Tax Manager - Product & Operations

Alpaca is a self-clearing broker-dealer and brokerage infrastructure company seeking a Tax Manager - Product & Operations to serve as the core Subject Matter Expert for Germany and assist in expansion into Spain and France. The role involves interpreting local tax codes, contributing to product design, and acting as a liaison with tax authorities while ensuring compliance and supporting product integration.

Responsibilities:

• Act as a vital link between tax legislation and our engineering pods. Help translate complex requirements (e.g., German Abgeltungsteuer logic, capital gains offset rules) into clear, actionable requirements for product managers and backend developers
• While your primary mandate is the German market, you will partner with senior management to research, interpret, and integrate tax calculation and reporting logic for secondary markets, with an immediate focus on Spain and France
• Contribute specialized tax input for new product launches. Assist in reviewing tax logic during the design phase and support the testing of calculation engines to ensure accuracy before launch
• Serve as a subject matter expert on German personal income tax, capital gains taxation, and local reporting obligations for financial instruments (equities, ETFs, derivatives, crypto)
• Support the continuous improvement and automation of tax-related workflows, helping the operations team minimize manual reviews and optimize cross-border efficiency
• Monitor updates and changes in relevant tax laws across our core and target jurisdictions, summarizing potential impacts on Alpaca's platform logic and end-clients
• Act as a reliable contact person for the German BZSt (and assist with the Spanish AEAT) regarding routine product tax, withholding inquiries, and client reporting
• Facilitate interactions with external local tax advisors, auditors, and outsourced compliance partners across different jurisdictions, ensuring they have the data and context they need

Requirements:

• 4-7+ years of experience in capital markets taxation, financial services tax advisory (Big 4), or a hands-on Tax/Operations role within a fintech or brokerage
• Strong, demonstrable knowledge of German personal tax law, particularly regarding financial products and automated withholding models
• Ability to communicate complex tax concepts clearly to non-experts. You must be comfortable working alongside software engineers and reviewing technical workflows
• Professional fluency in English and native/near-native fluency in German is strictly required to navigate local regulations and authority interactions
• Experience with or exposure to broader European tax regimes—particularly Spain (IRPF) and France (PFU / Prélèvement Forfaitaire Unique)—is highly desirable
• Professional proficiency in Spanish or French is a significant advantage
• Relevant degree in Tax, Accounting, Finance, or Law. Official German tax advisor qualification (Steuerberater) is a strong plus, though equivalent practical experience is highly valued
• Previous exposure to retail brokerage operations, fast-paced tech environments, or international client portfolios