Job Details

Tax Compliance Manager

Position Number: 6754279
Location: Cheney, WA
Position Type: Business - Accounting

Tax Compliance Manager

About Eastern Washington University:

Eastern Washington University, a regional, comprehensive public university with an enrollment of over 10,000 students, is one of six state-funded four-year institutions of higher education in Washington, each governed by its own board of trustees. As the regions polytechnic, we are recognized for our distinctive approach to hands-on learning that leads to in-demand careers. EWUs 300-acre main campus is located in Cheney, a community of 12,000 residents 16 miles southwest of Washingtons second largest city, Spokane. Eastern also offers programs in downtown Spokane at the innovative, energy-efficient Catalyst building, the SIERR building which is a hub for research, development and advancement of health sciences, and at Riverpoint, a campus shared with Washington State University. In addition, EWU programs can be found at select locations throughout the state, aligned with the needs of the community. Eastern contributes to the vitality of the region and the state through its wide array of bachelors and masters degrees in over 100 fields of study, as well as applied doctorates in physical therapy and educational leadership, offering accessible pathways to career success and personal development to students of all socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds.

Eastern Washington University has been recognized for its commitment to helping undergraduate students learn, grow and succeed by Colleges of Distinction, a nationally trusted resource guide for college-bound students. The honor recognizes Eastern as a 24-25 College of Distinction (CoD).

Money magazine recently named EWU as one of its Best Colleges in America 2024.

Tribal Land Acknowledgement
At Eastern Washington University, we are proud to recognize the land of the Spokane Tribe and other tribes that shared the land for fishing and trading. The Spokane Tribe, Coeur dAlene Tribe, Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, the Kalispel Tribe, and the Nez Perce Tribe are integral to the cultural heritage and traditional ethnological knowledge of the land.

Native American heritage is woven into the fabric of our institution, enriching our community through tribal culture, historical teachings, and tribal language, and is embraced daily by students, staff, faculty, and the Eastern Washington community.

At EWU, we are committed to reflecting on and acknowledging the historical injustices of genocide and the forced removal of tribal peoples and all our relatives. EWU recognizes and honors tribal sovereignty and government to government relationships with tribes.

From here forward, EWU will remain committed to supporting, honoring, and recognizing the Native American community and the dynamic contributions that are shared with our university.

Job Summary:

We are currently seeking skilled and team-oriented applicants for the following position: Tax Compliance Manager.
The Tax Compliance Manager provides continual management and implementation of university tax requirements, including tax advisory, planning, compliance, and reporting needs. This position has and continues to develop expert knowledge of the various regulatory issues related to state, federal, and international tax compliance. With ever-growing complexity in tax regulation and requirements, this position ensures compliance of existing and future laws both within the state, interstate, as well as internationally.
* The Tax Compliance Manager will collaborate closely with functional teams and prepare training resources to continuously improve systems and educate the University community on tax matters. Reporting to the controller, this position operates with a high level of independence and is expected to demonstrate a significant level of acumen, tact, and discretion. The Tax Manager performs as a team player and an experienced technical advise.
* The Tax Compliance Manager is responsible for assuring data submitted in tax documents comply with all university, state and federal requirements. This position communicates verbally and in writing the Universitys tax requirements including preparation and delivery of instructional materials and acts as a tax subject matter expert in response to inquiries. This position is responsible for various EWU tax filings and collaboration with other departments including identifying and resolving University tax compliance obligations and many tax reporting functions.
* The Tax Compliance Manager works with outside tax service providers and legal experts to manage contractual relationships for research and compliance requirements related to employment outside of Washington State (i.e., tax home).

EWU is committed to supporting and promoting a workforce that is welcoming to all and encourages applicants of all backgrounds to apply for this position.

The salary for this position is $112,850 In addition to salary, the university offers a comprehensive benefits package including health insurance and disability insurance and retirement. In addition, EWU offers generous vacation and sick leave accruals, 12 paid holidays per year and fringe benefits, such as tuition waiver for employees and eligible family members, discounted EWU sports tickets, full access to our campus workout facilities at a minimum fee and free transportation through STA buses. For additional information regarding insurance benefits please see our Benefits page: https://inside.ewu.edu/hr/benefits/insurance/.

Eastern Washington University provides an inclusive, equitable, and transformative learning experience, driving the pursuit of knowledge with affordable academic excellence.

Required Qualifications:

* Bachelors degree in accounting, finance, business administration or closely related field
* Three years of progressively responsible operational experience in areas such as finance, payroll, and tax regulation
* Three years of progressive experience preparing institutional tax returns
* Experience working with federal and state tax regulations and reporting
* Experience researching and interpreting complex tax laws and regulations for business applications
* Demonstrated experience with integrated, enterprise level accounting software systems
* Exceptional analytical and organizational skills
* Excellent consultative, written and verbal communication skills
* Demonstrated ability to apply a culturally responsive and flexible approach that is supportive to the diverse needs, including universal accessibility, or our students, staff, faculty and the public.

