OPT Tax Director Jobs
Tax Director roles are available to F-1 OPT students with a degree in accounting, taxation, or finance. Most positions require CPA licensure and significant experience in corporate or public tax. Your 12-month OPT window, or up to 36 months on STEM OPT, gives you time to demonstrate leadership and secure H-1B visa sponsorship.
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Get Access To All JobsCLA is a top 10 national professional services firm whose purpose is to create opportunities every day, for our clients, our people, and our communities through industry-focused wealth advisory, digital, audit, tax, consulting, and outsourcing services. Even with more than 8,500 people, 130 U.S. locations, and a global reach, we promise to know you and help you.
CLA is dedicated to building a culture that invites different beliefs and perspectives to the table, so we can truly know and help our clients, communities, and each other.
CLA is looking for a Tax Manager or Director to support our tax practice!
How you’ll create opportunities in this Tax Manager/Director role:
- Consult with clients on business processes such as succession and tax planning.
- Lead, schedule, supervise, and review tax engagements.
- Develop and train team members to help them build inspired careers.
- Foster and build opportunities for our clients, communities, and people.
- Become an industry professional and attend industry-leading events and trainings.
- Perform a range of tax procedures in accordance with the size and complexity of the engagement.
- Review complex individual and corporate tax returns.
What you will need:
- 6 years of experience serving in a tax role with public accounting and/or professional services firm.
- You have a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field.
- You have an active CPA certification.
- For the Tax Director position, a JD or EA may be accepted in lieu of a CPA certification.
- You are looking for a firm that will support and foster your aspiring career goals.
- You jump at the chance to help others, and you’re ready to join a team of high-performing people.
- You have a knack for solving issues and confidently bring solutions to the table.
- You love to work with clients to help their businesses succeed strategically.
Our approach to compensation emphasizes collaboration and career growth. We pay competitive wages and view compensation as an investment in our people. Factors such as geography, experience, education, skills, and knowledge may impact position of pay within the range.
Wage range in California is $112,000 - $194,000.00 Annual
Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities
Wellness at CLA
To support our CLA family members, we focus on their physical, financial, social, and emotional well-being and offer comprehensive benefit options that include health, dental, vision, 401k and much more.
CLA is a top 10 national professional services firm whose purpose is to create opportunities every day, for our clients, our people, and our communities through industry-focused wealth advisory, digital, audit, tax, consulting, and outsourcing services. Even with more than 8,500 people, 130 U.S. locations, and a global reach, we promise to know you and help you.
CLA is dedicated to building a culture that invites different beliefs and perspectives to the table, so we can truly know and help our clients, communities, and each other.
CLA is looking for a Tax Manager or Director to support our tax practice!
How you’ll create opportunities in this Tax Manager/Director role:
- Consult with clients on business processes such as succession and tax planning.
- Lead, schedule, supervise, and review tax engagements.
- Develop and train team members to help them build inspired careers.
- Foster and build opportunities for our clients, communities, and people.
- Become an industry professional and attend industry-leading events and trainings.
- Perform a range of tax procedures in accordance with the size and complexity of the engagement.
- Review complex individual and corporate tax returns.
What you will need:
- 6 years of experience serving in a tax role with public accounting and/or professional services firm.
- You have a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field.
- You have an active CPA certification.
- For the Tax Director position, a JD or EA may be accepted in lieu of a CPA certification.
- You are looking for a firm that will support and foster your aspiring career goals.
- You jump at the chance to help others, and you’re ready to join a team of high-performing people.
- You have a knack for solving issues and confidently bring solutions to the table.
- You love to work with clients to help their businesses succeed strategically.
Our approach to compensation emphasizes collaboration and career growth. We pay competitive wages and view compensation as an investment in our people. Factors such as geography, experience, education, skills, and knowledge may impact position of pay within the range.
Wage range in California is $112,000 - $194,000.00 Annual
Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities
Wellness at CLA
To support our CLA family members, we focus on their physical, financial, social, and emotional well-being and offer comprehensive benefit options that include health, dental, vision, 401k and much more.
See all OPT Tax Director Jobs
Sign up for free to unlock all listings, filter by visa type, and get alerts for new OPT Tax Director Jobs.
Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding OPT Sponsorship in Tax Director
Target employers with established tax departments
Large corporations, Big Four firms, and regional public accounting firms have structured sponsorship processes. They hire Tax Directors regularly and have immigration counsel on retainer, making OPT-to-H-1B visa transitions far more predictable than at smaller companies.
Get your CPA license before your job search
Most Tax Director roles require an active CPA. Securing licensure before applying removes a major hiring barrier and signals readiness for a senior role, which strengthens your case for sponsorship given the investment employers make in this position.
Understand your OPT timeline relative to H-1B cap dates
H-1B petitions are filed in April for an October start. If your OPT expires before October, confirm your employer can file under cap-gap provisions to keep you authorized. Raise this with HR early, not after an offer is signed.
Frame your international tax knowledge as a strategic asset
Experience with cross-border tax structures, transfer pricing, or foreign tax credits is increasingly valuable. Employers hiring for Tax Director roles at multinationals see international background as a differentiator, which can shift the sponsorship calculus in your favor.
Negotiate sponsorship terms during the offer stage
Confirm H-1B sponsorship commitment in writing before accepting. Ask specifically whether the company covers filing fees, whether they use premium processing, and what happens if you are not selected in the lottery in subsequent years.
Build relationships with tax partners at public accounting firms
Senior hires at this level often happen through professional networks, not open postings. Attending IRS Tax Forums, AICPA events, and state CPA society meetings puts you in front of decision-makers who control Tax Director hiring at sponsoring employers.
Tax Director OPT: Frequently Asked Questions
Can an F-1 OPT student work as a Tax Director?
Yes. F-1 students authorized for OPT can work as a Tax Director, provided the role is directly related to their field of study, typically accounting, taxation, finance, or a related business discipline. Standard OPT provides 12 months of work authorization. STEM OPT can extend that to 36 months for qualifying degree holders, giving you more time to secure long-term sponsorship.
Do Tax Director employers commonly sponsor H-1B visas?
Tax Directors are classified as specialty occupation workers under H-1B rules, so sponsorship is legally straightforward for this role. Large public accounting firms and corporate tax departments at Fortune 500 companies sponsor regularly. Smaller firms are less consistent. Searching on Migrate Mate lets you filter specifically for Tax Director positions at employers who have sponsored visas, which removes the guesswork from your job search.
Does a Tax Director role qualify for STEM OPT extension?
It depends on your degree. If you hold a qualifying STEM degree, such as a Master of Science in Taxation or a quantitative finance degree listed on the STEM designated degree program list, and your employer meets the E-Verify requirement, you can apply for a 24-month STEM OPT extension. A standard accounting or business degree does not qualify. Check your degree's CIP code against the official STEM list before assuming eligibility.
How much experience do employers expect for a Tax Director role on OPT?
Most Tax Director postings require eight to fifteen years of progressive tax experience, with at least three to five years in a leadership or senior manager capacity. An active CPA license is expected in nearly all cases. Candidates coming from Big Four or large regional firms who have managed client relationships and led tax teams are the most competitive. Entry-level OPT candidates are better positioned for Tax Manager roles first.
What happens to my OPT authorization if I change employers as a Tax Director?
OPT allows you to change employers without filing a new federal application, but you must report the change to your Designated School Official within 10 days and update your record in SEVIS. The new role must still be directly related to your degree. If your new employer intends to sponsor your H-1B, they will need to file a new petition. Verify that any gap between positions does not exceed 90 days during your OPT period.