Director of International Tax Strategy

The Director of International Tax Strategy is responsible for designing, governing, and continuously improving FORTÉ’s global tax strategy in support of rapid international growth within a very low tax risk‑tolerance environment. This role serves as the company’s first in‑house international tax leader, providing strategic oversight across income tax, indirect tax, and transfer pricing while ensuring audit‑defensible positions, strong governance, and protection of the Company’s ESOP structure. Serving as the primary international tax advisor to the CFO and executive leadership, the role initially operates as a hands‑on strategic leader with strong influence across Finance, Legal, M&A, and Operations, and will assume increased decision ownership as global tax frameworks mature. 

What You Will Be Doing:

1. Global Tax Strategy, Governance, and Risk Management

• Own international tax compliance governance, including income tax, withholding tax, and indirect tax compliance across all jurisdictions, leveraging external advisors as appropriate

• Establish compliance frameworks, filing calendars, review standards, and controls to ensure timely accurate, and audit defensible filings worldwide

• Proactively identify and mitigate tax risks related to global expansion, restructuring, and intercompany activity

• Provide executive‑level visibility into material tax risks, exposures, and mitigation strategies

• Protect the Company’s ESOP structure through conservative, audit‑defensible tax positions

2. Indirect Tax Leadership (U.S. and International)

• Provide direct leadership and oversight of the U.S. Sales Tax team, ensuring scalable processes, strong internal controls, and audit readiness

• Ensure the Sales Tax Manager retains ownership of day‑to‑day U.S. sales tax audits, with strategic oversight and escalation support provided by this role

• Extend indirect tax governance globally, including VAT/GST exposure, invoicing models, registration risk, and permanent establishment considerations

3. Transfer Pricing Strategy and Implementation

• Design, implement, and govern a global transfer pricing framework aligned with business operations and OECD principles

• Lead transfer pricing strategy across priority corridors, including EU/UK/Nordics and anticipated future acquisition intercompany activity

• Coordinate benchmarking studies, documentation, and local filings through external advisors

• Partner with Finance and Operations to operationalize transfer pricing through intercompany billing, markup policies, service catalogs, and legal agreements

4. International Acquisitions and Strategic Growth Support

• Support international M&A activity in partnership with the Director of M&A and International Finance

• Provide tax structuring input, risk identification, and post‑acquisition integration guidance

• Develop repeatable tax integration playbooks to support future acquisitions and global expansion

• Enable rapid growth while prioritizing risk mitigation and governance

5. External Advisor and Stakeholder Management

• Manage relationships with external tax advisors across multiple jurisdictions

• Coordinate international tax audits, inquiries, and examinations through local advisors

• Serve as the primary internal tax subject‑matter expert for international tax matters

• Educate finance, operational leaders, and executive leadership on tax developments, risks, and implications

What You Bring to Assure Success:

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Tax, or a related field required

• CPA, JD, LL.M. (Tax), or equivalent professional credential preferred

• 10–15+ years of progressive tax experience with significant international exposure

• Demonstrated expertise in international corporate income tax, indirect tax, and transfer pricing

• Clear understanding of and experience with legal entity formation, nexus, and permanent establishment rules and regulations

• Experience supporting international acquisitions and post‑deal integration

• Experience operating in a low tax risk‑tolerance environment with strong governance expectations 

• Combination of Big 4 public accounting experience and in‑house global industry experience preferred

• Strong understanding of OECD transfer pricing principles, BEPS initiatives, and global tax reform trends

• Ability to operate independently in a first‑in‑role environment

• Strong communication skills with the ability to translate complex tax issues into practical, business‑focused guidance

• Ability to influence senior leaders and cross‑functional stakeholders prior to formal decision authority