Director of Tax Reporting & Forecasting
Job Summary:
The Director position is a direct report to the Vice President of Tax for Southern Company (NYSE: SO). The SO Tax team reports into the CFO and is responsible for all income and non-income tax matters related to SO and its five SEC registrants.
The team consists of approximately sixty in-house tax professionals primarily based in Atlanta, Georgia. This position leads the Tax Reporting & Forecasting team, one of the four groups within the SO tax team, with approximately twenty tax professionals. This position is a key management role and part of the Tax Management team which advises the Tax VP on the overall management of the SO tax practice. The position has three primary areas of responsibility: Tax Accounting, Tax Forecasting& Regulatory Tax support as described more fully below. The position is onsite 4 days per week.
- Leading the technical tax accounting capabilities of the SO tax team on Federal and state tax matters. Requires in-depth knowledge of various sector specific areas of tax accounting including but not limited to Energy Tax Credits, Consolidating Tax Adjustments, and Stand-Alone Registrant Reporting.
- In collaboration with the overall Finance forecasting team, leading the tax forecasting capabilities of the Company including modeling the impact of future tax law changes, changes in the capital investments of the business and divestiture/acquisitions. The role will require strong communication skills to inform senior finance leaders of the tax implications of potential Company strategies.
- In collaboration with the Regulatory teams, this leadership role has an integral part in providing tax calculations required in the ratemaking process. This includes providing narratives on tax items that are of interest to our Commissions along with new and emerging items from changes in tax law.
- Integral part of the SO external reporting and disclosure reporting cycle. This role will be responsible for ensuring all tax positions are adequately reported and disclosed on SEC documents along with internal memorandum and disclosure Committee materials. This position is also responsible to ensure all Tax Controls are performed and reviewed.
- Lead on interaction with External Auditor and Internal Controls group. This includes discussing and presenting new or complex tax items. In addition, ensuring all agreed to deliverables are provided on-time and at a high quality.
- Developing, nurturing and driving tax reporting and forecasting team members to enable team results that drive value for our customers and shareholders. The work is largely integrated into the businesses of SO which requires solid commercial skills.
- Producing and/or reviewing technical memorandums, presentations and whitepapers on matters associated with tax accounting, tax forecasting & regulatory tax. The leader will be responsible for the quality of the work performed by the team and will need a hands-on approach in reviewing work in support of the Managers responsible for the various operating companies.
- Key member of special projects that arise in the course of business including but not limited to M&A tax accounting modeling, tax basis balance sheet analysis, and tax credit utilization modeling. The special projects will differ by year which should provide for a variety of work experiences.
- Overall management of the SO tax practice in collaboration with three other Directors and the VP of Tax. The leader will be critical to setting culture and working habits of the SO Tax Practice. The leader will interact often with VP of Tax and other senior Finance leaders.
Education and Experience:
- Bachelor’s degree in Accounting or Tax required, Master’s degree in Accounting or Tax preferred.
- Minimum of 12 years of professional experience with a demonstrated track-record of being effective in areas discussed below required.
- 3 years of Public Accounting experience required, preferably at an International Firm (Big 4) with relevant tax experience to the position.
- Experience in leading tax project teams including coaching less experienced members and setting challenging and attainable goals.
- Experience with Utilities International Planner (UI) software preferred.
- Skills & Abilities:
- Strong communication skills both written and oral is a “must-have” skill. This includes interactions with the VP of Tax along with other senior members of the Finance team.
- Ability to work across the different groups within the SO tax team (Planning, Tax Compliance, Non- Income taxes) will be critical for success. Candidate should have proven record of success in cross team collaboration.
- In office professional expectation (4 days a week) with professional flexibility afforded to highly motivated tax professional.
- Sense of urgency, when required, and a strong bias for action and timely work product whether individually contributed or through team efforts.
About Southern Company
Southern Company (NYSE: SO ) is a leading energy provider serving 9 million customers across the Southeast and beyond through its family of companies. Providing clean, safe, reliable and affordable energy with excellent service is our mission. The company has electric operating companies in three states, natural gas distribution companies in four states, a competitive generation company, a leading distributed energy solutions provider with national capabilities, a fiber optics network and telecommunications services. Through an industry-leading commitment to innovation, resilience and sustainability, we are taking action to meet customers' and communities' needs while advancing our goal of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Our uncompromising values ensure we put the needs of those we serve at the center of everything we do and are the key to our sustained success. We are transforming energy into economic, environmental and social progress for tomorrow. Our corporate culture has been recognized by a variety of organizations, earning the company awards and recognitions that reflect Our Values and dedication to service. To learn more, visit www.southerncompany.com .
Southern Company invests in the well-being of its employees and their families through a comprehensive total rewards strategy that includes competitive base salary, annual incentive awards for eligible employees and health, welfare and retirement benefits designed to support physical, financial, and emotional/social well-being. This position may also be eligible for additional compensation, such as an incentive program, with the amount of any bonus/awards subject to the terms and conditions of the applicable incentive plan(s). A summary of the benefits offered for this position can be found here https://seo.nlx.org/southernco/pdf/SOCO-Benefits.pdf . Additional and specific details about total compensation and benefits will also be provided during the hiring process.
Southern Company is an equal opportunity employer where an applicant's qualifications are considered without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other basis prohibited by law.
Job Identification: 16383
Job Category: Accounting & Auditing
Job Schedule: Full time
Company: Southern Company Services
