R&D Tax Senior Manager in London

Business Line: UK - FIP | Finance & Innovation Performance

Company Description: As a professional services company, Ayming partners with businesses and institutions around the world to unlock lasting value. With a team of over 1,500 experts in Innovation, HR, and Taxes across 14 countries; our three delivery modes are: consulting services, digital services and managed services.

Job Description: The R&D Senior Manager will be responsible for leading and delivering high-quality advisory services to Ayming UK’s clients across R&D tax reliefs and the UK Patent Box regime. The role combines deep technical expertise, strategic client leadership, and people management, with accountability for complex engagements, client retention, and the development of high-performing teams.

Your main responsibilities will be:

• Technical Leadership – R&D Tax & Patent Box: Provide expert advice on SME and large company R&D tax schemes (including RDEC) and the UK Patent Box regime. Lead the integration of Patent Box claims with R&D tax incentive work, ensuring robust, compliant, and commercially sound outcomes for clients, including large corporates.
• Client Relationship Leadership: Own and lead senior client relationships, acting as a trusted adviser. Manage complex engagements, oversee delivery quality, and ensure high levels of client satisfaction, retention, and repeat business.
• Complex Claims & Escalation Management: Act as the final escalation point on high-risk or complex claims, providing direction and sign-off. Ensure regular feedback loops are in place to support learning, quality improvement, and peer-to-peer knowledge sharing.
• Team Leadership & Development: Lead, line manage, and mentor a team of senior consultants (circa 5+ direct and indirect reports). Foster a collaborative, high-performance culture focused on technical excellence, accountability, and continuous development.
• Delivery & Profitability Oversight: Maintain oversight of claim delivery, resourcing, and profitability across a portfolio of clients. Ensure work is delivered efficiently, on time, and in line with Ayming’s quality standards.
• Project & Stakeholder Management: Oversee client projects end-to-end, coordinating across internal teams to ensure seamless execution and clear communication.
• Business Development & Growth: Support business development initiatives by identifying opportunities within existing and new clients, contributing to proposals, and partnering with Sales to drive growth in R&D tax and Patent Box services.
• Thought Leadership & Market Awareness: Stay ahead of legislative, regulatory, and industry developments. Act as a subject matter expert internally and externally, sharing insights and contributing to Ayming’s market profile.
• Quality, Risk & Governance: Ensure compliance with Ayming’s quality control procedures, HMRC requirements, and internal governance standards, proactively managing risk.
• Recruitment & Practice Development: Support recruitment, onboarding, training, and wider practice-building initiatives to strengthen capability and scalability.

Qualifications:

• Education: Degree in a STEM field (Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics) or Finance/Accounting. Professional qualifications ATT/CTA, as well as project management qualifications such as APM/PRINCE2, is a plus.
• Experience: Significant experience in R&D tax, corporate taxation, or a related field, with 4+ years in a managerial role. Experience with HMRC is essential. Proven experience advising on both R&D tax reliefs and the UK Patent Box regime within a professional services setting. Experience leading complex client engagements and managing senior stakeholders. Prior people leadership experience, ideally managing senior consultants. Strong understanding of R&D tax credits, including SME and RDEC schemes, and relevant tax legislation. Excellent analytical, project management, and communication skills. Ability to manage clients, lead teams, and explain complex tax issues clearly.

Benefits:

• Hybrid working environment
• Vibrant, purposeful, and social environment with a nominated social team to arrange regular socials and activities.
• Being a part of a great team of over 70 Aymers in our London office.
• Extensive career development, progression, and training – Continuous development and support for your professional qualifications, personal goals, and aspirations so we can grow together.
• Career Coaching – Better never stops. Sharing our time to make the best use of yours.
• 25 Days Holiday per annum with the option to buy an additional five days.
• An extra day off for your Birthday.
• 5% Company Pension matched contribution.
• Immediate membership to Healthshield, a ‘well‑being’ medical health scheme.
• Day one access to an app‑based service providing remote GP services and enhanced health support.
• x4 Basic Salary Death in Service Benefit.
• Cycle to Work scheme.
• Access to our Employee Benefits Platform (Sodexo) – multiple discounts across Highstreet stores, Grocery Shopping, Travel and Leisure activities.