Senior Tax Accountant – Team Lead

The Tax Reporting & Forecasting Team Lead is a key member of the Southern Company Services (SCS) Corporate Tax team and reports to the Income Tax Reporting & Forecasting Manager. This Lead role will be responsible for the income tax accounting, SEC tax reporting, tax forecasting, and managing tax reporting for the unregulated non-registrant businesses. The position has three primary areas of responsibility: Tax Accounting, Tax Forecasting, and Tax Reporting. In the Lead role, this position includes 1 direct report and provides formal coaching, feedback, and performance evaluations. Additionally, as a contributing team member, this role will provide cross-training and serve as an example to other less experienced team members. The ideal candidate brings strong ASC 740 tax accounting knowledge, sound judgment, attention to detail, and the ability to manage multiple priorities while working effectively with management and key stakeholders.

• Lead and support the monthly income tax provision process for assigned unregulated companies, including complex journal entries, current and deferred tax calculations, tax payments, and detailed account analyses.
• Review quarterly consolidated SEC financial statements and underlying workpapers to ensure accurate, consistent, and well-supported income tax reporting. This position is also responsible for approving monthly income tax entries and certifying the tax controls for the unregulated non-registrant businesses performed and operating effectively by the team.
• Review monthly and quarterly account reconciliations, provision workpapers, and tax analytics; investigate significant variances and reconciling items; and develop practical recommendations to support timely resolution and accurate reporting.

• Research, analyze, and help resolve tax accounting issues, business transactions, and other matters affecting the tax provision process, while serving as a technical resource and escalation point for team members.

• Support technical issues and planning initiatives by updating memos, presenting analyses and recommendations to management, leading meetings, and coordinating effectively with stakeholders and operating company contacts.

• Drive process improvement initiatives related to the tax provision and tax basis balance sheet, including strengthening workpapers, improving controls, cleaning up tax basis balance sheet and tax payable reconciliations, and identifying opportunities to enhance efficiency, standardization, and audit readiness.
• Provide day-to-day leadership, coaching, training, and technical support to 1–3 team members, including direct supervisory responsibility for at least one employee, while helping prioritize work, answer questions, develop capability, and promote consistency across team deliverables.
• Prepare, coordinate, and review responses to internal and external auditor requests and other information requests, ensuring timely, accurate, and well-supported deliverables.

Education and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, or a related field required

• Certified Public Accountant (CPA) designation preferred.

• Minimum of 5 years of relevant experience in income tax accounting and/or tax reporting, including demonstrated experience with complex calculations, reconciliations, and issue resolution.
• Public accounting and/or large corporate tax department experience preferred, including experience with income tax accounting processes and workpapers.
• Experience with tax provision software (such as PowerPlan), ERP systems (such as Oracle), and advanced Excel-based analysis preferred.

Skills, Abilities, and Technology

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to interpret financial data, identify issues, and develop practical solutions in a complex tax environment.

• Proven ability to manage multiple priorities and projects simultaneously, exercise sound judgment, and deliver high-quality work in a timely manner while coordinating team activities and supporting less experienced staff.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to explain technical tax matters clearly, present issues and recommendations to management, lead discussions effectively, and build strong working relationships across departments and operating companies.
• Demonstrated ability to mentor and develop others by providing day-to-day guidance, reviewing work, sharing technical knowledge, and supporting performance development for direct reports and other team members.
• Demonstrated ability to identify process improvement opportunities, strengthen controls, resolve complex variances, and develop practical recommendations that improve the efficiency and reliability of tax provision and tax basis balance sheet processes.
• Ability to execute established processes by referencing prior-year workpapers, asking thoughtful questions, and collaborating effectively in an environment where procedures may not always be fully documented.
• High attention to detail, accountability, and commitment to producing accurate, well-supported work in a deadline-driven environment.