Senior Director, Global Tax Planning & Controversy

Block; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 260,000 - 320,000; Full time

Job summary

Block, a global tech company based in San Francisco, is seeking a Senior Director, Global Tax Planning and Controversy to lead tax planning, international tax, transfer pricing, and related activities. Reporting to the Chief Accounting Officer, you will shape corporate structures, oversee cross‑border transactions, and manage tax examinations with strategic judgment and executive presence.

This hands‑on role requires collaboration with Legal, Corporate Development, Treasury and Finance to

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute Block's global tax planning strategies.
• Lead international tax planning for cross-border structures and TP.
• Own U.S. federal and state income tax planning.
• Analyze tax implications for new products and market entry.
• Monitor regulatory developments and assess impact on Block.
• Lead tax aspects of acquisitions, dispositions, and restructurings.
• Partner with Legal and Corporate Development on transactions.
• Own direct tax controversy strategy across federal and state exams.
• Represent Block in interactions with tax authorities.
• Collaborate with Tax, Legal, Treasury, and Finance to embed tax in decisions.

Job description

Block is one company built from many blocks, all united by the same purpose of economic empowerment. The blocks that form our foundational teams - People, Finance, Counsel, Hardware, Information Security, Platform Infrastructure Engineering, and more - provide support and guidance at the corporate level. They work across business groups and around the globe, spanning time zones and disciplines to develop inclusive People policies, forecast finances, give legal counsel, safeguard systems, nurture new initiatives, and more. Every challenge creates possibilities, and we need different perspectives to see them all. Bring yours to Block.

The Role

Block is looking for a Senior Director, Global Tax Planning and Controversy. Reporting to the Chief Accounting Officer, you will lead Block's global tax planning, international tax, transfer pricing strategy, M&A and investment tax activities, U.S. federal and state income tax planning, and direct tax controversy agenda and significant tax examinations and disputes. You will help shape Block's global legal-entity, financing, IP, and operating structures, and translate complex tax concepts into practical business solutions. This is a highly visible, hands-on role requiring exceptional technical judgment, commercial awareness, and executive presence.

You Will

• Develop and execute Block's global tax planning strategies in alignment with business objectives, financial priorities, and risk tolerance. Identify opportunities, evaluate alternatives, and lead the implementation of sustainable, defensible domestic and international tax planning.
• Lead international tax planning related to Block's global operations, including cross-border legal-entity structures, intellectual-property arrangements, intercompany transactions, financing, capital deployment, cash repatriation, and operating-model changes. Advise on complex U.S. international and foreign tax matters such as foreign tax credits, tax treaties, withholding taxes, permanent-establishment considerations, transfer pricing, and global minimum tax regimes.
• Own U.S. federal and state income tax planning, including consolidated return matters, financing transactions, the preservation and use of tax attributes, nexus and apportionment planning, sourcing positions, filing methodology and entity structure.
• Analyze tax considerations for new product launches, product modifications, and new market entry or expansion efforts. Act as a thought partner to the business by collaboratively developing alternative solutions to support business initiatives.
• Monitor U.S. and international legislative, regulatory, administrative, judicial, and policy developments. Assess their potential impact on Block's global structure, cash taxes, effective tax rate, financial reporting, and compliance obligations, and develop strategies to address material risks and opportunities.
• Lead the tax aspects of domestic and cross-border acquisitions, dispositions, investments, joint ventures, strategic partnerships, reorganizations, and other corporate transactions - from initial evaluation through due diligence, structuring, modeling, negotiation, closing, integration, and tax return implementation. Develop and evaluate alternative transaction structures, advising senior leadership on cash-tax consequences, effective-tax-rate implications, use of tax attributes, and potential controversy risks.
• Partner with Corporate Development and Legal in negotiating transactions. Review, draft, and negotiate tax provisions in purchase agreements, investment agreements, commercial contracts, and other transaction documents, including tax representations, covenants, indemnities, purchase-price provisions, and withholding obligations and the allocation of pre- and post-closing taxes.
• Own Block's direct tax controversy strategy across federal, state, local, and foreign income tax examinations - from audit readiness and risk assessment through information-document requests, administrative appeals, competent-authority proceedings, settlement negotiations, and final resolution. Develop strategies for international tax controversies, including transfer-pricing disputes, permanent-establishment matters, withholding-tax and treaty-based disputes.
• Serve as a senior representative of Block in interactions with U.S. and foreign tax authorities. Develop audit-defense and dispute-resolution strategies supported by strong technical analysis, contemporaneous documentation, and quantitative modeling.
• Partner cross-functionally with Tax Reporting & Compliance, Legal, Corporate Development, Treasury, Accounting, FP&A, Product, People, Government Relations, and business leadership. Ensure domestic and international tax considerations are incorporated early in strategic and operational decision-making. Ensure that planning, transaction structures, uncertain tax positions, and audit resolutions are properly reflected in the tax provision, financial statement disclosures, and filed tax r