Associate Director, Tax

COMPANY OVERVIEW

Cercano Management LLC (“Cercano”) is an SEC-registered investment manager focused on ultra-high net worth clients and the entities associated with those clients, such as a family foundation. Cercano is based in Bellevue, WA, with offices in Minneapolis, MN, and Singapore. Cercano invests globally for its clients, commonly operating as the family office Chief Investment Officer. The team has extensive experience in direct investing in all stages of venture capital, private equity, private credit, and public equities on a global basis.

Cercano offers services for all aspects of a client’s assets or family office. The team also has experience working with clients who have significant investments in non-financial assets on a global scale, such as fine art, professional sports teams, entertainment properties, intellectual property, commercial real estate, farmland, and personal residential estates.

POSITION MISSION

We are currently seeking an Associate Director of Tax who will play an integral role in Cercano’s Finance department directly supporting the Managing Director of Tax. The ideal candidate is someone who is proactive, a self-starter, detail oriented, has a team-first mindset, and is creative. The candidate must have strong written and oral communication skills and able to interface with a variety of internal and external stakeholders. The candidate must be comfortable working in a fast-paced environment and is willing to be very hands on.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Transaction Due Diligence and Structuring:

• Develop, evaluate, and implement tax modeling for new investments including an analysis regarding overall rate reduction via structuring, leveraging and maximizing utilization of tax attributes. This includes structuring for US taxable investors, US-tax-exempt investors, and foreign investors.
• Coordinate with Legal in review and negotiation of domestic and international share purchase agreements, limited partnership agreements, subscriptions agreements, side letters, and other investment-related documents.
• Assist with the preparation of investment memos for new investments made within the private portfolios.
• Document internal tax positions taken, materiality thresholds, and other transactions for annual tax filings.
• Communicate with the Managing Director of Tax regarding tax implications of new investments including new tax elections and filings as well as any potential tax impact with regard to restructurings, divestitures, acquisitions, etc.

Compliance and Reporting:

• Oversee the entire federal, state, and international tax compliance process across all funds including preparation of estimates, review of tax returns, and managing tax and set-aside distributions.
• Assist with tax planning and forecasting of each clients’ taxable income position.
• Communicate relevant tax developments to the Investment team, the Managing Director of Tax, and the company as a whole.
• Assist with the defense of all tax positions taken on the tax returns. Including establishing strategic and tactical positions on all tax audits, negotiate with Internal Revenue Service Personnel and state and local tax personnel, and develop a strategy for responses to all requests for tax information from federal, foreign, state and local tax authorities.
• Provide exceptional client service to all clients including regular communication on estimated taxable income, timely providing annual tax reporting information and updates on relevant tax developments impacting investment entities.

Other Projects:

• Identify and manage special projects, including design of tax structures, research of tax issues, and coordination of other various research projects.
• Other ad hoc projects, as necessary.

QUALIFICATIONS

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Knowledge, experience, skill, and/or ability

Required

• Excellent organizational, writing, and interpersonal skills.
• Experience with domestic and foreign investors.
• Exposure to US and foreign investments and structuring options to minimize tax implications.
• Experience with venture capital, private equity, private credit, and fund of funds investments; including both domestic and international investments.
• Experience in performing and reviewing complicated partnership allocations, including American and European waterfalls.
• Highly organized and detail oriented and an ability to work both collaboratively implications.
• Strong communicator who can simplify complex tax concepts when communicating to individuals outside of the tax team.
• Ability to establish strong and effective working relationships throughout operational groups and with external stakeholders.
• Team player; flexible to learn other responsibilities and adapt to client needs.
• Ability to work with confidential data, maintain discretion and demonstrate trustworthiness that the data will be secure and private.

Preferred

• Experience with tax-exempt and private foundations; including a working knowledge of the excess business holdings and unrelated business taxable income rules.

Experience | Education | Certifications

• B.A. or B.S. in Accounting, Finance or equivalent from accredited institution
• An advanced degree in taxation or related field preferred
• Minimum of 8 years of relevant industry experience in tax, public accounting preferred
• CPA required

SALARY RANGE: $162,000 – $207,000 on an annual basis.  

SALARY DETAILS: 

Pay will be based on multiple factors, including, and not limited to location, relevant experience/level and skillset while balancing internal equity. Our discretionary bonus program is in addition to the base compensation range listed above. Cercano is committed to fair, unbiased compensation along with competitive benefits in all locations in which we operate. 

TOTAL REWARDS: 

Cercano offers a comprehensive benefits package including medical, dental and vision insurance, Health Savings Account with generous annual employer contribution, Flexible Spending Accounts for health and dependent care, vacation and sick time off, paid holidays, paid parental leave, and the opportunity to participate in a 401(k) plan with a generous employer match of 50% of your own contributions up to the standard annual IRS limit, company paid life insurance, and a Health and Wellness Benefit.  Employees are also eligible for reimbursement for approved professional development activities. 

Cercano is an equal opportunity employer. Every qualified applicant will be considered for employment. We do not discriminate based on race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age, national origin, marital status, sex, disability, political ideology, or veteran status, or other protected class. 

Salary : $162,000 - $207,000