Partner, Head of Internal Tax (Chicago)
As Partner, Head of Internal Tax, you will have a unique opportunity to shape the tax strategy of a complex, global partnership while serving as a trusted advisor to the firm's senior leadership. As the Head of Internal Tax Partner, you will serve as the firm’s senior enterprise leader for RSM’s internal tax function. This role is responsible for leading the firm’s internal tax strategy, planning, risk management, compliance, and operational execution across domestic and global tax matters. This partner will serve as the firm’s in-house tax advisor to senior firm and business leaders, including the Executive Committee, Finance, Legal, Human Resources, Treasury, and regional leadership. The role is distinct from the client-facing Tax Line of Business Leader and is focused on the tax matters of the firm itself, including U.S. partnership tax, global entity tax obligations, partner tax services, compensation and benefits tax matters, transfer pricing, cross-border tax matters, and tax authority interactions. Success in this role requires deep technical tax expertise, strong business judgment, executive presence, sound risk management, and the ability to influence senior leaders and partners across a complex, global professional services organization. This leader will set clear priorities, steward resources responsibly, build high-performing teams, and use data, technology, process discipline, and continuous improvement to strengthen the effectiveness of the internal tax function. Job Responsibilities Serve as the senior enterprise leader for RSM’s internal tax function, setting strategy, priorities, operating expectations, and execution plans for the team. Advise firm leadership on internal tax strategy, tax risk, operational priorities, and the tax implications of firmwide business decisions. Lead the firm’s U.S. partnership tax function, including oversight of federal, state, and local partnership tax compliance, reporting, Schedule K-1 reporting, partner allocations, guaranteed payments, and distributive share information. Oversee complex multistate partnership tax matters, including filing positions, apportionment, composite and withholding tax regimes, state-specific elections, nexus, sourcing, partner residency, and partner mobility matters. Lead the firm’s broader domestic and global tax compliance obligations, including income tax reporting, sales and use tax, VAT/GST, withholding tax, information reporting, and other federal, state, local, and international filing obligations. Provide strategic oversight for partner tax services, including coordination of partners’ personal income tax return preparation across federal, state, local, and international jurisdictions. Ensure partner tax services are delivered in a timely, accurate, confidential, and service-oriented manner, including support for estimated tax planning, mobility, admissions, retirements, distributions, and international reporting. Manage and mitigate tax, operational, regulatory, and business risk through sound judgment, practical solutions, responsive escalation, and effective governance. Represent the firm in tax authority interactions and other significant internal or external matters requiring credibility, expertise, accountability, and executive judgment. Advise Finance, Human Resources, Legal, Treasury, and firm leadership on tax matters related to compensation programs, benefit plans, employee policies, restructurings, strategic transactions, mergers and acquisitions, and transfer pricing. Lead complex programs, teams, and functional priorities that require significant cross-functional coordination and have firmwide impact. Steward departmental resources responsibly, including people leadership, budgets, process effectiveness, operational expenses, and external service provider relationships. Build a high-performing internal tax team by setting expectations, developing leaders, coaching talent, strengthening functional capability, and supporting inclusive talent practices. Use data, technology, digital workflows, automation, and disciplined processes to improve accuracy, consistency, insight, efficiency, and decision-making within the internal tax function. Model firm values, enterprise mindset, courage, collaboration, confidentiality, accountability, and sound leadership through change and complexity. Minimum Qualifications Minimum of 12 years of relevant professional experience. Undergraduate degree in accounting, finance, tax, or a related discipline. CPA, CA, law degree, or equivalent professional credential. Deep technical knowledge of U.S. partnership taxation, including partner allocations, Schedule K-1 reporting, guaranteed payments, distributive share reporting, multistate partnership tax matters, and partner mobility issues. Experience leading tax compliance, planning, risk management, and tax governance for a complex organization with domestic and international activity. Demonstrated ability to advise senior leaders on complex tax, operational, regulatory, and business matters. Proven ability to lead teams, manage priorities, develop talent, oversee budgets, and drive continuous improvement. Preferred Qualifications Experience in a public accounting, consulting, or professional services organization. Experience leading tax matters for a partnership or partner-owned organization. Experience with global tax matters, cross-border taxation, transfer pricing, VAT/GST, withholding tax, and international reporting obligations. Experience overseeing partner tax services, including individual partner tax return coordination, multistate filings, estimated tax planning, mobility, admissions, retirements, and distributions. Experience supporting mergers, acquisitions, restructurings, strategic transactions, operating model changes, or enterprise transformation initiatives. Experience using digital solutions, automation, AI-enabled tools, workflow tools, or delivery methodologies to improve operational effectiveness, compliance quality, and reporting insight. Strong executive presence, business judgment, communication skills, and ability to influence partners and senior leaders in a complex organization. Leadership Expectations This partner is expected to operate with an enterprise mindset, balancing technical excellence with practical business leadership. The role requires the ability to advise with confidence, lead through ambiguity, protect the firm through sound risk management, and create a high-performing function that delivers timely, accurate, confidential, and business-aligned tax support to the firm and its partners
