Employee Share Scheme (ESS) Specialist| Senior Associate or Manager | Private Business Tax

Employee ownership and equity rewards can play a powerful role in helping private businesses attract, retain and motivate their people. In this specialist role as a Senior Associate or Manager, you’ll help clients, including founders and boards, think through how employee share schemes and broader reward arrangements can support their growth, succession, transaction or talent strategies.

As a Senior Associate or Manager in our Business Tax team (Employee Share Schemes), you’ll play a vital role in advising private businesses on the tax and commercial considerations of employee share schemes and incentive arrangements. You’ll work alongside tax, legal, accounting, valuations and reward specialists to help clients (including founders and executive boards) design, implement and manage equity-based reward structures that create long-term value for their people and their business.

This is not traditional Business Tax work. The focus is on Employee Share Schemes, reward and incentive arrangements, and tax consulting, making it a great opportunity for someone with a background in tax, legal, accounting, M&A, deals, private business advisory or another related area who is interested in building a specialisation in this growing field.

Why PwC?

At PwC Australia, your skills meet purpose. We tackle big challenges across industries like finance, technology, energy, and health — giving you the chance to make a real impact. Here, your growth is our priority. You’ll work with leading teams, explore new technologies, and unlock your full potential.

Join a global community of more than 370,000 people who value bold ideas, collaboration, and lasting change. Together, we’re building trust and shaping the future.

What you’ll do:

• Advise private businesses on employee share schemes, equity incentives, option plans, performance rights, employee ownership arrangements, and broader reward structures.

• Consult with clients on the tax implications of employee share schemes, including how different structures may impact the business, founders, employees, and other stakeholders.

• Review and interpret scheme documents, shareholder agreements, transaction documents and other legal materials, working closely with PwC’s legal specialists where needed.

• Support clients through key business events such as growth phases, succession planning, capital raises, transactions, restructures, acquisitions or exits, where employee equity and reward arrangements may be an important consideration.

• Prepare client advice, presentations, and practical recommendations that explain complex tax and reward issues in a clear and commercially relevant way.

• Work collaboratively with teams across tax, legal, private business, deals and consulting to deliver integrated advice to clients.

• At Manager level, lead day-to-day client delivery, manage workstreams, support team members, and contribute to business development opportunities.

• Designing employee share or option plans for private companies

• Advising employees, founders and companies on the tax implications and opportunities of equity incentives.

• Determining whether the scheme qualifies for relevant ESS tax concessions

• Managing ESS reporting obligations to the tax authority and employees

• Supporting valuations of shares or options

• Advising on tax issues for start-ups, scale- ups and privately owned groups

• Helping with events like vesting, exercise, sale, buy-backs, exits or IPOs

• Coordinating with legal, payroll, reward and corporate tax teams

What we’re looking for:

• Experience in one or more relevant areas such as tax, legal, accounting, private business advisory, M&A, deals, corporate advisory, employment taxes, reward or employee share schemes.

• An interest in employee share schemes, reward, employee ownership and how tax advice can support broader business and people outcomes.

• Ability to read, interpret and work with legal and commercial documents, with support available from legal specialists where required.

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to work through technical issues and apply them to real client situations.

• Clear communication skills, including the ability to explain complex concepts to clients and stakeholders in a practical and accessible way.

• Strong project management skills, attention to detail and the ability to manage competing priorities.

Desirable skills

• Experience with employee share schemes, executive reward, equity incentives, start-up concessions, private company transactions, or shareholder arrangements.

• CA, CPA, legal, tax, finance or other relevant professional qualifications, or progress towards one.

Don't meet every requirement? We encourage you to apply. We value all forms of experience that may be transferrable and relevant.

What you’ll gain:

• The opportunity to work with leading organisations and cutting-edge technology that challenge and expand your expertise.

• Work within an inclusive environment committed to Inclusion and Diversity and First Nations Prosperity, ensuring diverse perspectives are at the forefront of our work.

• Flexibility means trusting you to choose when, where, and how you work balancing what’s best for you, your team, and your clients to grow and thrive together.

• Clear paths for career progression supported by continuous learning and leadership development.

• Generous leave entitlements to support your work-life balance - including floating public holidays, birthday leave and ability to purchase additional leave on top of your four weeks.

• A world-class parental leave policy offering up to 26 weeks of leave for caregivers, supporting your family and personal life.

We know that perks are as important as your financial rewards. Explore all the benefits that PwC has to offer here.

Ready to grow here and go further? Join PwC Australia as a Senior Associate or Manager – Business Tax, Employee Share Schemes and make an impact that goes beyond the expected. Apply now and take your next step with a team shaping the future.

We’re committed to treating all our job applicants fairly and with respect, irrespective of their actual or assumed background, disability, neurodivergence, or any other protected characteristic and to maintaining a safe, respectful workplace for everyone. We want you to have every opportunity to thrive in our selection process. In the application form, you can let us know what adjustments you require during our recruitment process and/or any workplace accommodations you anticipate needing to help you perform your role.

No agencies please: We kindly request that recruitment agencies do not submit CVs in response to this advertisement. We are only accepting applications directly from individuals.