General Tax Counsel

Job Summary:

CSX is looking for a strategic leader to serve as the head of the CSX Tax Counsel Group for a position located in Jacksonville, Florida. This position will require onsite support, so relocation benefits will be offered for the successful candidate if eligibility requirements are met. 

The General Tax Counsel will be responsible for leading a team of tax professionals for providing expert legal advice to the company’s senior leaders, developing internal policies and guidelines, evaluating and mitigating risks to the organization, and managing the budgeting for the Tax Counsel group. The successful candidate for this role will have the opportunity to work on projects that provide taxation oversight for a Fortune 300 company that operates through multiple states and Canada while working for an industry with over two hundred years of proven business operating stability.

Primary Activities and Responsibilities:

• Assume primary responsibility to ensure that the Tax Counsel Group provides support and counsel to CSX’s Vice President of Tax and its senior executive team, and to support all disciplines with the Tax Department (income tax; sales and use tax; property tax; excise tax; and tax accounting)

• Provide high level tax counsel advice to CSX’s Vice President of Tax, as well as CSX’s senior leadership team on various matters including, but not limited to, tax legislative policy; Mergers & Acquisitions and other major transactions; and executive compensation and employee benefits.

• Provide tax counsel to support all disciplines within the Tax Department on matters of tax planning, compliance, and accounting to ensure CSX remains compliant with federal, state, and Canadian tax requirements while minimizing CSX’s tax liabilities. 

• Responsible for taking the lead (or supporting a junior tax counsel) on federal, state, and international and post audit processes, appeals, appellate processes and litigation; transactional work; and employee compensation and benefits; as well as supporting the insurance team.

• Act in concert with and support the Vice President of Tax to represent the CSX Tax Department in external forums such as the Association of American Railroads Tax Policy Committee, the Informal Tax Group, and the Railroad Retirement Board

• Advising executive members on new laws, existing laws and legal rights that would impact functionality of the business
• Prepare memoranda to support and document tax positions reported in federal, state, and Canadian tax returns
• Assist in federal, state, and Canadian planning and tax audits
• Act as tax legislative counsel to support CSX’s Federal and State Relations groups in legislative planning and analysis, including drafting legislation and supporting statements
• Liaise with HR and the Law Department’s ERISA counsel on employee benefits programs
• Foster greater tax proficiency in the Tax Department by mentoring and developing its members to help them achieve greater success as tax professionals.
• Other job duties as assigned

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution 
• Juris Doctor from an accredited institution
• Master of Laws in Taxation (LL.M.) from a top accredited institution
• 10 years of experience in a corporate tax or law function, law firm, public accounting, or government tax authority or legislative committee (e.g. IRS; JCT; state department of taxation; state office of legislative affairs)

Preferred Qualifications

In addition to meeting the above qualifications, any of the following are preferred:

• Certified Public Accountant
• Masters Business Administration– in Accounting or Finance
• Experience in the railroad or transportation industry

Knowledge and Skills:

• Strong internal and external customer focus (including anticipating their needs)
• Ability to communicate effectively with tax and nontax professionals
• Ability to execute assigned projects efficiently and expeditiously 
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment
• Strong writing skills