Direct Tax Lead - EMEA

About Astellas: At Astellas we are a progressive health partner, delivering value and outcomes where needed. We pursue innovative science, focusing initially on the areas of greatest potential and then developing solutions where patient need is high, often in rare or under-served disease areas and in life-threatening or life-limiting diseases and conditions. We work directly with patients, doctors and health care professionals on the front line to ensure patient and clinical needs are guiding our development activities at every stage. Our global vision for Patient Centricity is to support the development of innovative health solutions through a deep understanding of the patient experience. At Astellas, Patient Centricity isn’t a buzzword - it’s a guiding principle for action. We believe all staff have a role to play in creating a patient-centric culture and integrating an awareness of the patient into our everyday working practices, regardless of our role, team or division. We work closely with regulatory authorities and payers to find new ways to ensure access to new therapies. We deliver the latest insights and real-world evidence to inform the best decisions for patients and their caregivers, to ensure the medicines we develop continue to provide meaningful outcomes. Beyond medicines, we support our stakeholder communities to drive initiatives that improve awareness, education, access and ultimately standards of care.

The Opportunity: As the Direct Tax Lead, EMEA, who is a senior tax professional, you will be responsible for all direct tax compliance, reporting, risk management, and strategy across the region. You will support the EMEA Controller & Head of Tax and leading a team of three, manage quarterly tax reporting, consolidation of financial data and alignment with global policies in a fast-paced, collaborative environment. Your role requires strong technical expertise, the ability to explain complex tax matters clearly and experience working across a matrixed organisation. Your role also drives process, data, and governance improvements using analytics and technology, while managing relationships with HMRC and other tax authorities. You’ll help shape best-in-class tax compliance, reporting, and controversy management, and act as a subject matter expert to finance teams across EMEA on statutory accounts, reporting requirements, and best practices.

Hybrid Working: At Astellas we recognise the importance of work/life balance, and we are proud to offer a hybrid working solution allowing time to connect with colleagues at the office with the flexibility to also work from home. We believe this will optimise the most productive work environment for all employees to succeed and deliver. Hybrid work from certain locations may be permitted in accordance with Astellas’ Responsible Flexibility Guidelines.

Responsibilities and Accountabilities:

• Aligning Strategy, Policy & Tax Law: You are implementing global tax standards, developing local strategies that support business goals, minimising exposure, and staying updated on international tax law changes, treaties, and withholding taxes while proactively advising the business and collaborating with global tax colleagues.
• Leading International & Cross-Border Projects: You are leading tax input on cross-border work, including mergers, acquisitions, restructurings, new product launches, lifecycle changes, and divestments, ensuring all international tax impacts are fully considered.
• Managing Compliance, Reporting & Audit: You are managing all EMEA direct tax compliance, statutory and consolidated reporting, CbCr and Pillar 2 requirements, overseeing external providers, reviewing contract effectiveness, preparing tax accounting papers and audit memos, supporting statutory compliance, and driving regional standardisation and efficiency.
• Strengthening Risk, Controls & Governance: You are identifying and managing tax risks such as PE and CFCs, monitoring compliance exposures, enhancing tax processes, controls, and JSOX requirements, and using technology and AI to improve governance, efficiency, and risk management.
• Building Relationships, Leading Teams & Managing Budgets: You are building strong relationships with auditors, advisors, tax authorities, finance teams, and business partners, mentoring a high-performing tax team, and managing EMEA tax budgets effectively.

Mandatory Compliance requirements: You are staying aware of Astellas’ Group Code of Conduct, policies, procedures, and all applicable laws and regulations. You are seeking clarification and guidance when needed and raising concerns promptly with the appropriate manager, including the Ethics and Compliance Team when relevant. You are completing all mandatory Ethics and Compliance training on time to maintain up-to-date awareness. You are also following the Astellas Way, expected competencies, and all HR policies, procedures, and behavioural standards.

Required Experience:

• Qualifications & Technical Expertise: Fluency in English; ACA/ACCA (or equivalent) with CTA preferred. Strong UK, international and OECD tax knowledge, including Pillar 2, BEPS, transfer pricing, tax incentive regimes, and cross-border compliance. Solid understanding of IFRS and tax accounting standards.
• Experience & Background: Extensive post-qualification experience in international tax within multinational organisations and global accounting/tax firms. Strong UK tax exposure, extensive experience with JSOX environments, and a track record managing complex UK tax audits, EMEA-wide authorities, and statutory tax reporting across large multi-entity groups.
• Compliance, Reporting & Analytics: Proven ability managing tax compliance, reporting, planning, and audit processes to tight deadlines. Experienced in tax financial reporting consolidation (20+ entities), external audit coordination, and interpreting data, analytics, and insights to support decision-making.
• Leadership, Stakeholder Management & Ways of Working: Demonstrated success leading and developing teams, managing stakeholders at all levels, and building trusted relationships with finance, business partners, external auditors, and tax authorities. Strong communication skills, professional presence, and the ability to work independently in a fast-paced multinational environment.
• Innovation, Problem-Solving & Continuous Improvement: Experienced in change management, process improvement, automation, and leveraging innovations such as AI. Detail-driven, organised, proactive, budget-conscious, and able to develop solutions using internal knowledge and strategic thinking.

Preferred Qualification: Experience within the pharmaceutical, life science industry or other highly regulated industries. Good awareness and experience of other taxes including Employment Taxes, Customs Duties and Indirect Taxes.

Education: Degree/Advanced degree.

Additional Information: This is a permanent, full-time role based in the UK. This position follows our hybrid working model. The role requires a blend of home and a minimum of 2 days a week in office in our Addlestone office. Flexibility may be required in line with business needs. Candidates must be located within a commutable distance of the office.

We are an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, colour, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.