Controller Associate - Payroll & Tax Compliance

Be You

Occupational Summary

Reporting to the Associate Vice President, Finance and University Controller, the Associate Controller, Payroll and Tax Compliance provides strategic leadership and oversight for critical financial operations supporting Duke University and Duke University Health System (DUHS). This role oversees Tax, Payroll, Fringe Benefits Accounting, and International Administrative Operations within a highly complex, decentralized environment.

This position is one of four Associate Controller roles within the Controller’s Office and serves as a key member of the Controller’s senior leadership team, collectively providing strategic direction, governance, and operational coordination across the University’s financial functions.

As a senior advisor and key member of the Finance leadership team, the Associate Controller leads a team of approximately 25 professionals ensuring institutional compliance, mitigating financial and regulatory risk, and advancing operational excellence across functions with significant financial scale and external visibility.

What You'll Do

Tax Complianceand Regulatory Oversight (25%)

• Provide strategic direction and executive oversight to the Senior Director, Corporate Tax, and team responsible for federal, state, and local tax compliance for Duke University and DUHS.
• Oversee preparation and filing of approximately 30 IRS Form 990 and 990Ts and related state returns, sales and use tax filings, property tax returns and unclaimed property reports.
• Ensure effective management of internal and external audits and serve as a senior institutional resource on tax compliance matters and risk mitigation.

Payroll (25%)

• Lead and provide oversight to the Senior Director, Corporate Payroll, responsible for the accurate and timely payment of over $4.7B in annual compensation to more than 52,000 University and DUHS employees and students.
• Ensure payroll operations utilizing SAP are compliant, auditable, and aligned with institutional financial controls, including accurate expense posting to the University’s financial accounting systems.
• Support continuous improvement initiatives to enhance efficiency, controls, and service delivery.

Fringe Benefits Forecasting and Accounting (25%)

• Oversees the Director of Fringe Benefits Accounting, responsible for monthly accounting, reporting and forecasting of fringe benefit expenditures and recoveries totaling over $1.3B annually.
• Ensure high‑quality financial data and analysis to support budgeting, financial planning, and strategic decision‑making.

International Operations (25%)

• Provide leadership oversight for International Administrative Support and act as a key advisor on financial, compliance, and operational matters related to international activities.

Play a significant role in the development and implementation of policies governing international financial operations, requiring complex, cross‑functional coordination across academic, legal, and administrative stakeholders

• Onsite, Remote and Hybrid working arrangements available.

What You'll Bring

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or a related field.
• Ten years of progressively responsible experience, including significant management and leadership experience.

Preferred Qualifications

• MBA, Master of Accounting (MAcc), CPA, and/or CIA designation.
• Higher education experience.
• SAP or other large-scale ERP system experience.

Success Profile

The ideal candidate will demonstrate:

• Strategic leadership and executive presence.
• Strong financial, tax, and regulatory compliance expertise.
• Exceptional communication, relationship-building, and influencing skills.
• Experience partnering with senior leaders across complex organizations.
• A collaborative leadership style focused on team development and operational excellence.
• Commitment to customer service, quality, and continuous improvement.  

Be You at Duke

At Duke, we are driven by a commitment to excellence, innovation, and collaboration. We encourage individuals from all backgrounds and perspectives to bring their authentic selves to work and help shape the future of one of the nation's leading universities and health systems.