Job of the Week: A Foot in the door to Blackstone?

Fancy yourself a job with one of the big boys in private equity? They don’t get much bigger than veteran Blackstone and one of the firm’s main method of hiring is through its website and reviewal of online applications.

The number of experienced hires sought each year at the firm varies, depending on market performance and the firm’s expected growth. According to the website in many cases when recruiting experienced hires as and when positions become available, the managers review online applications on file and contact selected candidates to schedule interviews.

The recruiting process for current and recent undergraduate and graduate students at Blackstone is currently underway with first round interviews beginning in late September.

First-round interviews typically begin in late September and are held on campus if the firm visits the school or in the Blackstone offices if not. Second-round interviews take place in the Blackstone offices where candidates will meet with additional members of the relevant business group.

All candidates must submit an application online by September 5th of your senior year if you are an undergraduate student and by September 15th if in your second year of business school in an MBA program.

The job that caught our eye this week is for a director position within Blackstone’s private equity accounting department based in New York. Scroll down if you’d like to find out more.

***Job of the Week***

Job Title: Private Equity Accounting – Tax Director

Firm: Blackstone Group

Location: New York

Firm Description (as cited via Blackstone website):

Blackstone is a global investment and advisory firm with 1,580 professionals in 22 offices worldwide whose portfolio portfolio companies employ over 700,000 people across the globe. The firm has a global portfolio of private equity, real estate, credit and hedge investments and also runs an independent financial advisor business, handling M&A, restructuring and reorganization assignments for corporate and government clients on a global scale.

Job Description (as cited via Blackstone website):

The tax director will report to the senior vice president of private equity tax reporting and compliance to provide domestic and international tax compliance support for Blackstone’s private equity funds. This individual will help implement best practices for compliance as it relates to the private equity business.
• Review and analyze investments in portfolio companies including partnerships and corporations performing business in multiple states and foreign jurisdictions including Passive Foreign Investment Companies (PFIC) and Controlled Foreign Corporations (CFC), and analysis of issues with respect to Unrelated Business Taxable Income (UBTI) and Effectively Connected Income (ECI).
• Perform and review tax allocations of partnership income.
• Perform and review tax provisions for blocker corporations.
• Compile and review tax data for federal and multi-state tax return preparation (both partnership and corporations), and review of K-1s, federal and state tax returns.
• Assist in obtaining US Tax ID numbers and perform/review check-the-box elections.
• Identify and perform/review US withholding tax requirements relating to US source income allocations to foreign recipients.
• Identify and perform/review states withholding tax requirements relating to states income allocation to nonresident recipients.
• Track and review book/tax differences.
• Respond to tax authority requests.
• Research domestic and foreign tax reporting issues.
• Respond to Limited Partners’ tax inquiries.

Qualifications/Experience (as cited via Blackstone website):
• 10+ years of tax experience in the alternative asset management industry. (private equity or investment partnership preferred).
• Undergraduate degree in accounting, finance, or business-related field.
• CPA or graduate degree preferred.
• Strong analytical skills and the ability to work with complex data to drive decision-making.
• Ability to produce timely and accurate records, with an emphasis on the importance of supporting work paper documentation.
• Team player.
• Effective verbal and written communicator.
• Highly organized and proactive.
• Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced and dynamic culture.
• Personal and professional integrity of the highest order.
• Strong work ethic, responsiveness and passion for customer service and quality.

To apply please click here

For more private equity job opportunities head over to the peHUB career center, co-hosted with eFinancialCareers.com.

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