Manager General Taxes - Tax Planning - Akron FirstEnergy Headquarters

FirstEnergy at a Glance

We are a forward-thinking electric utility powered by a diverse team of employees committed to making customers’ lives brighter, the environment better and our communities stronger.

FirstEnergy (NYSE: FE) is dedicated to integrity, safety, reliability and operational excellence. Headquartered in Akron, Ohio, FirstEnergy includes one of the nation's largest investor-owned electric systems, more than 24,000 miles of transmission lines that connect the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic regions, and a regulated generating fleet with a total capacity of more than 3,500 megawatts.

About the Opportunity

This is an open position with FirstEnergy Service Company, a subsidiary of FirstEnergy Corp.

The Manager, General Taxes, is responsible for compliance, accounting, forecasting, and planning for a wide variety of indirect taxes, including real and personal property taxes; sales and use taxes; gross receipts taxes (including kilowatt hour and commercial activity taxes); federal excise taxes; and federal tax information reporting on Forms 1099 and 1042. The Manager will be responsible for managing the work of external firms pursuant to compliance service agreements and leading several internal direct reports. The Manager will be expected to minimize tax liability through strategic planning initiatives, drive innovation across compliance functions (including through automation or AI where appropriate), strengthen controls and procedures, and handle audits and appeals.

The Manager will report to the Director, Tax Planning and will be onsite at our FirstEnergy Headquarters in Akron, OH.

Responsibilities include:

- Review and approve monthly / quarterly / annual journal entries, account reconciliations, variance analysis, and financial reporting

- Review and approve tax returns and payments

- Review and approve annual budgets and long-term forecasts

- Provide data and analysis to support various regulatory filings

- Perform tax research and draft technical memoranda

- Draft responses, position papers, and/or petitions to support tax audit defense, refunds, and appeals

- Collaborate with leadership in areas of the business most impacted by these tax types, including Supply Chain, Accounts Payable, Customer Billing, Real Estate, Human Resources, Treasury, and Rates & Regulatory Affairs.

- Participate in special projects in the Tax or Controller’s departments, or represent the Tax department on cross-functional teams throughout the company

- Take the initiative to solve problems and bring issues to closure

- Act ethically and with integrity in all aspects of the job

- Demonstrate a continuous improvement mindset

- Demonstrate a commitment to performance excellence

- Demonstrate a commitment to safety

- Promote a diverse and inclusive working environment

Qualifications include:

- Minimum 7-10 years’ experience in corporate tax department or equivalent experience in accounting or consulting firm

- Bachelor’s degree in accounting or other business-related field with accounting certification required

- CPA, master’s degree in taxation, or J.D., preferred

- Experience leading teams or special projects

- Experience managing external accounting firms or loaned staff

- Strong communication skills, with the ability to synthesize complex tax concepts and effectively explain the business impacts to management

- Critical thinking skills and high learning agility

- Proficient in Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), and ability to learn other company specific applications

Benefits, Compensation & Workforce Diversity

At FirstEnergy, employees are key to our success. We depend on their talents to meet the challenges of our changing business environment. We are committed to rewarding individual and team efforts through our total rewards philosophy which includes competitive pay plus incentive compensation, a company-sponsored pension plan, 401(k) savings plan with matching employer contribution, a choice of medical, prescription drug, dental, vision, and life insurance programs, as well as skills development training with tuition reimbursement. Please visit our website at www.firstenergycorp.com to learn more about all of our employee rewards programs. FirstEnergy proudly supports workforce diversity. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, status as a protected veteran, or status as a qualified individual with a disability. No recruiters or agencies without a previously signed contract. Unable to sponsor or transfer H-1B visas at this time.

Safety

Safety is a core value for FirstEnergy and is essential to all of our business activities. We ensure employees have the tools, information, and processes to perform their duties in a manner that assures safety for themselves, their co-workers, our customers and the public. Our goals are to provide a safe work environment, to maintain an accident-free, injury-free workplace, and to promote and maintain public safety. To meet these goals, we dedicate ourselves to achieving world-class safety standards.

Position Classification

Exempt

FirstEnergy Human Resources Team