-on, build-and-run role. ecoATM co-sources significant compliance and advisory work, such as sales and use tax, property tax, direct tax, and business license registrations, so the Director is accountable for scoping, directing, reviewing, and controlling the cost of third-party providers rather than delegating judgment to them. Emphasis is heaviest on tax planning, the provision, and compliance execution; international and U.S. international tax (GILTI/FDII, Subpart F, Pillar Two monitoring, transfer pricing, and a small non-U.S. footprint) is a required competency but a modest share of the overall workload. 

The role partners closely with Accounting, FP&A, Treasury, Legal, and business leadership on transaction support, entity structure, cash tax planning, and audit readiness, and reports to the Chief Accounting Officer. 

This is a visible role. The Director will interact regularly with the CFO, the CEO, and ecoATM's private equity sponsors, and must be able to explain a tax position in plain English to people who are not tax specialists. 

Over time, ecoATM expects to bring elements of the tax provision and compliance in house and build a small internal tax team. The Director is expected to assess what should move in house, make the case, and lead that build; the ideal candidate wants to grow a function, not just run an outsourced one. 

Key Responsibilities 

Tax Planning & Strategy 

• Develop and execute the company's tax planning agenda — effective tax rate management, cash tax optimization, credits and incentives, entity rationalization, and NOL and attribute utilization and preservation (including Section 382 monitoring). 
• Model the tax consequences of business initiatives, capital structure changes, acquisitions, dispositions, restructurings, and financing transactions; present clear, decision-ready recommendations to the CAO and CFO. 
• Identify and drive federal, state, and local planning opportunities, including R&D credits, fixed asset and cost segregation positions, state apportionment and nexus planning, and sales and use tax exposure reduction. 
• Maintain a forward-looking view of enacted and proposed legislation and assess its impact on the company's rate, cash taxes, and structure. 
• Evaluate and document uncertain tax positions and establish the company's position on material judgments. 

Tax Provision (ASC 740) 

• Own the quarterly and annual income tax provision end to end: current and deferred computations, rate reconciliation, return-to-provision true-ups, valuation allowance analysis, FIN 48 / ASC 740-10 reserves, and deferred tax roll-forwards. 
• Prepare or review all tax-related financial statement disclosures and supporting schedules, and coordinate deliverables with the external auditors to a clean, on-time close. 
• Maintain provision models and documentation to an auditable standard, with clear support, review evidence, and version control. 
• Own tax-related SOX controls, narratives, and walkthroughs; remediate deficiencies on schedule. 
• Forecast the effective tax rate and cash taxes in partnership with FP&A and Treasury, including quarterly estimated payment requirements. 

Tax Compliance & Third-Party Provider Management 

• Own the complete compliance calendar and ensure timely, accurate filing of all U.S. federal, state, and local income and franchise tax returns, extensions, and estimated payments. 
• Direct third-party providers across sales and use tax, property tax, and direct taxes — scope engagements, set deliverable standards and deadlines, review output critically, and negotiate and control fees. 
• Own business license registrations and renewals with applicable states and localities, including nexus studies, registrations, and exemption certificate management. 
• Oversee non-U.S. filings and statutory tax reporting for the company's foreign entities in coordination with local advisors. 
• Manage federal, state, and local tax audits, notices, and information requests end to end, including strategy, responses, and settlement recommendations. 
• Support 1099, W-9, and other information reporting in partnership with Accounts Payable and Payroll. 
• Maintain the tax basis balance sheet, fixed asset tax depreciation, and supporting workpapers. 
• Retain ownership of all technical conclusions and filing positions; providers deliver scale and specialty depth, not judgment. 

International & U.S. International Tax 

• Oversee U.S. international calculations and reporting — GILTI, FDII, BEAT, Subpart F, foreign tax credits, Forms 5471/8858/8975 and related disclosures — with support from external specialists. 
• Maintain intercompany and transfer pricing arrangements, including intercompany agreements, documentation, local files, and periodic benchmarking; coordinate intercompany charges with Accounting. 
• Monitor Pillar Two / global minimum tax developments, permanent establishment risk, withholding tax, and VAT/GST obligations relevant to the company's footprint, and escalate exposures with recommended actions. 
• Support cross-border cash repatriation, funding, and entity structure decisions in partnership with Treasury and Legal. 

