Operations Associate - International Tax Utility

09 MS Bank AG Frankfurt; Deutschland; Hybrid; EUR 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Morgan Stanley is seeking a professional to join the EMEA Operational Tax Risk & Advisory team. The role focuses on managing operational tax risk and supporting tax processing across multiple product lines, ensuring compliance and effective controls across global operations.

The candidate will work with Tax Authorities and internal stakeholders, contributing to continuous improvements in tax processing and risk management, with flexible working arrangements and a commitment to inclusion.

Qualifications

• Analytical/problem-solving skills with attention to detail.
• Strong communication with internal/external stakeholders including Tax Authorities.
• Self-driven with ability to adapt to changing priorities and deadlines.
• Team player with ability to contribute ideas and challenge practices.
• Excellent organizational skills and ability to coordinate across groups.

Responsibilities

• Support operational functions within the Tax operations space, including withholding tax, tax reclaim and documentation, transactional taxes, audit, and reconciliations.
• Timely submission of tax documentation to custodians/tax authorities, and supervision of monthly, quarterly and annual regulatory reporting through the RRM tool.
• Support the risk framework by analyzing Key Risk Indicators and the impact of regulatory market updates.
• Control of client tax offerings and liaising with the relevant BU to ensure compliance.
• Support the ITO Enhancement strategy to improve systemic tax processing.

Skills

Analytical thinking

Stakeholder communication

AI literacy

Tax knowledge

Team collaboration

Job description

Department Profile

The profile of Operational Taxes has seen an exponential increase in recent years as governments globally react to the financial crisis and as the focus on tax transparency increases. This increase in tax activity requires the Operations division to implement new processes to support these taxes. This is an exciting opportunity for someone who would like to make a direct contribution in managing operational tax risk within the Firm. This role is unique in setting the standard for how firms will manage operational tax risk in the future. EMEA Operational Tax Risk & Advisory team forms part of the broader Tax operations group, a department dedicated to streamlining and enhancing the operational tax environment within Morgan Stanley. The group is responsible for setting best practice with regards to controlling and mitigating operational tax risk and performs a number of control / operational functions over a variety of withholding and transactional taxes generated by trading activities across multiple divisions including Equities, Fixed Income, Derivatives and Financing. The successful candidate will therefore work closely with all Operations groups across the firm covering all product lines, Corporate Tax Department and the Business Units.

Primary Responsibilities Tax Processing

• Work effectively across geographical and functional boundaries demonstrating strong relationship skills.
• Support of operational functions within the Tax operations space, including but not limited to withholding tax, tax reclaim and documentation, transactional taxes, audit, and reconciliations.
• Timely submission of tax documentation to custodians/tax authorities, supervision of monthly, quarterly and annual regulatory reporting through the RRM tool.
• Support of the risk framework, analysing Key Risk Indicators and impact of regulatory market updates.
• Control of client tax offerings and liaising with the relevant BU to ensure compliance.
• Supporting the ITO Enhancement strategy to improve systemic tax processing.

Skills Required Knowledge Base:

• Provide cross Operational and Business Unit tax support regarding operational taxes hence knowledge of the banking sector and ideally experience of working in an operational tax environment or supporting operational taxes from a tax technical perspective.
• Knowledge of Transaction Taxes, Withholding Tax or Capital Gains tax regimes and how they impact operational processing and infrastructure would be advantageous
• AI literacy and experience using AI-enabled tools to improve tax processes, analysis and controls

Competency Skills The successful candidate will preferably therefore:

• Have the ability to be analytical, problem solve with a good attention to detail with a record of identifying and dealing with issues as they arise
• Communicate with a broad range of internal and external stakeholders, Tax Authorities, Agent Banks internal Legal & Corporate Tax, Risk Management and across Operations
• Be motivated, self-driven and excited by an operational role with changing priorities and objectives often with tight deadlines
• Possess strong team working skills, willing to put forward ideas and challenge current practice.
• Be a strong communicator with good organization skills as it will involve communicating to a large variety of people at many different levels within the firm.

Tax operations is passionate about self-development and provides study support towards accounting or tax qualifications.

WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT FROM MORGAN STANLEY:

At Morgan Stanley, we raise, manage and allocate capital for our clients – helping them reach their goals. We do it in a way that’s differentiated – and we’ve done that for 90 years. Our values - putting clients first, doing the right thing, leading with exceptional ideas, committing to diversity and inclusion, and giving back - aren’t just beliefs, they guide the decisions we make every day to do what's best for our clients, communities and more than 80,000 employees in 1,200 offices across 42 countries. At Morgan Stanley, you’ll find an opportunity to work alongside the best and the brightest, in an environment where you are supported and empowered. Our teams are relentless collaborators and creative thinkers, fueled by their diverse backgrounds and experiences. We are proud to support our employees and their families at every point along their work-life journey, offering some of the most attractive and comprehensive employee benefits and perks in the industry. There’s also ample opportunity to move about the business for those who show passion and grit in their work. To learn more about our offices across the globe, please copy and paste https://www.morganstanley.com/about-us/global-offices into your browser.

Certified Persons Regulatory Requirements:

If this role is deemed a Certified role and may require the role holder to hold mandatory regulatory qualifications or the minimum qualifications to meet internal company benchmarks.

Flexible work statement

Interested in flexible working opportunities? Morgan Stanley empowers employees to have greater freedom of choice through flexible working arrangements. Speak to our recruitment team to find out more.

Morgan Stanley is an equal opportunity employer committed to building and maintaining a workforce that is diverse in experience and background. Our recruiting efforts reflect our strong commitment to a culture of inclusion, where individuals are hired, developed, and advanced based on their skills and talents. Our workforce reflects a broad cross-section of the global communities in which we operate, bringing a variety of backgrounds, talents, perspectives, and experiences. For more information, please visit: https://www.morganstanley.com/people-opportunities/eeo. At Morgan Stanley, we advise, originate, trade, manage and distribute capital for people, governments and institutions, always with a standard of excellence and guided by our core values. Morgan Stanley is dedicated to providing first-class service to our clients, in a way that reflects our commitment to creating a more sustainable future and fostering stronger communities around the world. In each line of business, we strive to demonstrate our belief in the power of transformative thinking, innovative strategies and leading-edge solutions—and in the ability of capital to work for the benefit of all society.