European VAT Senior Manager, Amazon Consumer Stores, Amazon Tax Advisory & Planning Team in Manchester

Amazon is seeking a European VAT Senior Manager to lead VAT strategy, risk governance, and policy across multi-jurisdictional operations throughout Europe. This role combines deep technical VAT expertise with strategic leadership, driving scalable compliance frameworks, influencing senior decision-making, and setting the direction for complex, cross-border VAT matters.

Key job responsibilities

• This position will lead cross-functional engagement with senior business partners, legal, operations, and tax leadership to shape strategy, define governance frameworks, and drive alignment on complex VAT matters across multiple jurisdictions and business lines.
• The role requires setting the strategic direction for VAT risk management and influencing organisational priorities at a senior level.
• In order to be successful, the candidate must demonstrate strategic vision and high judgment, setting priorities for multi-disciplinary teams, making decisions with significant business, regulatory, or financial implications, and determining where to allocate resources for maximum impact.
• The candidate must operate with independence and bring clarity to complexity.

The candidate must:

• Have deep, recognized expertise in VAT across multiple jurisdictions, with a proven track record of leading complex advisory engagements, setting organisational tax positions, and influencing business strategy at a senior leadership level.
• Be able to lead and own the resolution of the most complex audit and controversy matters, developing strategy, managing external advisors, and driving outcomes with tax authorities across multiple jurisdictions.
• Be able to communicate complex VAT matters with clarity and conviction to executive audiences, bringing strategic recommendations, not just analysis, and driving alignment across diverse stakeholder groups.
• Be a trusted business partner to senior leaders, effectively influencing and challenging decisions across organisations.

A day in the life

This position owns the strategic direction of VAT planning and risk management across the portfolio, leading large-scale, cross-functional programmes from conception through execution. The role is accountable for identifying and mitigating material VAT risks, developing and embedding governance frameworks, and ensuring organisational readiness for regulatory change. The incumbent will establish mechanisms for continuous improvement, determine resource allocation, and report directly to senior leadership on exposure, remediation, and strategic priorities.

Basic Qualifications

• Professional tax, accounting or legal qualification (e.g., Chartered Accountant (CA), Associate Chartered Accountant (ACA), Chartered Tax Adviser (CTA), Chartered Institute of Taxation (CIOT) or similar).
• Experience advisory experience in a large accounting/consultancy practice, law firm, tax authority or business in-house.
• Experience in international indirect tax planning and strong understanding of or practical experience with tax laws in other countries.
• Knowledge of VAT in EU/UK.
• Extensive and progressive VAT experience with a global consulting firm (Big 4 or equivalent), law firm, or major multinational organisation, with demonstrated experience leading teams and managing complex, multi-jurisdictional engagements.

Preferred Qualifications

• Strategic leader who takes ownership of large-scale programmes, demonstrates high judgment in prioritisation, and delivers results through others in complex, ambiguous environments with material business impact.
• Proven ability to operate with independence in highly ambiguous, fast-paced environments, making decisions with significant financial or regulatory implications and navigating organisational complexity.
• Proven track record of influencing and challenging senior leaders (VP+), building trust as a strategic partner, and communicating complex matters with clarity under pressure.
• Able to analyze and review statutes, regulations, and case law and then extract data and make appropriate recommendations.
• Exceptional interpersonal and leadership skills, including the ability to build consensus, drive alignment across multiple teams and organisations, and influence without authority at the most senior levels.
• Experience designing and implementing governance or risk frameworks across multi-jurisdictional operations.
• Experience managing relationships with tax authorities and external advisors at a strategic level.

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