Process, Systems & Leadership 

• Build and continuously improve tax processes, workpapers, calendars, and documentation so the function is repeatable, controlled, and transferable. 
• Drive automation and data quality across tax data sourcing from Oracle and the data warehouse; reduce manual preparation and shorten provision cycle time. 
• Partner with Accounting, FP&A, Treasury, Legal, Payroll, and Procurement, translating tax requirements into practical business guidance. 
• Provide clear, concise reporting to the CAO, CFO, CEO, the Board, and the company's private equity sponsors on tax risk, effective rate, cash taxes, and open matters — translating technical positions into plain English and a clear recommendation. 
• Represent the company's tax position directly in sponsor, board, lender, and diligence discussions, responding to questions on the spot with confidence and without jargon. 
• Assess which elements of the tax provision and compliance currently performed by third parties should be brought in house, build the business case, and lead the transition — including the people, process, systems and documentation required to run them internally. 
• Operate initially as a working individual contributor, then hire, coach and develop a small in-house tax team as scope moves in house; establish cross-training and documented desktop procedures so there are no single points of failure. 
• Support transaction, financing, diligence, and IPO- or exit-readiness workstreams as required. 

Education & Experience 

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field; CPA and/or Master's in Taxation (MST) highly desirable. JD/LLM in Taxation considered. 
• Minimum of 10 years of progressive corporate tax experience, including a mix of public accounting (Big 4 or large regional) and in-house corporate tax. 
• Deep, demonstrable ownership of the ASC 740 income tax provision, including deferreds, valuation allowance, uncertain tax positions, and financial statement disclosures. 
• Strong federal and multistate income tax compliance experience in a multi-entity, multi-state environment. 
• Working knowledge of U.S. international tax concepts (GILTI, Subpart F, FTCs, Forms 5471) and transfer pricing fundamentals, with the judgment to know when to engage a specialist. 
• Proven track record of managing third-party tax providers and advisors to scope, budget, and deadline. 
• Experience with tax planning, compliance, and audit support within a fast-paced, growth-oriented organization. 
• Experience transitioning outsourced tax work in house and building or scaling an internal tax team is a strong plus. 
• Experience operating in a SOX-compliant or audited environment, including tax control design and documentation. 
• Preferred: private-equity-backed or pre-IPO experience; partnership / LLC taxation; Oracle EBS or comparable ERP; tax provision or compliance software (e.g., OneSource, Corptax, Avalara/Vertex); Snowflake, Power BI or Alteryx. 

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities 

• Comprehensive understanding of federal, state, local, and international tax laws, with the ability to interpret complex statutes and apply them in practical, real-world scenarios. 
• Advanced proficiency in tax research and analysis, using authoritative resources to resolve intricate issues and provide strategic recommendations. 
• Expertise in tax software, accounting systems, and data management tools to streamline tax processes and enhance accuracy. 
• Advanced Excel skills and comfort working with large ERP data sets; strong analytical and modeling ability. 
• Strong analytical and problem-solving ability, with proven aptitude for identifying risks and opportunities in filings and planning strategies. 
• Exceptional written and verbal communication, with the ability to articulate complex tax positions in plain English to non-tax audiences — the CFO, CEO, the Board, private equity sponsors, auditors, and regulatory authorities — and to state the conclusion and the recommendation up front. 
• Executive presence and credibility in front of senior stakeholders, including comfort being challenged on a position and defending it clearly. 
• Ability to mentor, guide, and develop team members, fostering a collaborative and high-performance environment. 
• Strong organizational skills to manage multiple projects and deadlines simultaneously while maintaining the highest standards of accuracy and compliance. 
• High ethical standards and sound judgment in handling confidential financial information and facilitating transparent reporting practices. 
• Ability to use Claude and other AI tools effectively for tax research, analysis, workpapers, and reporting. 

Measures of Success (First 12 Months) 

• Quarterly and annual provisions delivered within the close calendar with no material audit adjustments and no significant deficiencies in tax controls. 
• A complete, documented, and current tax compliance calendar with 100% on-time filing and payment across all jurisdictions. 
• A documented, auditable provision and compliance workpaper set that a successor or reviewer can pick up without rework. 
• Third-party provider spend at or below budget, with scope, deliverables, and fees clearly defined and tracked. 
• At least two quantified planning opportunities identified and executed, with measurable rate or cash tax benefit. 
• All open notices, audits, and exposures inventoried, assessed, and either resolved or on a documented plan. 
• A recommendation delivered on which provision and compliance activities should move in house, with cost, resourcing, and a phased transition plan. 

Business Travel (How much will you travel?) 

• <10% 

Location (Where will you be working?) 

• Remote; must reside in the United States

• $176,700 - $233,200 Annually 

Base pay offered may vary depending on job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. This information is provided per CA SB 1162 (“CA Pay Transparency Law”). Base pay information is based on market location. Learn more about ecoATM benefits here.

This position may also be eligible for short-term and long-term incentives based on individual and company performance.

This job description is not intended to be all-inclusive. Employee may perform other related duties as assigned to meet the ongoing needs of the organization.

Here at ecoATM/Gazelle we value diversity & belonging and are proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity employer.  All applicants are considered without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, marital status, ancestry, physical or mental disability, veteran status, gender identity, sexual orientation, or any other legally protected characteristic, and are fairly and equitably compensated based on current market data. If you need assistance, or an accommodation, please let your recruiter know.