Sr. Tax & Compliance Analyst II

Avalara, Inc.; United States; On-site; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Bonus eligibility

Private medical, life, and disability

Total rewards and benefits varying by

Job summary

Avalara is seeking a senior-level indirect tax analyst to join our Premium Returns for Communications team. You will own end-to-end preparation, review, and filing of complex multi-jurisdiction returns and serve as a primary compliance contact for assigned customers.

The role emphasizes AI-enabled workflows across AvaTax and Returns Console, mentorship of junior analysts, and collaboration with Product, Engineering, Onboarding, and CX to strengthen compliance execution.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance or Tax and 7+ years of indirect tax experience.
• Experience filing multi-state communications tax returns including federal/state obligations.
• Knowledge of telecom tax complexity and rate structures.
• Ability to analyze large datasets in Excel and across systems.

Responsibilities

• Own end-to-end preparation, review, and filing of complex, multi-jurisdiction communications tax returns for assigned portfolios.
• Serve as primary compliance contact for customers using Premium Returns for Communications.
• Analyze transactional data across AvaTax, Returns Console, and source systems to identify discrepancies and risks.
• Design and improve Premium Returns for Communications workflows to reduce manual touches and notices.
• Perform month-end reconciliations and variance analysis to align liability with expectations.
• Engage jurisdictions to resolve complex issues, notices, and exceptions.
• Participate in QA/UAT for new forms, automation, and Returns Console features.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with Product, Engineering, Onboarding, PS, and CX.
• Mentor junior analysts on jurisdictions, best practices, and AI-enabled workflows.

Skills

Multi-jurisdiction tax compliance

Excel proficiency

AI tools in professional context

Analytical skills

Communication skills

Deadline management

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Tax

Tools

AvaTax for Communications

Returns Console/ARA

ERP or billing platforms

CSV/API extractors

Job description

What You’ll Do

Avalara is seeking a senior-level indirect tax analyst to join our Premium Returns for Communications (PRS) team. This role is designed for a highly experienced, technically sophisticated tax professional who is ready to operate at an elite level, serve our most complex customers, and actively raise the bar for the team around them. As a senior contributor, you will bring deep multi-jurisdictional communications tax compliance expertise, a proven ability to drive process and automation improvements, and the mindset of someone who makes every team they join stronger.

How This Role Elevates Avalara

• Protects customer revenue through accurate, on-time state, local, and federal communications tax compliance support.
• Reduces compliance risk by applying deep jurisdictional expertise and robust variance, exception, and notice management.
• Increases operational scale by designing and refining Premium Returns for Communications workflows, data ingestion patterns, and automation that reduce manual effort.
• Enhances customer trust as a knowledgeable, proactive, senior point of contact for complex portfolios on Premium Returns for Communications products.
• Raises team capability by mentoring junior analysts and sharing documentation, process improvements, and AI best practices.

What Your Responsibilities Will Be

• Own end-to-end preparation, review, and filing of complex, multi-jurisdiction communications tax returns – including state, local, federal, and regulatory obligations (e.g., USF, E911, FUSF, PUC) – for assigned customer portfolios, achieving on-time performance aligned to SLAs.
• Serve as primary compliance contact for assigned customers using Premium Returns for Communications products, handling advanced questions and escalations with minimal supervision.
• Analyze transactional and configuration data across AvaTax, Returns Console, and source systems to identify discrepancies, filing risks, and root causes before submission.
• Design and continuously improve Premium Returns for Communications workflows (data ingestion, validation, approvals, filing, archiving) to reduce manual touches, rework, and notice volume.
• Perform and improve month-end reconciliations and variance analysis to align reported liability with customer expectations.
• Engage state, local, and federal jurisdictions on behalf of customers to resolve complex compliance issues, notices, and exceptions.
• Participate in QA/UAT for new forms, filing automation, and Premium Returns for Communications Returns Console features; provide clear, risk-based feedback from a compliance perspective.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with Product, Engineering, Onboarding, Professional Services, and CX to strengthen compliance execution and the Premium Returns for Communications experience.
• Mentor and coach junior analysts on complex jurisdictions, Premium Returns for Communications best practices, customer communication, and AI-enabled workflows.

