---
title: 'Senior Director, Tax at Fairstead ESC LLC'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/senior-director-tax-fairstead-esc-llc-new-york-new-york-86g0r7kn5ey7'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-09-13'
---

# Senior Director, Tax at Fairstead ESC LLC

- **Company:** Fairstead ESC LLC
- **Location:** New York New York, United States
- **Posted:** 2026-07-21
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-13
- **Apply:** https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/fairsteadescllc/jobs/5366097008

## Job description

Fairstead is a purpose-driven real estate firm dedicated to building affordable communities across the country. Headquartered in New York, with offices in Colorado, Florida, and Washington DC, Fairstead owns and manages a portfolio of more than 30,000 apartments, including pipeline, across 28 states. As an integrated owner, operator, and innovator, Fairstead brings development, construction, and property management under one unified platform to deliver high-quality affordable housing that serves our residents at scale.

At Fairstead, we believe affordable housing should be thoughtfully designed, professionally managed, and responsibly operated. We seek to create and preserve housing that serves residents while delivering long-term value to communities, partners, and stakeholders.

Fairstead challenges industry norms through our tech-forward, entrepreneurial approach to affordable housing. In addition to core real estate capabilities, we operate innovative service lines designed to improve resident outcomes, strengthen communities, and drive operational efficiency. We embrace digital transformation, data-driven decision-making, and emerging technologies, including AI, to build scalable systems that support sustainable growth, grounded in a culture of entrepreneurship, innovation, partnership, dedication, and integrity.

The Senior Director, Tax is a senior role responsible for overseeing all tax functions at Fairstead. Reporting directly to the CFO, this individual will serve as Fairstead's senior-most tax authority, providing strategic direction and hands-on oversight of federal, state, and local tax matters across a complex multi-entity, multi-jurisdictional organizational structure. This individual will collaborate extensively with legal, accounting, finance, ventures and development teams to support Fairstead's operational and growth objectives.

Responsibilities:

- Lead all aspects of the company's tax function, including federal, state, and local income tax compliance, planning, and reporting across 28 states
- Develop and execute the company's overall tax strategy, with a focus on LIHTC, minimizing effective tax rate (at State and local levels), REITS (as they relate to some of our JV partners), and managing tax risk across a large real estate portfolio and ancillary business lines
- Oversee preparation and review of federal and multi-state partnership, personal, corporate tax returns, including consolidated and combined filings
- Champion the adoption of AI and automation tools within the tax function to streamline compliance workflows, improve data accuracy, and enhance efficiency in tax research, provision, and reporting processes
- Direct tax structuring for property acquisitions, dispositions, joint ventures, 1031 exchanges, development projects, and capital markets transactions
- Provide technical guidance on partnership taxation, including complex waterfall structures, promote interests, capital account maintenance, and Section 704(b) and 704(c) allocations
- Advise on entity structuring and legal entity rationalization to support business operations, investment activity, and estate or succession planning for ownership
- Manage state and local tax compliance obligations, including income, franchise, transfer, and property tax filings across all operating jurisdictions
- Lead and manage relationships with external tax advisors, accounting firms, and specialized tax counsel
- Monitor federal and state legislative and regulatory developments and assess their impact on the company's tax position and business strategy
- Serve as a key advisor to the CFO, CEO, and executive leadership team on all tax matters, including strategic transactions and capital structure decisions
- Manage federal and state income tax audits, and examinations
- Establish and maintain internal controls, policies, and procedures related to the tax function
- Coordinate investor tax reporting, including K-1 preparation and distribution for fund and joint venture investors

Requirements:

- Minimum of 15 years of tax experience, with significant time spent in real estate, with direct experience in multi-state partnership tax compliance and planning
- Prior experience as a Head of Tax, VP of Tax, Tax Director, or equivalent senior in-house tax leadership role at a real estate operating company, private equity real estate firm, or real estate development company
- Deep technical expertise in partnership taxation, including Section 704(b)/704(c), carried interests, and complex multi-tier partnership structures
- Proficiency in multi-state income, franchise, and property tax compliance across a large, geographically distributed portfolio
- Experience managing federal and state tax audits by taxing authorities
- CPA required; JD, LLM in Taxation, or MST strongly preferred
- Strong communication and presentation skills with the ability to translate complex tax matters for non-tax executives and ownership
- Experience at a public accounting firm in a real estate tax practice is highly preferred
- Experience with multi-state sales and use tax compliance and nexus analysis, including nexus studies and voluntary disclosure agreements

Diversity in backgrounds and experiences is key to Fairstead’s success. Being an equal opportunity employer is a central tenet of our philosophy that shapes who we are and the communities we serve. Our goal is to ensure competitive total compensation that is commensurate with experience, location, and other market benchmarks.

