Senior Associate, Tax

About the job

• MSCI is seeking a Senior Associate to join its Tax Operations team in support of U.S. federal and state income tax compliance and provision. This is a hands-on, high-impact role for a technically strong tax professional who thrives in a fast-moving environment and brings both deep technical skills and a forward-looking mindset toward automation and process innovation.
• The Senior Associate will support the preparation of federal and state tax returns, assist in the computation of the ASC 740 income tax provision, and contribute to a range of tax workpaper and compliance deliverables managed under a co-sourced model with a Big 4 service provider. The ideal candidate combines solid foundational technical skills with the drive to improve how work gets done — leveraging AI tools, Power Platform, and emerging tax technology to increase efficiency and analytical depth.
• Tax Provision & ASC 740
• Support preparation of interim and annual U.S. GAAP income tax provisions in accordance with ASC 740, including current and deferred tax calculations.
• Compute and document tax account rollforwards, return-to-provision true-ups, and uncertain tax positions.
• Assist with effective tax rate analysis, tax forecasting, and senior stakeholder reporting.
• Coordinate with the external audit process and support audit-ready workpaper documentation.
• Exposure to Longview Tax provision platform is a plus; willingness to develop platform proficiency is required.
• Federal & State Tax Compliance
• Support co-sourced federal and state income tax returns including: computation of M-1 book-to-tax adjustments, state modifications, estimated tax calculations and intercompany elimination with accuracy and clear documentation
• Research and document support for various tax positions.
• Assist with state apportionment workpapers, nexus analysis, and multi-state compliance across MSCI entities.
• Advance toward review responsibilities over time as technical proficiency and ownership expand.
• U.S. International Tax (Preferred)
• Exposure to U.S. international tax concepts — including GILTI, FDII, Subpart F, and Form 5471 filing obligations — is a plus.
• Assist with international tax modeling or computational workpapers as needed in support of planning and compliance.
• Technology, Automation & Process Innovation
• Bring an innovative mindset to how tax work gets done — actively identifying opportunities to automate, streamline, or enhance quality through technology.
• Leverage Microsoft Power Platform (Power BI, Power Automate, Power Query) and AI tools to improve data workflows, workpaper preparation, and reporting.
• Engage with tax technology platforms including Longview, Corptax, SAP, and the Microsoft suite to support operational efficiency.
• Contribute to the Tax team's broader AI and automation roadmap as MSCI builds out its Finance AI initiative.
• Collaboration & Workpaper Ownership
• Manage multiple concurrent deadlines across provision, compliance, and estimated tax cycles with strong organizational discipline.
• Maintain rigorous documentation standards — producing workpapers that are clear, audit-ready, and consistently structured.
• Coordinate with the co-sourced compliance provider and internal stakeholders (Accounting, Finance, Legal) to ensure data integrity and on-time delivery.
• Communicate clearly with colleagues and senior team members; escalate issues proactively and with appropriate context.
• Education & Certification
• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field required.
• CPA or active CPA candidate preferred. Master's in Taxation is a plus.
• Experience
• 3–6 years of progressive experience in U.S. corporate income tax, with direct exposure to federal and state compliance and/or tax provision.
• Background from a Big 4 or national public accounting firm in a hands-on client-facing role, or equivalent in-house experience within a corporate tax department.
• Demonstrated technical proficiency in M-1 computations, tax workpaper preparation, and multi-entity compliance and accounting processes.
• Experience preparing or supporting ASC 740 provision workpapers, including deferred tax analysis and effective tax rate reconciliation.
• Technical Skills
• Proficiency in federal and multi-state income tax compliance, with comfort navigating complex filing structures.
• Strong Excel skills; ability to work independently with large data sets and ERP-sourced trial balances.
• Working knowledge of tax provision or compliance software platforms (e.g., Longview, Corptax, OneSource).
• Demonstrated interest in or experience with AI tools, Power Platform, or other workflow automation technologies is a required differentiator for this role.
• Core Competencies
• Exceptional organizational skills with a proven ability to manage and prioritize competing deadlines without sacrificing quality.
• High attention to detail and a commitment to technically precise, well-documented work.
• Intellectually curious and self-directed, with a continuous improvement mindset.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills; ability to work cross-functionally in a collaborative environment.
• Demonstrated ability to operate effectively in a dynamic, fast-paced setting with multiple workstreams in flight simultaneously.
• Preferred Qualifications
• Active CPA license.
• Experience at a Big 4 firm in a direct client service capacity with federal/state compliance and provision responsibilities.
• Exposure to U.S. international tax concepts (GILTI, FDII, Subpart F, Form 5471).
• Familiarity with Longview Tax provision platform.
• Experience with generative AI applications in a tax or finance context.
• Background in financial services, fintech, or similarly complex multinational operating environments.