What You’ll Need To Be Successful

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Tax AND 7+ years of hands-on practical experience in multi-jurisdiction indirect tax compliance – both are required; a degree alone or experience alone is not sufficient.
• Proven experience preparing and filing complex, multi-state communications tax returns, including exposure to federal and state regulatory obligations such as USF, E911, FUSF, and PUC filings.
• Demonstrated knowledge of communications-specific tax complexity, including multi-jurisdictional rate structures, exemption management, and telecom billing configurations.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel (e.g., VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP, INDEX/MATCH, PivotTables, Power Pivot or similar) and demonstrated ability to analyze large, complex datasets.
• Experience working across multiple systems and tools (e.g., AvaTax for Communications, Returns Console/ARA, ERP or billing platforms, CSV/API extractors) with the ability to troubleshoot data and configuration issues end-to-end.
• Strong analytical, research, and problem-solver skills; able to operate calmly and methodically under strict filing deadlines.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to explain complex tax and system topics in clear, simple language to non-experts.
• Demonstrated ability to manage competing priorities and deadlines in a high-volume environment while maintaining quality.
• Proven application of AI tools in a professional context to improve efficiency, accuracy, or customer experience (e.g., analysis, summarization, drafting, documentation) - this is a required capability, not a nice-to-have.

12-Month Success Signals

• Independently manage a portfolio of complex, multijurisdictional Premium Returns for Communications customers with minimal escalation.
• Achieve consistent 100% on-time filing performance (or agreed SLA targets) for assigned portfolios.
• Maintain high accuracy with visible reductions in rework, variances, and notices relative to baseline.
• Implement at least one documented AI-driven workflow or process improvement adopted by the broader team.
• Demonstrate strong working knowledge of AvaTax for Communications, Returns Console, and Premium Returns for Communications, including data flows and key configuration patterns.
• Contribute meaningfully to at least one cross-functional initiative (e.g., product feedback loop, automation pilot, training series) with clear, documented outcomes.
• Recognized by peers and leaders as a go-to SME for Premium Returns for Communications-based compliance in at least one or two critical domains (e.g., specific jurisdictions, customer segment, workflow type).

Bar Raiser Expectations

• Demonstrate strong ownership and accountability for customer outcomes, deadlines, and quality – not just your own portfolio but the health of the team’s work.
• Exercise sound judgment in decisions that impact customers, scalability, and risk, using data and AI insights where appropriate.
• Act as a go-to SME for critical Premium Returns for Communications compliance functions or customers, leading through influence across teams.
• Leave processes, workflows, and documentation stronger than you found them by identifying issues, proposing solutions, and driving them to completion.
• Elevate peer performance through mentoring, knowledge sharing, constructive feedback, and modeling Avalara’s AI-first, customer-obsessed culture.
• Set and hold a higher standard – not by authority but by example.

AI Bar Raiser Expectations

• Leverage AI tools to accelerate data analysis, reconciliations, exception review, and return preparation while maintaining or improving quality.
• Use AI to draft clear, professional customer and jurisdiction communications; apply judgment and domain expertise before sending.
• Summarize complex issues, root cause analyses, and action plans with AI to improve clarity and reduce preparation time for internal and external stakeholders.
• Design and implement at least one AI-enabled workflow enhancement (e.g., standardized prompts, variance review patterns, notice response templates) within the first 12 months.
• Quantify measurable AI impact such as reduced review hours, faster cycle times, or lower notice/rework rates.
• Apply AI responsibly in alignment with Avalara security, privacy, and compliance standards.
• Proactively share AI methods, prompt patterns, and lessons learned so that the team’s collective AI capability grows because you are here.

Avalara is an AI-first Company

• You’ll bring experience using AI and AI-related technologies, ready to thrive here.
• You’ll apply AI every day to business challenges - improving efficiency, contributing solutions, and driving results for your team, our company, and our customers.
• You’ll grow with AI by staying curious about new trends and best practices, and by sharing what you learn so others can benefit too.

How We’ll Take Care Of You

Total Rewards

In addition to a great compensation package, paid time off, and paid parental leave, many Avalara employees are eligible for bonuses.

Health & Wellness

Benefits vary by location but generally include private medical, life, and disability insurance.

Inclusive culture and diversity

Avalara strongly supports diversity, equity, and inclusion, and is committed to integrating them into our business practices and our organizational culture. We also have a total of 8 employee-run resource groups, each with senior leadership and exec sponsorship.

What You Need To Know About Avalara

We’re defining the relationship between tax and tech.

We’ve already built an industry-leading cloud compliance platform, processing over 54 billion customer API calls and over 6.6 million tax returns a year. Our growth is real - we’re a billion dollar business - and we’re not slowing down until we’ve achieved our mission - to be part of every transaction in the world.

We’re bright, innovative, and disruptive, like the orange we love to wear. It captures our quirky spirit and optimistic mindset. It shows off the culture we’ve designed, that empowers our people to win. We’ve been different from day one. Join us, and your career will be too.

We’re An Equal Opportunity Employer

Supporting diversity and inclusion is a cornerstone of our company — we don’t want people to fit into our culture, but to enrich it. All qualified candidates will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, age, gender, national orientation, disability, sexual orientation, US Veteran status, or any other factor protected by law. If you require any reasonable adjustments during the recruitment process, please let us know.