Johnson Controls

Associate Manager Tax Controversy

Johnson Controls$100K — $134K *
Legal & Accounting
Less than 5 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • 4+ years in public accounting (Big 4 preferred) or in-house, focused on US federal corporate tax; controversy/exam experience is a plus.
  • CPA, bar admission, or other relevant certification strongly preferred.
  • Excellent project management and organizational abilities to handle multiple deadlines.
  • Self-motivated with the ability to work independently.
  • Proficient with common tax/accounting and audit tools like Corptax, HFM/OneStream, or similar.
  • Clear communicator who can explain technical tax matters to diverse audiences.
  • Strong analytical skills for effectively resolving tax-related issues.

Responsibilities

  • Drive responses to tax authority requests ensuring accuracy and a strong narrative.
  • Own controversy documentation by organizing workpapers and correspondence.
  • Build relationships across teams to turn facts into defensible tax positions.
  • Research complex federal tax issues and assess exposure and settlement options.
  • Coordinate with external advisors to align strategy and manage deliverables.
  • Identify and implement process improvements to enhance workflow quality.
  • Collaborate with various teams to prepare audit-ready documents and responses.

Benefits

  • Paid vacation, holidays, and sick time.
  • Comprehensive benefits package including 401K, medical, dental, and vision care.
  • On-the-job and cross-training opportunities.
  • Encouraging and collaborative team environment.
  • Commitment to safety through a Zero Harm policy.
Full Job Description

What we offer

  • Competitive salary
  • Paid vacation/holidays/sick time
  • Comprehensive benefits package including 401K, medical, dental, and vision care
  • On the job/cross training opportunities
  • Encouraging and collaborative team environment
  • Dedication to safety through our Zero Harm policy

What You Will Do

Under the general direction of the Tax Counsel, Tax Controversy, youll play a key role in end-to-end US federal and state tax controversyowning issues from initial request to resolution. Youll research and defend the companys technical positions, help shape audit strategy, partner with cross-functional teams to deliver clear, timely responses, and support day-to-day relationships with tax authorities. If youre a CPA or lawyer who thrives in fast-moving, high-visibility work, this is a chance to jump in and make an immediate impact on active disputes.

How You Will Do It

  • Drive responses to tax authority requests and notices (e.g., IDRs, NOPAs, proposed adjustments, protests), ensuring accuracy, consistency, and a strong technical story.
  • Own controversy documentation: organize workpapers, correspondence, and issue trackers using audit management tools.
  • Build strong relationships across Treasury, Legal, HR, and business stakeholders to quickly translate facts into defensible tax positions.
  • Research and analyze complex federal tax issuesplus select international and transfer pricing topicsto support positions, quantify exposure, and evaluate settlement options.
  • Coordinate with external advisors to align on strategy, manage deliverables, and keep matters moving toward resolution.
  • Spot opportunities to streamlineimproving templates, trackers, and workflowsand leverage technology to raise the quality and speed of our controversy support.
  • Partner with tax planning, transfer pricing, compliance, and finance to build audit-ready files and deliver crisp, well-supported responses to IRS and state inquiries.

Why Youll Love This Role

  • High-visibility ownership: youll run real issues end-to-end and see your work directly influence audit outcomes.
  • A strong fit for Big 4 or Big law talent: bring your federal technical chops and client-service instincts in-housewithout losing the pace or complexity.
  • Cross-functional exposure: partner with planning, transfer pricing, finance, legal, and business teams to build fact patterns and craft positions.
  • Room to build: help improve templates, trackers, and processesleaving the function stronger than you found it.

What We Look For

  • 4+ years of experience in public accounting (Big 4 strongly preferred) or in-house, with a focus on US federal corporate tax; controversy/exam experience is a plus.
  • CPA, admission to the bar of at least one state, or other professional certification strongly preferred.
  • Excellent project management and organizational skills, with the ability to prioritize and handle multiple competing deadlines.
  • Self-motivated and an ability to work independently.
  • Comfort with common tax/accounting systems and audit/controversy tools (e.g., Corptax, HFM/OneStream, Bloomberg Corporate Tax Analyzer, Deloitte Tax Controversy Manager, or similar).
  • Clear, confident communicator who can distill technical issues for both tax and non-tax audiences.
  • Strong analytical and problem-solving skills to effectively handle and resolve tax-related issues.
  • Ability to maintain strong working relationships with internal stakeholders, external advisors, and tax authorities.

HIRING SALARY RANGE: $100,000 - $134,000 (Salary to be determined by the education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities of the applicant, internal equity, and alignment with market data.) This position includes a competitive benefits package. The posted salary range reflects the target compensation for this role. However, we recognize that exceptional candidates may bring unique skills and experiences that exceed the typical profile. If you believe your background warrants consideration beyond the stated range, we encourage you to apply. To support an efficient and fair hiring process, we may use technology assisted tools, including artificial intelligence (AI), to help identify and evaluate candidates. All hiring decisions are ultimately made by human reviewers. For details, please visit the About Us tab on the

Johnson Controls Careers site at

#LI-Hybrid

About Johnson Controls

Johnson Controls International plc is a multinational conglomerate headquartered in Cork, Ireland that produces automotive parts such as batteries and electronics and HVAC equipment for buildings. It employs 105,000 people in around 2,000 locations across six continents. As of 2019, it was listed as 389th in the Fortune Global 500; in 2020, it became ineligible for the list. Johnson Controls was founded in 1885 by Warren S. Johnson, a professor at the State Normal School in Whitewater, Wisconsin. Originally called the Johnson Electric Service Company, it focused on automatic temperature regulation. In 1974, the company changed its name to Johnson Controls.
Learn more about Johnson Controls
Size
101,000 employees
Market Cap
$44.1 billion
Industry
Net Income
$923 million
Founded
1885
5 Year Trend
+2.1%
Revenue
$22 billion
NASDAQ

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