At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead tax audits and disputes, shaping strategies to protect resources for life-changing science.
- Company: Join AstraZeneca, where strategy meets science in a collaborative environment.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, supportive culture, and opportunities for growth and learning.
- Other info: Inclusive workplace that values diversity and offers reasonable adjustments for all candidates.
- Why this job: Make a tangible impact by resolving tax issues that accelerate medicine development.
- Qualifications: Bachelor's degree in law, taxation, or related field; significant tax dispute management experience.
The predicted salary is between 80000 - 100000 £ per year.
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. You will join a highly collaborative group focused on preventing, managing, and resolving tax controversy across multiple taxes and jurisdictions, working closely with internal leaders, external advisors, and tax authorities.
From day one, you will set strategy for complex matters, shape how we engage authorities, and embed robust, tech-enabled processes that reduce risk and avoid disputes before they arise. How will you turn complexity into clarity, and create durable outcomes that protect the business and support our mission?
Accountabilities:- Global Audit Leadership: Lead and manage tax audits, disputes, and litigation across jurisdictions, setting strategy and driving timely, high-quality resolutions that protect cash flows and certainty.
- Resolution Strategy: Develop smart, principled approaches to engage with tax authorities, negotiate settlements, and close issues efficiently while safeguarding the company’s position.
- Evidence and Documentation: Oversee comprehensive documentation and coordinated responses to tax authorities, ensuring accuracy, consistency, and readiness for statutory audit.
- Stakeholder Partnership: Partner with Finance, Legal, and Business stakeholders to resolve disputes, oversee tax risk and internal reporting processes, and ensure audit-ready documentation.
- Strategic Insight: Advise senior leadership on emerging tax issues and global trends; identify areas prone to disputation and shape proactive strategies for prevention and early resolution.
- Compliance and Policy Support: Support the global compliance team with consultations; assess and handle risks from policy and legislative changes to maintain compliance and certainty.
- Process and Technology Enablement: Drive efficiency by using technology and data to manage audits and controversies; embed scalable processes that strengthen control and transparency across Group Tax.
- Progressive Impact: Deliver immediate outcomes through issue resolution, then scale your influence by building frameworks and playbooks that reduce future risk and shorten audit cycles company wide.
- Education: Bachelor's degree (or equivalent) in law, taxation, accounting, economics, or a related field; or a professional qualification such as CPA, Chartered Accountant or Chartered Tax Adviser.
- Professional background: Significant experience in the management and resolution of tax disputes and tax risk management gained at a leading professional services firm (legal or accounting), Big 4, multinational corporation, or revenue authority — or a combination thereof.
- Technical expertise: Strong corporate income tax, international tax, transfer pricing, and/or indirect tax experience.
- Dispute resolution: Consistent track record in tax dispute management, including litigation, settlement negotiations, and the resolution of international tax disputes through Mutual Agreement Procedure and arbitration.
- Procedural knowledge: Previous experience in leading tax litigation or dispute resolution proceedings, with a strong understanding of the administrative law and procedural aspects of resolving tax disputes in more than one jurisdiction — including tax certainty instruments, tax authority powers and processes, discovery assessments, penalty regimes, and information and access powers.
- Technology: Experience in, awareness of, and interest in using and developing technology to lead and resolve tax audits and disputes.
- Communication: Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to influence at various organisational levels and communicate effectively to diverse audiences.
- Professional attributes: High level of integrity, professional judgment, critical thinking, and analytical capability.
Why AstraZeneca? Here, strategy meets science with urgency and heart. You will work alongside 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: 13-Jul-2026
Closing Date: 26-Jul-2026
Our mission is to build an inclusive and equitable environment. We want people to feel they belong at AstraZeneca 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.
Associate Director, Tax Controversy and Risk Management in Luton employer: AstraZeneca
AstraZeneca is an exceptional employer, offering a dynamic work culture that fosters innovation and collaboration in the heart of Cambridge. Employees benefit from extensive professional development opportunities, a commitment to diversity and inclusion, and the chance to make a meaningful impact in the pharmaceutical industry through cutting-edge research and AI integration.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Associate Director, Tax Controversy and Risk Management in Luton
✨Join Tax Networks
Get involved in tax-focused networks or associations, like the Chartered Institute of Taxation. These communities often host events and workshops which can help you make connections with industry professionals, plus they might even have job boards exclusive to members.
✨Attend Industry Events
Keep an eye out for tax-related conferences and seminars. Events like these are not only great for learning but also for meeting potential employers face-to-face. Use these opportunities to ask questions and express your interest; it’s all about putting a face to the name!
✨Leverage Social Media
Follow leading tax advisory firms, such as AstraZeneca, on social media. Engage with their posts – comment, share insights, or even ask questions. This can help you get noticed and show your enthusiasm for the industry before you even apply!
✨Showcase Your Knowledge
Consider writing articles or blogs on tax trends and issues. Sharing your expertise on platforms like LinkedIn can boost your visibility and establish you as someone who is serious about a career in tax advisory. Plus, it gives you something to discuss when you land that interview!
We think you need these skills to ace Associate Director, Tax Controversy and Risk Management in Luton
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Off Your Tax Knowledge:Make sure your CV highlights any relevant tax qualifications, certifications, or coursework you've completed. We want to see that you understand tax laws, regulations, and compliance issues—so detail your academic background or any practical experience in tax advisory to catch AstraZeneca's eye!
Quantify Your Achievements:In the tax consultancy field, showing measurable outcomes from your previous work can set you apart. Use your CV to include specific examples of how your advice helped clients save money or avoid penalties. Numbers speak volumes in our industry and can really highlight your impact.
Tailor Your Cover Letter:Your cover letter is your chance to express why you're passionate about tax consultancy and why you're excited about working at AstraZeneca. Share any personal experiences or insights that fuel your interest in the tax advisory field—let your enthusiasm shine through!
Keep It Professional but Approachable:While your written application should maintain a professional tone, don’t be afraid to let a bit of your personality show. Tax advisory is about building relationships, so if you can convey your approachable nature in your writing, that's a bonus when applying for this full-time role at AstraZeneca!
How to prepare for a job interview at AstraZeneca
✨Know Your Tax Fundamentals
Brush up on the core principles of tax law, especially recent updates that might affect clients. During the interview, we could face scenario-based questions where we'll need to apply these principles to solve problems, so get comfy with hypothetical situations!
✨Show Your Analytical Skills
Tax advisory isn't just about knowing the rules; it’s about interpreting them. Make sure to prepare examples from your previous studies or experiences where you successfully analysed complex data. We want to demonstrate how we can bring those analytical skills to the table for AstraZeneca.
✨Understand the Consulting Aspect
Since this is a full-time role, the interview might involve discussing how we communicate tax strategies to clients. Think about times we've interacted with clients or presented technical information in a digestible way. This shows we’re not just tax boffins but can also connect with people!
✨Your Long-Term Vision
As we're aiming for a full-time position, it's important to convey our enthusiasm and long-term interest in tax advisory. Be prepared to chat about why we’re passionate about this field and how we see ourselves growing within AstraZeneca. It helps to show our commitment!
