Senior Specialist, Tax

Job Description

Position Description

This position is responsible for U.S. income tax compliance and tax accounting under ASC 740, with a strong emphasis on technology, process transformation, automation, and the application of AI-enabled solutions within the tax function.

Under the supervision of the Executive Director of Tax, the incumbent will support Federal and State income tax compliance, estimated tax payments, quarterly income tax provisions, tax account reconciliations, and Federal and State audits. In addition, the individual will be expected to identify opportunities to simplify, standardize, automate, and enhance tax processes through technology, data analytics, workflow automation, and agentic AI solutions.

The position will collaborate with Business Unit Finance and Tax teams, Treasury, Legal, IT/Technology teams, and external advisors to improve tax processes, strengthen data flows and controls, and help develop scalable technology solutions supporting tax compliance and reporting.

Your Key Duties and Responsibilities

- Prepare annual and quarterly U.S. provisions for income taxes under U.S. GAAP for assigned legal entities and book/tax adjustments.
- Ensure compliance with ASC 740, including calculation of deferred tax entries related to temporary differences, validation of deferred tax balances, and completion of Federal and State return-to-accrual reconciliations.
- Prepare U.S. consolidated Federal income tax returns and State income and franchise tax returns, including stand-alone and unitary filings, disclosures, attachments, and supporting workpapers.
- Prepare calculations and forms supporting quarterly estimated tax payments and annual extensions.
- Assist in preparing responses to IRS and State income tax notices, Information Document Requests, and audit inquiries.
- Assist the Tax Director with SOX-related activities and help maintain and enhance key internal controls, process documentation, and procedures.
- Evaluate existing tax processes to identify manual activities, process inefficiencies, control gaps, data-quality issues, and opportunities for standardization or automation.
- Develop and support automated tax workflows using technologies such as Alteryx, Microsoft Power Automate, Power Apps, Power BI, Corptax Office, OneSource Workpapers, and related platforms.
- Explore and implement AI-enabled and agentic solutions that can assist with activities such as data gathering, reconciliations, workpaper preparation, tax return review, document analysis, workflow orchestration, issue identification, and management reporting.
- Apply tools such as Microsoft Copilot and/or Google Gemini to develop AI-assisted tax processes while considering appropriate review, controls, data security, and human oversight.
- Document automated processes, including process flows, business requirements, controls, dependencies, and operating procedures, to promote sustainability and effective knowledge transfer.
- Promote continuous improvement within the Tax organization by identifying emerging technologies and practical use cases that can improve the efficiency and effectiveness of tax processes.

Position Qualifications

Education Minimum Requirement

Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Business Administration, Finance, Information Systems, Data Analytics, or a related discipline.

Required Experience and Skills

- 3+ years of experience in U.S. tax compliance, tax accounting, tax technology, and/or related corporate tax functions.
- Experience preparing Federal Form 1120 and associated State and local corporate income tax returns.
- Working knowledge of ASC 740 as it relates to U.S. Federal and State tax matters.
- Strong tax research and analytical skills
- Demonstrated interest or experience in tax technology, process improvement, automation, data analytics, or digital transformation.
- Experience identifying manual or inefficient processes and translating business requirements into improved workflows or technology solutions.
- Experience with AI-enabled technologies and an understanding of how generative AI and agentic AI solutions can be applied to business and tax processes.
- Experience using AI platforms such as Microsoft Copilot and/or Google Gemini to improve productivity, analysis, or business processes.
- Strong data fluency and experience with automation, analytics, and data-manipulation technologies such as Alteryx, Microsoft Power Automate, Power Apps, and Power BI.
- Ability to understand end-to-end processes, including upstream data sources, calculations and transformations, review controls, downstream outputs, and stakeholder requirements.
- Experience with tax compliance and reporting software such as Corptax and OneSource Tax Provision.
- Strong problem-solving mindset with a willingness to challenge existing processes and develop innovative, scalable solutions.
- Ability to work independently while effectively collaborating across Tax, Finance, Technology, Treasury, Legal, and external advisory teams.
- Strong verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to communicate tax, data, process, and technology concepts to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.

