Associate Director, Global Tax Controversy and Risk Management in Macclesfield

Are you ready to steer high-stakes tax examinations and conflicts in a way that protects investment in life-changing science?

This role puts you at the heart of safeguarding resources and certainty so our teams can focus on delivering medicines to patients faster.

As a key member of the Global Tax Controversy Team, you will join a team passionate about preventing, handling, and resolving tax audits and disputes.

These cover multiple taxes and jurisdictions.

You will work closely with internal partners, external advisors, and tax authorities to provide strategic guidance on complex tax matters and seek to mitigate potential risks and disputation from arising ensuring compliance and protect the company's interests whilst fostering a collaborative and proactive tax culture within the organization.

Based in the United Kingdom, this is a hybrid position that will require travel to the Luton office 3 days per week.

Consideration would be given to working from our Cambridge or Macclesfield office.

You will be responsible for

• Leading and coordinating tax audits, disputes, and litigation across the jurisdictions where we operate.

Establishing strategy and approach to resolve tax controversy issues across multiple taxes on time.

• Developing strategies for engaging with and negotiating the resolution of tax disputes with tax authorities.
• Ensure thorough documentation and coordinate responses to tax authorities.
• Partner with internal stakeholders to lead and resolve tax disputes and manage tax risk and internal reporting processes ensuring proper documentation for statutory audit purposes.
• Provide insights and strategic analysis on emerging tax issues to senior leadership.

Serve as a subject matter expert on global tax trends, key risk areas for disputation, and approaches to managing and settling tax controversies globally.

• Support Astra Zeneca's global compliance team with relevant tax consultations and participate in managing risks associated with tax policy changes.
• Engage and support cross-functional processes across Group Tax, including driving efficiency and employing technology for the better management of processes and compliance.

Essential skills/experience

• At least a bachelor’s degree in law and taxation and/or economics, or a related field
• Previous experience in handling and resolving tax disputes and tax risk management gained at a top tier law firm, Big 4 or at a revenue authority
• Strong relevant experience in corporate income tax, international tax, transfer pricing, and/or indirect tax.

Candidates may have gained this in a global law firm, Big4, tax administration, or a combination.

• Excellent critical thinking and analytical skills.
• Proven track record in tax dispute management, including litigation and the resolution of international tax disputes through Mutual Agreement Procedure and arbitration.
• Demonstrable experience in the carriage of tax litigation through domestic courts and a deep knowledge of the administrative law aspects of the resolution of tax disputes in more than one jurisdiction including concerning tax certainty instruments, tax authority powers and processes, discovery assessments, penalty regimes, information and access powers amongst others.
• Experience in, awareness of and interested in using and developing technology in managing and resolving tax audits and disputes.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to influence at various organisational levels to diverse audiences.
• High level of integrity, professional judgement, and strategic thinking.

Desirable Skills/Experience

• Master’s degree or Juris Doctor preferred.
• Experience in resolving tax controversies and managing tax risks including a solid understanding of cooperative compliance programmes and significant experience in tax authority engagement.

Why Astra Zeneca?

Here, strategy meets science with urgency and heart.

You will collaborate with bright, digitally savvy colleagues who move quickly, think creatively, and back big ideas with data and rigor.

We bring diverse authorities into the same room—scientists, finance leaders, technologists to pressure-test approaches and make fast, well‑judged decisions.

Ethics, compliance, and transparency guide every step, and recognition is real: we celebrate successes and reward long-term commitment.

Your impact is tangible, every risk avoided and dispute resolved helps accelerate the development of medicines that improve lives—and you will have room to grow, learn, and lead in a supportive culture that values kindness alongside ambition.

If you’re ready to lead complex tax controversy to clear the path for scientific breakthroughs, step forward and shape outcomes that matter!

• Date Posted
• Closing Date

Our mission is to build an inclusive and equitable environment.

We want people to feel they belong at Astra Zeneca and Alexion, starting with our recruitment process.

We welcome and consider applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of characteristics.

We offer reasonable adjustments/accommodations to help all candidates to perform at their best.

If you have a need for any adjustments/accommodations, please complete the section in the application form.

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