Senior Associate, Tax

MSCI Inc.; New York (NY); On-site; USD 125,000 - 163,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual bonus

Flexible working arrangements

Comprehensive employee benefits

Job summary

MSCI Inc. in New York is seeking a Senior Associate to join its Tax Operations team, focusing on U.S. federal and state income tax compliance and provision. The role involves preparation of tax provisions, compliance support, and leveraging automation technologies.

The ideal candidate will have strong technical skills in corporate income tax, a Bachelor's degree, and ideally hold a CPA. This position offers a competitive salary, flexible working arrangements, and opportunities for professional growth.

Qualifications

• 3–6 years of progressive experience in U.S. corporate income tax.
• Background from a Big 4 or national public accounting firm.
• Demonstrated technical proficiency in M-1 computations and tax workpapers.

Responsibilities

• Support preparation of U.S. GAAP income tax provisions.
• Assist with federal and state income tax returns.
• Engage with tax technology platforms for operational efficiency.

Skills

Proficiency in U.S. corporate income tax

Strong Excel skills

Experience with tax provision software

Understanding of automation technologies

Education

Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field

CPA or active CPA candidate preferred

Tools

Longview Tax provision platform

Corptax

SAP

Job description

Your Team Responsibilities

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.

Key Responsibilities

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 inter‑company 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; elevate issues proactively and with appropriate context.

Your Skills And Experience That Will Help You Excel

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.

What we offer you

• Salary range: $125,000 - $163,000 / year plus eligible for annual bonus
• Transparent compensation schemes and comprehensive employee benefits, tailored to your location, ensuring your financial security, health, and overall wellbeing.
• Flexible working arrangements, advanced technology, and collaborative workspaces.
• A culture of high performance and innovation where we experiment with new ideas and take responsibility for achieving results.
• A global network of talented colleagues, who inspire, support, and share their expertise to innovate and deliver for our clients.
• Global Orientation program to kickstart your journey, followed by access to our Learning@MSCI platform, AI Learning Center , LinkedIn Learning Pro and tailored learning opportunities for ongoing skills development.
• Multi‑directional career paths that offer professional growth and development through new challenges, internal mobility and expanded roles.
• We actively nurture an environment that builds a sense of inclusion belonging and connection, including eight Employee Resource Groups. All Abilities, Asian Support Network, Black Leadership Network, Climate Action Network, Hola! MSCI, Pride & Allies, Women in Tech, and Women’s Leadership Forum.

MSCI Inc. is an equal opportunity employer. It is the policy of the firm to ensure equal employment opportunity without discrimination or harassment on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, age, sex, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, citizenship, disability, marital and civil partnership/union status, pregnancy (including unlawful discrimination on the basis of a legally protected parental leave), veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. MSCI is also committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities. If you are an individual with a disability and would like to request a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application process, please email [e-mail] and indicate the specifics of the assistance needed. Please note, this e‑mail is intended only for individuals who are requesting a reasonable workplace accommodation; it is not intended for other inquiries.