Senior Manager, Global Indirect Tax

Discord; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 208,000 - 234,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

401(k) plan

Life and disability insurance

Paid time off

Paid parental leave

Equity

Job summary

Discord is seeking a Senior Manager to lead global indirect tax strategy and advisory for new products and business models. You will shape decisions on taxability, sourcing, and compliance, partnering with Product, Legal, Finance, Accounting, and Engineering from design through go-live.

The role requires 10+ years of indirect tax experience, deep US tax knowledge, and a track record of delivering clear, well-supported work.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of global indirect tax experience.
• Deep knowledge of US sales and use tax and VAT/GST for digital products, SaaS, and platform models.
• Track record of owning complex issues from start to finish with polished outputs.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication; explain tax to engineers, product managers, or CFOs.
• Experience with tax engines (Vertex or similar) and translating positions into system logic.

Responsibilities

• Own all technical areas of global indirect tax and lead complex issue research and memos.
• Lead indirect tax strategy for new products, monetization models, and market entries; partner with Product, Legal, Finance, Accounting, and Engineering.
• Monitor regulatory changes globally and turn them into actionable recommendations.
• Analyze indirect tax implications of intercompany transactions, new entity structures, and acquisitions; coordinate with Direct Tax.
• Partner with Tax Operations to document positions in the tax system and ensure compliance.
• Lead audits and controversy, including defense strategy and supporting documentation.
• Identify planning and risk-reduction opportunities including registrations and disclosures.
• Prepare clear materials for senior leadership, framing issues, options, recommendations, and risks.
• Manage external advisors on scope, quality, and cost; know when to push back on conclusions.
• Utilize tax technology and AI tools to improve quality and efficiency; build scalable processes.

Skills

Global indirect tax

Tax strategy

Cross-functional

Regulatory analysis

Leadership

Education

JD/LLM, CPA, or equivalent preferred

Tools

Vertex or similar tax engines

Job description

Discord has a highly engaged community of millions of daily active users who use the platform for many different reasons, but there’s one thing that nearly everyone does: play video games. Discord plays a uniquely important role in the future of gaming, and we are focused on making it easier and more fun for people to hang out before, during, and after playing games.

As a senior manager, you’ll lead global indirect tax strategy and advisory for new products, evolving business models and laws, and enterprise-wide initiatives. You’ll be a trusted strategic advisor to teams across the business, making sure indirect tax requirements, risks, and opportunities are considered early and thoughtfully, not after launch. This role is about shaping decisions: translating complex sales and use tax, VAT, GST, digital services tax, and other indirect tax issues into clear, practical guidance, and owning the work from strategy through execution.

What You’ll Be Doing

• Own all technical areas of global indirect tax and serve as the lead researcher on complex issues such as taxability, sourcing, and emerging business models. Own positions end to end: research the law, form a view, document it in well-reasoned memos, and stand behind it with leadership, auditors, and external advisors.
• Lead indirect tax strategy for new products, monetization models, and market entries (digital goods, virtual currency, marketplaces, advertising, subscriptions). Partner with Product, Legal, Finance, Accounting, and Engineering from early design through go‑live.
• Monitor legislative and regulatory changes globally, assess the impact on the business, and turn them into actionable recommendations.
• Analyze the indirect tax implications of inter company transactions, new entity structures, and acquisitions. Partner with Direct Tax to recommend approaches that balance tax efficiency, risk, and operational feasibility.
• Partner with Tax Operations to make sure positions are documented and implemented correctly in our tax system and review global indirect tax compliance and returns.
• Lead audits and controversy, including defense strategy and supporting documentation.
• Identify and lead planning and risk‑reduction opportunities, including registrations, deregistrations, and voluntary disclosures.
• Prepare clear, concise materials for senior leadership, including the CFO, that frame the issue, the options, the recommendation, and the risk.
• Manage external advisors on scope, quality, and cost, and know when to push back on their conclusions.
• Use and help build tax technology and AI tools to improve the quality and efficiency of indirect tax analysis, and build scalable processes, templates, and controls as the business grows.

What you should have

• 10+ years of global indirect tax experience, with a mix of Big 4 or law firm and in‑house experience at a technology or digital company.
• Deep technical knowledge of US sales and use tax and working knowledge of international VAT/GST, especially as they apply to digital products, SaaS, and platform business models.
• A track record of owning complex issues from start to finish without needing a roadmap, and delivering polished, accurate, well‑supported work products.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication. You can explain a complicated tax issue to an engineer, a product manager, or a CFO in plain language and get to a decision.
• Sound judgment and comfort operating in gray areas, with the confidence to make a recommendation and the humility to revisit it as facts change.
• Experience working with tax engines (Vertex or similar) and translating technical positions into system logic.
• JD/LLM, CPA, or equivalent preferred.

Candidates must reside in or be willing to relocate to the San Francisco Bay Area (Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Solano, and Sonoma counties). Relocation assistance may be available.

The base salary range for this full‑time position is listed below. This position will also be eligible for equity and benefits. Benefits include medical, dental, and vision insurance; a 401(k) plan; life and disability insurance; paid time off; and paid parental leave. Our salary ranges are determined by role and level. Within the range, individual pay is determined by additional factors, including job‑related skills, experience, and relevant education or training. Please note that the compensation details listed in role postings reflect the base salary only, and do not include equity, or benefits. Applications for this role are accepted on an ongoing basis.

$208,000 - $234,000 USD

Why Discord?

Discord plays a uniquely important role in the future of gaming. We're a multiplatform, multigenerational and multiplayer platform that helps people deepen their friendships around games and shared interests, and helps developers build and grow their businesses. We believe games give us a way to have fun with our favorite people, whether listening to music together or grinding in competitive matches for diamond rank. Join us in our mission! Your future is just a click away!

Discord is committed to inclusion and providing reasonable accommodations during the interview process. We want you to feel set up for success, so if you are in need of reasonable accommodations, please let your recruiter know.

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Discord is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions), gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, age, marital status, disability, medical condition, genetic information, military or veteran status, citizenship status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law. This policy applies to all aspects of employment, including hiring, promotion, compensation, discipline, termination, and access to benefits and training.