Incentives Tax Senior Associate (R&D-Focused)

Exactera is an AI-enabled tax services platform that manages corporate tax risk across international tax, specialty tax incentives, and indirect tax through planning, strategy, compliance, and resolution. Built on proprietary data assets, AI at scale, and expert-verified delivery, we give the finance function the accuracy, defensibility, and capacity they could not achieve any other way.

We are in a deliberate transformation of becoming more focused, more effective, and more intentional about how we grow. Every hire we make is strategic, and every investment is tied to a clear mission: delivering exponential tax confidence.

This role is a hybrid role that is based out of our San Diego or Tarrytown, NY offices, reporting to the CRO.

As an Incentives Tax Senior Associate on our Professional Services team, you will execute R&D tax credit engagements on our purpose-built documentation platform — running client interviews, building QRE models, and producing audit-ready workpapers under the supervision of an Incentives Manager / Senior Manager. You'll also pitch in on adjacent incentive workstreams (179D, 45L, IC-DISC, §174 capitalization/amortization, and cost segregation / fixed asset depreciation) so clients get a consistent, defensible cross-incentive deliverable.

• →Execute federal and state R&D tax credit claims under Manager supervision; own assigned workstreams end-to-end.
• →Conduct client interviews to identify qualifying activities and expenses; document the four-part test.
• →Collect, format, and analyze large datasets; build §41 calculation models (Regular Credit, ASC, §280C).
• →Draft technical writeups, IRS IDR response components, and supporting memoranda for Manager review.
• →Maintain workpaper hygiene, audit trail, and platform documentation completeness.
• →Mentor Associates / Interns on platform usage and R&D documentation standards.

• Support 179D deduction studies and 45L credit engagements (eligibility, substantiation, deliverables).
• Support IC-DISC annual calculation and compliance workstreams.
• Assist with §174 capitalization/amortization modeling and documentation.
• Support cost segregation and fixed asset / depreciation reviews.

• Bachelor's in Accounting, Economics, Finance, Engineering, or related field; CPA-track or JD a plus.
• 2–4 years hands-on R&D Tax Credit experience with direct client interaction.
• Strong analytical, research, organizational, and project-management skills in a deadline-driven environment.
• Excellent written and verbal communication; translates technical concepts for client stakeholders.
• Comfort working inside a purpose-built documentation platform (not Excel-only).
• Bonus: exposure to 179D, 45L, IC-DISC, §174 amortization, and/or Cost Seg / Fixed Assets.