Director, Tax

GEICO GEICO · Insurance · Bethesda, MD

Director, Tax role at GEICO, a large auto insurance company. Responsibilities include leading enterprise tax operations, tax risk management, planning, and governance. Oversees U.S. federal income tax (ASC 740, return compliance), insurance-specific taxes (premium tax, multi-state, regulatory filings), and manages third-party tax service providers. Partners with Finance, Controllers, Financial Reporting, Treasury, and Legal. Requires strong understanding of tax rules, leadership, and people management.

What you'd actually do

  1. Provide strategic and operational leadership for the tax function, including governance, risk management, and process modernization across U.S. federal income tax, state income/franchise tax, and insurance premium tax.
  2. Oversee quarterly and annual ASC 740 income tax provision processes, including effective tax rate analysis, current/deferred computations, uncertain tax positions, and coordination of income tax footnotes and related financial statement disclosures.
  3. Lead technical tax research and develop position papers/memos on complex matters (federal, state, and insurance-specific), including business transactions, method changes, capitalization/expense issues, and evolving guidance impacting the insurance industry.
  4. Direct end-to-end compliance oversight for U.S. federal income tax returns and related filings (extensions, estimated payments, and information reporting), including review of workpapers, coordination of data requests, and management of federal and state notices, audits, and controversy matters.
  5. Own the relationship with managed tax service provider and other external advisors: define scope, manage budgets, align priorities, ensure quality of deliverables, and drive timely execution across provision, compliance, planning, and audit support.

Skills

Required

  • Bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, or related field
  • Progressive tax experience
  • U.S. federal income tax (ASC 740 provision and compliance oversight)
  • Insurance industry experience
  • Large corporate experience
  • U.S. federal income tax rules
  • State income/franchise taxes
  • Insurance premium tax concepts
  • Multi-state compliance
  • Regulatory considerations
  • Lead and influence across functions
  • Manage external advisors
  • Drive outcomes in a complex environment
  • People leadership
  • Coaching
  • Talent development
  • Analytical skills
  • Communication skills
  • Organizational skills

Nice to have

  • CPA
  • Working knowledge of state income/franchise taxes
  • Working knowledge of insurance premium tax concepts

What the JD emphasized

  • CPA strongly preferred
  • Minimum of 6+ years of progressive tax experience with significant depth in U.S. federal income tax (ASC 740 provision and compliance oversight); insurance industry and/or large corporate experience strongly preferred.
  • Deep understanding of U.S. federal income tax rules and the ability to translate technical guidance into practical, defensible positions; working knowledge of state income/franchise taxes and insurance premium tax concepts (including multi-state compliance and regulatory considerations).
  • Demonstrated ability to lead and influence across functions, manage external advisors, and drive outcomes in a complex environment; proven people leadership, coaching, and talent development experience.