Preferred Qualifications:

* CPA or Masters Degree with an emphasis in Taxation
* Specific experience in managing tax regulation requirements
* Experience interpreting and implementing applicable federal/state tax guidance related to higher education
* Direct tax experience (federal, state, local, and/or international) at a large public accounting firm, law firm, multinational corporation, or university
* High-level proficiency using enterprise-level accounting systems, ad hoc query tools and/or report writers
* Extensive hands-on system administration experience with Ellucian Banner or similar ERP systems
* Demonstrated knowledge and experience in federal tax-exempt organization tax matters
* Experience with IRS, state, and foreign government audits

Other Skills and Abilities:

* Ability to identify problems, develop solutions and implement change
* Ability to use discretion, tact and good judgment when working with highly sensitive and confidential information

Job Duties:

Institutional Tax Compliance Leadership, Consultation and Operations
Leadership & Consultation
Serve as the operational leader for the tax planning function, ensuring that university-wide tax practices follow international, federal, state and local tax laws as well as other regulatory requirements
Manage income tax matters for the institution, including unrelated business income tax and foreign income tax
Advise individuals at all levels of the organization regarding tax issues and appropriate courses of action
Provide oversight for tax reporting and compliance across the institution for international, federal, state, and local tax laws. Serve as a technical resource to the EWU community on all tax issues
Proactively collaborate with University partners to gain a thorough understanding of EWU operations in order to identify tax needs and provide effective tax guidance
Proactively reach out to and advise the University units on international, federal, and state income and sales tax consequences associated with revenue generating activities for potential unrelated business income tax liability
Advise management of the impact of new tax laws, coordinate audits by various taxing authorities, and function as the University liaison with external auditors on tax related matters
Identify and support tax technology and process improvement initiatives
Make articulate and concise presentations on the tax issues and risks to a diverse group of senior leaders
Prepare responses to governmental (international, federal, or state) tax inquiries, requests, or correspondences
Regulatory Research
Monitor compliance with complex IRS rules and regulations, devising tax strategies to mitigate or eliminate tax liability exposure
Evaluate new payroll tax regulations, determine impact on EWU, prepare implementation plan
Review IRS guidance pertaining to the universitys deferred compensation plans and monitor for compliance
Prepare interpretation of tax regulations and provide relevant executive summaries that assess the impact upon the institution
Operational
Collaborate with Accounts Payable, Payroll, Student Services, and Human Resources for all tax matters including sales and use tax, foreign national payments and honorariums, payroll taxes, 1099s and 1098-T
Collect and organize data from stakeholders to prepare tax returns
Manage the preparation, review and submission (filing) of various tax returns, including payroll tax reporting for the institution (IRS Form 941 and Forms W-2, state, federal, and international reporting)
Set up and maintain state and international tax accounts, as needed
Maintain tax software applications (e.g., International Tax Navigator)
Maintain employee information forms for non-traditional employees (i.e., working away from their tax home)
Conduct planning, analysis and continuous communication regarding UBIT, UBIT estimates, and UBIT sources.Percent of Time: 75

Tax Service Provider Contract Management (relationships with external tax professionals)
Manage contractual relationships with the Universitys external tax service and legal providers for interstate and international employment tax research and requirements
Prepare a tax analysis of local country rules and regulations for all aspects of EWU research, collaborations, and significant initiatives in foreign countries where EWU has a presence or is considering establishing a presencePercent of Time: 10

Training and Documentation
Identify training needs for tax related issues such as sales tax, UBIT and independent contractors
Design and prepare instructional materials and deliver on-line and in-person training to campus personnel
Prepare internal procedures for tax compliance
In collaboration with the Payroll Manager, assist with the production of training materials and staff training for payroll related matters with tax implications
Understand and develop expertise of the systems that support tax related functions and reportingPercent of Time: 15
Conditions of Employment:

This position, during the course of university employment will be involved in the receipt of, or accountability for, university funds or other items of value, as well as the unsupervised access with the developmentally disabled, vulnerable adults or children under the age of 16. The offer of employment is contingent upon successful completion and passing of a background check prior to beginning employment.

Applicants must be authorized to work for ANY employer in the U.S. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment Visa currently. Sponsorship is not available for this position at this time.

All new employees must comply with EWU Immunization Policy 602-02 and provide proof of immunity or vaccination to MMR before beginning work at EWU. Waivers for the immunization requirements are available for medical or sincerely held religious beliefs.

This is an Administrative Exempt position and is covered by EWU Policy 406- 01, Exempt Employment: https://inside.ewu.edu/policies/knowledge-base/ewu-406-01-exempt-employment/

After starting employment, employees will complete the required training via Canvas. Workplace Belonging training will be available on December 1st and should be completed by March 31st, 2026.

Note: Interviews might be conducted via Zoom (camera must be enabled). If so, candidates must be able to demonstrate competence using Zoom and other technologies.

Salary Information:

The salary for this position is $112,850

Posting Date: 11/26/2025
Open Until Further Notice: No
Closing Date: 12/19/2025
Screening to Begin: 12/22/2025

Special Instructions to Applicants:
Submit your application materials through our online applications portal provided below. If you are unable to submit through the applicant portal, please contact Human Resources Services at (509) 359-2381.

To apply, visit https://jobs.hr.ewu.edu/postings/14232