Sr. Tax Accountant

At Motiva, our employees’ energy, passion, and dedication to excellence are what make us who we are and what allows us to generate energy that makes a house a home, gets us from point A to point B, and enables our health and wellbeing. We invest in every aspect of our employees’ lives because, at Motiva, our people matter.

Headquartered in Houston, Texas, Motiva refines, distributes and markets petroleum products throughout the Americas. The company’s Port Arthur Manufacturing Complex in Port Arthur, TX, is comprised of North America’s largest refinery with a total throughput of 720,000 barrels per day, the world’s second largest base oil plant, and an integrated chemical plant. Under exclusive long-term brand licenses with Shell and Phillips 66 (for the 76® brand), Motiva’s commercial operations supply more than 12 billion gallons of fuel to customers annually. Motiva is wholly owned by Aramco, one of the world’s largest integrated energy and chemicals companies.

Position Overview:

The Sr.Tax Accountant serves as a vital member of our Indirect Tax team and reports to the Sr. Manager – Indirect Tax. Within our dynamic in-house tax environment, characterized by its fast pace, energy, and collaborative spirit, we seek an individual who embodies enthusiasm and curiosity to join our already high-performing team. In return, you will have the chance to nurture your tax career, immerse yourself in a culture of exceptional teamwork, and actively engage in your professional development. This role operates as an individual contributor but offers promising opportunities for advancement and growth within our organization.

Responsibilities:

• Apply Texas sales and use tax regulations to refinery and manufacturing operations, ensuring compliance and accuracy.

• Own the day-to-day execution and stewardship of U.S. Texas Direct Pay and Non-Direct Pay Permit processes, ensuring accurate application, strong governance, and compliance across transactions.

• Perform routine and ad hoc direct pay analysis to identify over- and under-accruals of use tax and execute timely remediation.

• Own and execute SAP workflows, ensuring timely resolution, proper documentation, and identification of root causes.

• Partner with procurement, accounts payable, and operations teams to improve tax determination and data accuracy at the point of transaction.

• Conduct technical tax research and document conclusions to support compliance and audit readiness.

• Prepare and support audit requests, including transaction-level analysis and documentation.

• Monitor changes in tax regulations and assess potential impacts to the business.

• Analyze direct pay and use tax activity to identify trends, recurring issues, and root causes, and implement solutions to reduce errors and audit risk.

• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to improve upstream data quality and tax determination, minimizing downstream corrections.

• Drive automation and enhancements to processes, systems, and controls—including work instructions, workflows, and reporting—to improve accuracy, efficiency, and scalability.

Experience and Qualifications:

Required Education and Experience:

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

• 6+ years of U.S. sales and use tax experience, with deep knowledge of Texas sales and use tax requirements.

• Hands-on experience managing or significantly supporting Texas Direct Pay Permit processes, including application of Texas Tax Code §151.417 and 34 TAC §3.288.

• Proven ability to conduct and apply technical tax research, interpreting laws and regulations and translating findings into practical, supportable positions.

• Proven experience supporting refinery and/or manufacturing operations with complex, high-volume, multi-jurisdictional transaction environments.

• Hands-on experience with tax engine systems (e.g., OneSource) and SAP environments, including interaction with SAP S/4HANA and SAP Business Technology Platform (BTP).

• Proficiency in SAP/S4HANA and Microsoft Office (advanced Excel skills preferred).

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to interpret large data sets and identify trends.

• Demonstrated ownership, accountability, and ability to work independently in a fast-paced and at times ambiguous environment.

• Effective communicator with strong interpersonal skills and a collaborative, team-oriented mindset.

Preferred Education and Experience:

• Experience performing data analysis using tools such as Power BI, Alteryx, or advanced Excel modeling to identify tax risks and trends.

• Prior involvement in state and local tax audits, including preparing documentation and supporting audit defense.

• Experience identifying and implementing process improvements or automation initiatives within indirect tax.

• Experience with multi-state indirect tax compliance outside of Texas.

We reserve the right to amend or withdraw Motiva jobs at any time, including prior to the closing date. Depending on qualifications, the successful candidate may be offered a position at a more appropriate level and/or grade.

Applicants for regular U.S. positions must be authorized to work in the United States for Motiva Enterprises LLC without the need for sponsorship of an immigration authorization or visa (for example, TN, H-1B, or other employment-based immigration authorization or visa).

Motiva participates in E-Verify.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, sex, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, protected veteran status, citizenship, genetic information, or other protected status under federal, state, or local laws.