Manager, Audit & Controversy, Shared Services

About the job

Job ID:  529955

CRH's Americas Materials business is the leading provider of building materials in North America. The aggregates, asphalt, ready mixed concrete, paving and construction services we deliver are critical to building our world. Our operations span 45 U.S. states and two Canadian provinces with over 30,000 employees across 1,700 operating locations.

Job Summary

The Indirect Tax Audit & Controversy Manager is responsible for managing state and local indirect tax audits, assessments, disputes, and controversy matters across the organization. This role serves as the primary liaison with taxing authorities and leads audit activities from initial notification through final resolution, ensuring timely responses, minimizing tax exposure, and achieving favorable outcomes.

Working closely with Tax, Accounting, Finance, Legal, Operations, and external advisors, the Manager develops audit defense strategies, evaluates tax positions, negotiates assessments, and identifies opportunities for refunds and tax savings. The role also partners with Compliance and Tax Technology teams to strengthen controls, improve audit readiness, and address the root causes of audit findings.

This position plays a key role in protecting the organization from unnecessary tax liabilities, enhancing indirect tax compliance, and supporting continuous improvement initiatives within the Shared Services organization.

Location

Hybrid 3 days in office.  100% in office during transition.

What Shared Service Does

A Shared Services Center (SSC) centralizes essential business processes, creating streamlined operations, cost efficiencies, and consistent quality. By consolidating areas such as finance, procurement, payroll, and reporting, SSC fosters innovation, supports strategic goals, and enhances organizational effectiveness. SSC’s primary functions include:

• O2C (Order-to-Cash): Ensures smooth revenue processes from customer order to payment.

• R2R (Record-to-Report): Provides accurate financial reporting and robust accounting processes.

• P2P (Procure-to-Pay): Ensures timely payments to vendors and strengthens supplier relationships.

• Center of Excellence: Champions innovation and continuous improvement initiatives.

Shared Services empowers companies to focus on strategic priorities while maintaining operational excellence.

Key Responsibilities

Audit Management & Representation

• Lead state and local indirect tax audits from initial notification through final resolution.

• Serve as the primary point of contact for taxing authorities and coordinate audit activities across business functions.

• Analyze audit findings, evaluate proposed assessments, and develop supportable defense positions.

• Manage multiple concurrent audits while ensuring timely responses and compliance with statutory deadlines.

• Maintain appropriate documentation supporting audit positions, assessments, settlements, and final resolutions.

Tax Controversy Management

• Develop and execute strategies to resolve audit disputes, assessments, penalties, and interest assessments.

• Research and interpret state and local tax laws to support company tax positions.

• Prepare and oversee protests, appeals, technical responses, and other controversy-related filings.

• Negotiate with taxing authorities to achieve favorable outcomes and minimize tax exposure.

• Coordinate with external advisors and legal counsel on complex or high-risk matters.

Risk Assessment & Tax Exposure

• Assess audit findings and quantify potential tax exposures, reserves, and financial statement impacts.

• Analyze transactional data to identify opportunities to reduce assessments and improve audit outcomes.

• Track assessments, settlements, refunds, and tax savings resulting from audit activities.

• Communicate audit risks, exposures, and resolution strategies to tax leadership.

• Identify and pursue refund opportunities, credits, and other tax recovery initiatives to reduce overall tax costs.

Technical Research & Audit Defense

• Research and evaluate indirect tax issues affecting manufacturing, aggregates, construction materials, and related operations.

• Develop and support tax positions involving exemptions, taxability determinations, contracts, equipment, and operational purchases.

• Monitor legislative and regulatory developments and assess impacts on the organization.

Audit Readiness & Continuous Improvement

• Develop and maintain audit management processes, controls, and documentation standards.

• Identify recurring audit issues and partner with Compliance and Technology teams to implement corrective actions.

• Recommend improvements to tax processes, reporting, exemption management, and tax determination systems.

• Support automation, tax transformation, and continuous improvement initiatives.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Business, or related field.

• 5+ years of indirect tax experience with significant state and local sales and use tax audit experience.

• Demonstrated experience managing tax audits and controversy matters from initiation through resolution.

• Strong knowledge of state and local indirect tax laws, regulations, exemptions, and audit procedures.

• Experience developing technical tax positions, preparing audit responses, and negotiating favorable outcomes.

• Experience working with ERP systems and tax technology platforms, preferably SAP and Vertex O Series.

• Strong analytical, research, communication, and project management skills.

• Ability to manage multiple priorities and collaborate across functional teams.

• CPA, CMI, or similar professional certification preferred.

• Experience in manufacturing, construction materials, mining, or other asset-intensive industries preferred.

What CRH Offers You

• Highly competitive base pay

• Comprehensive medical, dental and disability benefits programs

• Group retirement savings program

• Health and wellness programs

• An inclusive culture that values opportunity for growth, development, and internal promotion

About CRH

CRH has a long and proud heritage. We are a collection of hundreds of family businesses, regional companies and large enterprises that together form the CRH family. CRH operates in a decentralized, diversified structure that allows you to work in a small company environment while having the career opportunities of a large international organization.

If you’re up for a rewarding challenge, we invite you to take the first step and apply today! Once you click apply now, you will be brought to our official employment application. Please complete your online profile and it will be sent to the hiring manager. Our system allows you to view and track your status 24 hours a day. Thank you for your interest!

CRH Americas Materials Inc. is an Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity Employer.

EOE/Vet/Disability

CRH is an equal opportunity employer.  All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, status as a protected veteran or any other characteristic protected under applicable federal, state, or local law.

AI tools may be used in certain stages of the employment lifecycle, such as candidate review; however, all final employment decisions will be made by a person.