Tax Counsel, Senior Director at Cognizant in Teaneck, New Jersey

Job Description:

Tax Counsel– Global Tax Team, US

New opening for Tax Counsel (D/SD) reporting to the AVP, Global Tax.  The preferred location for this position is Teaneck, NJ (or NYC).  Company is headquartered in the New York City metropolitan area, and is a member of the Fortune 200 (April, 2020).  Also a  Member of NASDAQ 100 and S&P 500 

Primary Responsibilities

• Provide international, federal, and state tax research, and provide financial, analytical and accounting support, as needed;


• Review business contracts and new and ongoing business activities. Provide advice on the tax consequences, risks and opportunities;


• Assist with federal, state and local, and foreign tax controversies (audits and litigation);


• Evaluate the technical merits of internally and externally developed tax strategies, identify issues and opportunities, and present conclusions and recommendations, including written documentation;


• Provide tax planning advice and assist with tax modeling for M&A, joint ventures and other strategic Company transactions, including integration planning and execution;


• Ensure tax implications of M&A, joint ventures and other strategic transactions are reflected in the Company's tax provision and U.S. tax returns and document tax consequences of such transactions;


• Support the financial accounting implications of uncertain tax positions and recommending appropriate ASC 740/FIN 48 reserves (or other reserves) where appropriate through legal analysis and documentation of legal positions;


• Liaise with outside tax advisors and counsel to bring in expertise required for arriving at optimal solutions/decisions;


• Monitor and inform tax department of major U.S. tax developments and coordinate with internal government affairs team to develop lobbying strategy;


• Support company’s transfer pricing initiatives by documenting global transfer pricing policy issues and intercompany agreements where necessary;

The candidate must have a JD degree (LLM a plus) with 10+ years of experience at a law firm, Big 4 accounting firm or Fortune 500 company.  Candidate must also be a team player at their core who thrives on collaborating closely with other tax and finance department professionals in an extremely collegial and supportive work environment.  The candidate will provide tax analysis and legal support to the Global tax group and other key stakeholders within the organization. Must have strong analytical skills with proven ability to formulate practical solutions to multidimensional problems in full compliance with the law.  Candidate should be able to apply technical tax rules in a practical business environment and will have a demonstrated ability to exercise sound business judgement.  Must be an exceptional communicator, who is able to relay tax technical issues to non-tax professionals and who is able to build relationships to deal effectively across functional lines. The individual should be a proactive self-starter who is comfortable identifying tax issues, forming and proposing solutions, and following through to ensure proper reporting and implementation.  Finally, the ideal candidate will possess the highest standards of integrity, business controls, and business practices, and will be able incorporate these standards into everyday ways of working.