Preferred Experience and Skills

- Fundamental knowledge and understanding of U.S. taxation of foreign-source income, including GILTI and Subpart F.
- Experience with project management, particularly technology implementations, tax transformation, process redesign, or automation initiatives.
- Experience responding to IRS Information Document Requests (IDRs) and summarizing audit responses.
- Administrative experience with Corptax, including data imports, entity management, user access, and annual rollover activities.
- Experience developing or supporting automated workflows connecting tax applications, Excel, databases, SharePoint, or other enterprise systems.
- Experience developing dashboards, analytics, exception reporting, or automated reconciliations to support tax processes.
- Experience participating in or leading tax technology, automation, or continuous-improvement initiatives from concept through implementation.
- Curiosity about emerging technology and the ability to identify practical opportunities to apply AI, agentic workflows, automation, and analytics within a corporate tax environment.

Required Skills:
Alteryx, Alteryx, ASC 740, Compliance Software, Deferred Taxes, Detail-Oriented, Direct Tax, Federal Tax Returns, Financial Acumen, Financial Analysis, Income Tax Accounting, Indirect Taxes, Local Taxes, Manage Resources, OneSource, Preparation of Financial Reports, State Taxation, Tax Administration, Tax Analysis, Tax Assessment, Tax Audits, Tax Calculations, Tax Collection, Tax Compliance, Tax Documentation {+ 8 more}

Preferred Skills:

Current Employees apply HERE

Current Contingent Workers apply HERE

US and Puerto Rico Residents Only:

Our company is committed to inclusion, ensuring that candidates can engage in a hiring process that exhibits their true capabilities. Please click here if you need an accommodation during the application or hiring process.

As an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer, we provide equal opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, age, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, disability status, or other applicable legally protected characteristics.  As a federal contractor, we comply with all affirmative action requirements for protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.  For more information about personal rights under the U.S. Equal Opportunity Employment laws, visit:

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We are proud to be a company that embraces the value of bringing together, talented, and committed people with diverse experiences, perspectives, skills and backgrounds. The fastest way to breakthrough innovation is when people with diverse ideas, broad experiences, backgrounds, and skills come together in an inclusive environment. We encourage our colleagues to respectfully challenge one another’s thinking and approach problems collectively.

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The primary location for this posting is:
USA - New Jersey - Rahway

Where required by law, the compensation range for this role is provided below.

The salary range for the primary location of this role is:
$106,200.00 - $167,200.00

This range reflects the Company's reasonable expectation of the base salary applicable to this role at the time of posting. An employee’s position within the salary range will be based on several factors including, but not limited to relevant education, qualifications, certifications, experience, skills, geographic location, government requirements, and business or organizational needs. The successful candidate will be eligible for annual bonus and long-term incentive, if applicable.

We offer a comprehensive package of benefits. Available benefits include medical, dental, vision healthcare and other insurance benefits (for employee and family), retirement benefits, including 401(k), paid holidays, vacation, and compassionate and sick days. More information about benefits is available at https://jobs.merck.com/us/en/compensation-and-benefits .

Additional location(s): Please note the salary range above applies to the Primary Location of the position. Where a role has other listed locations, different compensation guidelines may apply. You may find the salary ranges for additional locations below. If the salary range is not listed for the location you are applying to, our Talent Acquisition team will provide further information to you relevant to your location.

Additional location(s) Compensation Information:

San Francisco Residents Only:  We will consider qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records for employment in compliance with the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance

Los Angeles Residents Only:  We will consider for employment all qualified applicants, including those with criminal histories, in a manner consistent with the requirements of applicable state and local laws, including the City of Los Angeles’ Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance

Search Firm Representatives Please Read Carefully 
Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA, also known as Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC, Rahway, NJ, USA, does not accept unsolicited assistance from search firms for employment opportunities. All CVs / resumes submitted by search firms to any employee at our company without a valid written search agreement in place for this position will be deemed the sole property of our company.  No fee will be paid in the event a candidate is hired by our company as a result of an agency referral where no pre-existing agreement is in place. Where agency agreements are in place, introductions are position specific. Please, no phone calls or emails.

Employee Status:
Regular

Relocation:
No relocation

VISA Sponsorship:
No

Travel Requirements:
No Travel Required

Flexible Work Arrangements:
Hybrid

Shift:
Not Indicated

Valid Driving License:
No

Hazardous Material(s):
n/a

Job Posting End Date:
11/11/2026
*A job posting is effective until 11:59:59PM on the day BEFORE  the listed job posting end date. Please ensure you apply to a job posting no later than the day BEFORE the job posting end date.