Job Description

We Impact Lives Through Purpose-Driven Work in A People First Culture

Ascend Learning, a leading healthcare and learning technology company, is the connection between a powerful portfolio of brands serving students, educators, and employers with outcomes-based, data-driven solutions across the lifecycle of learning. From testing to certification, Ascend Learning products are used by physicians, emergency medical professionals, nurses, allied health professionals, certified personal trainers, financial advisors, skilled trades professionals and insurance brokers.

Headquartered in Burlington, MA, with additional office locations and hybrid and remote workers in cities across the U.S., Ascend Learning was recognized by Newsweek and Plant-A Insights Group as one of America’s 2025 Greatest Workplaces as well as America’s Best Places to work for Mental Well-Being for 2025. 

We're always looking for talented, passionate professionals to join us in our mission to help change lives. If this sounds like an environment where you'd thrive, read on to learn more. 

WHAT YOU'LL DO

The Tax Analyst will oversee Ascend's in-house indirect tax operations, partnering with the VP of Tax to execute the transition of business and compliance support functions and stand up sustainable internal processes. This role serves as the day-to-day owner of the relationship with the external tax preparer, ensuring quality, timeliness, and cost discipline across retained indirect tax compliance. Additional responsibilities include supporting the process for abandoned and unclaimed property, preparation of property tax returns, business license renewals, and other non-income based taxes.

WHERE YOU'LL WORK

This position will work hybrid from our Leawood,KS or Burlington, MA office location.

HOW YOU'LL SPEND YOUR TIME

• Research the taxability of the company's products, services, and digital offerings across states where it has nexus, maintain a taxability matrix documenting tax treatment and supporting authority, and configure taxability rules in Avalara to ensure accurate tax calculation at point of sale.
• Collect, validate, and store customer exemption certificates, monitor expiration dates and proactively request renewals, and maintain an organized exemption certificate database.
• Monitor economic nexus thresholds across all applicable jurisdictions, register the company in new states when nexus is established, and maintain a nexus register tracking registration status, filing frequency, and account numbers.
• Respond to state and local tax authority notices, gather and organize documentation for state sales tax audits, and assist with penalty abatement requests.
• Partner with Accounts Receivable and Accounts Payable to ensure tax is charged correctly and use tax obligations are identified, advise product and operations teams on the tax implications of new offerings or business changes, and support IT and ERP teams with tax engine configuration and rate table maintenance.
• Operate and maintain the indirect tax platform (Avalara), monitor automated return filing outputs and review AI-prepared returns before submission, and identify and flag data quality issues affecting tax calculation accuracy.
• Prepare and support business license registrations, prepare and file property tax returns, and provide other business compliance support as needed.

WHAT YOU'LL NEED

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or Business preferred. Equivialvent experience will be considered in lieu of degree.
• 2+ years of hands-on sales and use tax compliance experience, including independently owned multi-state filing.
• Experience managing an exemption certificate portfolio using a dedicated platform (e.g., Avalara CertCapture or equivalent).
• Hands-on experience configuring an indirect tax platform such as Avalara, Vertex, or Sovos, beyond end-user access.
• Experience with nexus analysis and state registration, including post-Wayfair economic nexus thresholds.
• Experience supporting a state sales tax audit a plus, but not required.
• Strong working knowledge of sales and use tax law, including taxability rules, exemption types, nexus standards, and return mechanics across multiple states.
• Intermediate to advanced Excel proficiency, including pivot tables, XLOOKUP, SUMIFS, and Power Query for reconciliation and data analysis.
• Ability to extract and reconcile transaction-level data from an ERP or billing system (NetSuite, SAP, Oracle, or Dynamics).
• Proficiency with at least one professional tax research database (Bloomberg Tax, Thomson Reuters Checkpoint, or CCH).
• Ability to document taxability determinations in clear, audit-defensible written memos.
• Exceptional attention to detail and accuracy under high volume.
• Self-directed and highly organized.
• Analytically driven, with strong skills in tracing and resolving errors.
• Ability to translate tax requirements into plain language for non-tax colleagues in Accounts Receivable, Accounts Payable, and IT.

HIRING RANGE

The current full-time annualized hiring range for this role is $61,700.00-$88,220.00 and does not include discretionary bonus or sales incentives, if applicable. In accordance with applicable state laws, we are providing the expected salary range for this position. Individual compensation will be determined by various factors, including relevant experience, qualifications, current business needs and local market factors. Most regular, full-time employees are eligible to participate in an Ascend incentive bonus or sales plan.

BENEFITS

• Health, dental, and vision insurance
• Company paid Life Insurance
• 401(k) with company match
• Paid time off and parental leave
• Employee assistance program
• Other employee wellness programs such as Headspace and Airvet
• Charitable matching program

Fostering A Sense of Belonging

Our values-driven culture unifies our teams and inspires a mindset of action, innovation, and collaboration, with a relentless focus on customers. We seek out and celebrate all people and perspectives and cultivate an inclusive culture where everyone can thrive, feel valued, and be authentic. Our culture is firmly rooted in the belief that by embracing our differences and drawing on diverse perspectives, we are a stronger, more innovative, and more successful organization where employees experience a sense of belonging. 

Ascend Learning, LLC is proud to be an equal opportunity employer (M/F/Vets/Disabled). No agency or search firm submissions will be accepted. Applications for U.S.-based positions with Ascend Learning, LLC must be legally authorized to work in the United States, and verification of employment eligibility will be required at the time of hire.