For information about how we use your personal information, including information submitted for career opportunities, please review our Privacy Policy at

https://fairstead.com/privacy-policy/

## About Fairstead ESC LLC

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: Fairstead is a purpose-driven national real estate firm dedicated to building and managing sustainable, affordable communities across the United States.
- **Entity Type**: Private (Privately Held)
- **Headquarters**: New York, New York, United States
- **Founded**: Not publicly available
- **Founders**: Jeffrey Goldberg (CEO)

## Core Business
- **Primary industry**: Real Estate – Affordable Housing, Property Management, Development, Acquisitions, Sustainability
- **Target customers**: B2B (investors, partners, government agencies) and B2C (residents of affordable housing communities)
- **Mission or purpose statement**: “Grounded in empathy and powered by innovation, Fairstead builds vibrant, thriving communities across the country.” [fairstead.com](https://fairstead.com/about/)

## Products & Services
- **Affordable Housing Communities**: Fairstead owns and manages more than 27,000 apartments across 28 states, providing high-quality, affordable rental housing. [linkedin.com](https://www.linkedin.com/company/fairstead)
- **Development & Construction**: In-house expertise in new construction, substantial rehabs, and seismic retrofits (e.g., $120M Samuel Madden Homes redevelopment). [fairstead.com](https://fairstead.com/)
- **Sustainability & Resiliency**: Projects include solar roofs, heat pumps, low-flow plumbing, and energy-efficient retrofits, achieving up to 30% energy cost savings. [fairstead.com](https://fairstead.com/about/)
- **ResiBridge**: In-house internet service providing affordable broadband to residents (active job postings for Network Deployment Technicians). [greenhouse.io](http://job-boards.greenhouse.io/fairsteadescllc)
- **Property Management & Resident Services**: Full-service management including compliance, leasing, maintenance, and community programs.

## Market Standing
- **Valuation/Market Cap**: Not disclosed (private company)
- **Key Metric**: $500 million equity commitment announced in 2026 to expand the nation’s affordable housing portfolio. [linkedin.com](https://www.linkedin.com/company/fairstead/jobs)
- **Notable Investors/Partners**: Freddie Mac (named 2025 & 2026 Impact Sponsor), NAHMA (ranked #15 on 2026 Affordable 100 List), Kentucky Housing Corporation, Miami Beach City Commission. [fairstead.com](https://fairstead.com/about/)
- **Growth Signals**: 10.6% year-over-year headcount growth (175 employees), 99 active job postings, 24,500+ LinkedIn followers (+7.2% YoY), and consistent industry awards (Top 50 Owner, Top 10 Companies Completing Substantial Rehabs). [linkedin.com](https://www.linkedin.com/company/fairstead/jobs)

## Competitive Advantages
- **Comprehensive Platform**: In-house capabilities across acquisitions, development, construction, asset management, and property management – rare in the affordable housing space.
- **Sustainability Leadership**: Proven track record of deep energy retrofits and green certifications (Energy Star Award, Gold Award in Excellence Green Initiative).
- **Scale & National Reach**: Over 27,000 units in 28 states with regional offices in New York, Colorado, Florida, and Washington, D.C.
- **Purpose-Driven Mission**: Strong emphasis on community impact, resident services, and responsible stewardship differentiates from purely profit-driven firms.

## Strategic Focus
- **Expansion of Affordable Housing**: Continued acquisition and development of affordable communities, backed by a new $500M equity commitment.
- **Sustainability & Decarbonization**: Retrofitting existing properties with green technologies to reduce carbon footprint and operating costs.
- **Technology Integration**: Deploying ResiBridge for affordable internet and investing in proptech to improve operations and resident experience.
- **Talent Growth**: Hiring across compliance, property management, development, finance, and technology to support national portfolio growth.

## Why Work Here
- **Purpose-Driven Culture**: Employees are motivated by a mission to create positive change in communities. The company states: “We believe an organization united in purpose makes a difference.” [fairstead.com](https://fairstead.com/careers/)
- **Growth Opportunities**: 99 open positions across multiple divisions (compliance, property management, development, finance, tech) with a 10.6% headcount growth rate. Internship programs also available.
- **Work Environment**: Mix of office (NY, Denver, Delray Beach, Bethesda, Fort Mill) and remote roles (e.g., Traveling Compliance Specialist). The company emphasizes a “people first” approach.
- **Notable Perks & Recognition**: CEO Jeffrey Goldberg named New York Entrepreneur Of The Year® (2022); company consistently ranked among top affordable housing owners and managers.
- **Diverse Career Paths**: Roles range from community management and maintenance to senior engineering, finance, and sustainability – suitable for both early-career and experienced professionals.

## Sources
1. [fairstead.com](https://fairstead.com/)
2. [fairstead.com/about](https://fairstead.com/about/)
3. [fairstead.com/careers](https://fairstead.com/careers/)
4. [greenhouse.io - Fairstead ESC LLC Jobs](http://job-boards.greenhouse.io/fairsteadescllc)
5. [linkedin.com/company/fairstead](https://www.linkedin.com/company/fairstead/jobs)

## Other roles at Fairstead ESC LLC

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- [Assistant Community Manager](https://feeny.ai/job/assistant-community-manager-fairstead-esc-llc-baltimore-maryland-6s0sbp0wej5m) — Baltimore Maryland, United States
- [Community Manager](https://feeny.ai/job/community-manager-fairstead-esc-llc-whistler-bk71e3z41yke) — Whistler, AL
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