Tax Analyst II (Finance)

Job Description:

For over 40 years, Vertex Inc. has been a world-wide leader in offering end-to-end solutions for sales and use tax, value added tax, communications tax, and payroll tax. Vertex Payroll Tax calculation products help payroll software providers and individual companies automate their payroll processes while complying with the multitude of rules and regulations prevalent throughout North America. Our products drive the payroll processing software for thousands of North American companies paying up to 25 million employees annually.

JOB SUMMARY

The candidate will be responsible for researching and interpreting tax and case law to support the content of Vertex US and Canada Payroll tax calculation products. The candidate will structure the tax content within the payroll product in a manner consistent with system architecture and platforms. In addition, the candidate will help design, implement, and maintain various internal tools and other processes to enhance the productivity of the Tax Research Team. The candidate should have an interest in working with technology and be comfortable collaborating with internal cross-functional teams. This is primarily a remote position with some occasional required on-premises team meeting events.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Monitor and analyze legislative/regulatory activities utilizing research tools from third party data providers (such as CCH, BNA, and Lexis-Nexis) and other sources of tax content and communicate it accordingly to ensure our content is in regulatory compliance.
• Obtain rate and jurisdictional data from federal, state, provincial, and local jurisdictions throughout the US and Canada.
• Maintain and input tax content in the Vertex database, including updates of tax data, rules, and forms.
• Analyze tax changes to determine the impacts to existing data. Maintain jurisdictional contact information and coordinate communications with jurisdictions.
• Identify, understand, and communicate changes in the tax law or regulations that impact Vertex payroll products.
• Test tax content and functionality within Vertex payroll products and internal databases.
• Assist in testing and implementing process improvements to support increased efficiencies or conformance with tax rules.
• Ensure the functionality of Vertex products by assisting in developing standards and tools for product maintenance and development, including interactions with other departments and other Research Department staff.
• Support customer service by answering questions pertaining to rates and rules, geocodes, and enhancements or bugs via issue tracking software.
• Perform quality assurance tasks following documented processes.
• Contribute to the development of requirements for needs of the Tax Research organization as it relates to tax content, solutions, and functionality.
• Support a dynamic environment at Vertex, using agile methodologies, collaborating with other departments, contributing time, effort, and ideas.
• Enhance job knowledge by attending educational workshops, reviewing professional publications, establishing personal networks, and participating in professional societies and industry trade groups.
• Lead or participate in other operational and strategic projects or duties as assigned.
• Occasional travel required.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES:

• Detail-oriented approach to work and comfortable working with data.
• Ability to interact and communicate effectively with internal colleagues, stakeholders, and external customers.
• Ability to work without supervision and to make independent decisions.
• Demonstrate effective oral, written, and presentation communication skills.
• Exhibit a results-oriented, customer-focused approach to work.
• Developing proficiency to learn, apply, and share the latest in business productivity tools (ex. CoPilot AI, Alteryx, Power Automate, Power Query, etc.).
• Developing capability to teach, develop, and train colleagues.
• Developing skill to multi-task and prioritize to meet team goals, commitments, and company objectives.
• Developing expertise in a specific tax field.
• Developing knowledge of tax information and how to apply it to Vertex products.
• Developing awareness of how customers use Vertex products.

EDUCATION, TRAINING:

• Associate or bachelor's degree in accounting, finance, mathematics, information systems or business administration or equivalent experience.
• 1+ years in a business environment.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office suite of products.
• Payroll software experience or Vertex product knowledge a plus.

Other Qualifications - The Winning Way behaviors that all Vertex employees need in order to meet the expectations of each other, our customers, and our partners.

• Communicate with Clarity - Be clear, concise and actionable. Be relentlessly constructive. Seek and provide meaningful feedback.
• Act with Urgency - Adopt an agile mentality - frequent iterations, improved speed, resilience. 80/20 rule - better is the enemy of done. Don't spend hours when minutes are enough.
• Work with Purpose - Exhibit a "We Can" mindset. Results outweigh effort. Everyone understands how their role contributes. Set aside personal objectives for team results.
• Drive to Decision - Cut the swirl with defined deadlines and decision points. Be clear on individual accountability and decision authority. Guided by a commitment to and accountability for customer outcomes.
• Own the Outcome - Defined milestones, commitments and intended results. Assess your work in context, if you're unsure, ask. Demonstrate unwavering support for decisions.