Director of Direct Taxes

Contract | Seattle, WA | Hybrid (3 days/week in office)
A well-established, publicly traded company headquartered in Seattle is seeking an experienced Director of Direct Taxes for a contract engagement running through February 2027, with potential for extension. This is a high-impact, senior-level role supporting the income tax function through a critical compliance and reporting cycle, including Q3 and year-end 2026 tax provision and the annual 10-K filing.

What You’ll Be Working On

• Federal and state income tax compliance review — returns, estimates, and work papers across the full compliance cycle
• Q3 and year-end 2026 income tax provision review under ASC 740, at both federal and state levels
• Fixed asset review — this is a capital-intensive business; deep familiarity with depreciation, bonus depreciation, and cost segregation is a meaningful advantage
• Stepping into a combined manager and director review role, ensuring the 10-K timeline is met without gaps in coverage
• Collaborating with internal team members and a third-party consulting firm on technical tax matters as needed

What We’re Looking For

• Strong ASC 740 / income tax provision competency — this is the single most critical technical requirement for this engagement
• Federal and/or state income tax compliance experience — both preferred; specialization in one is workable if the depth is genuine
• Public company experience — must understand corporate income tax in a full-cycle SEC reporting environment
• Director-level seniority, or a strong Senior Tax Manager with substantial tenure at that level; public accounting experience (Big 4 or equivalent) carries significant weight
• Fixed asset experience, including bonus depreciation and cost segregation studies
• State tax experience, including multi-state apportionment, flow-through entities, and entity-level taxes
• The ability to operate independently from day one with minimal ramp time

Bonus Points

• Industry experience in transportation, aviation, or other capital-intensive regulated industries
• International tax exposure
• Familiarity with Oracle or similar enterprise ERP/tax systems
• Big 4 or large public accounting firm background

Engagement Details

• Contract through February 1, 2027; extension possible based on project need and fit
• Hybrid — 3 days per week in office in Seattle; Tuesdays are a required full-team in-office day
• Seattle area candidates only; no remote exceptions