Role Purpose
As the first dedicated tax professional in the organisation, the successful candidate will take full ownership of the global tax function, with a heavy strategic focus on European Indirect Tax (VAT and Customs duty) as well as other corporate taxes in the UK and Ireland.
You will be a strategic support to the Supply Chain, navigating complex multi-jurisdictional movements of active ingredients and commercial stock. You will map out the routes to eliminate double taxation, optimise cash flow delayed by foreign VAT returns, and ensure seamless customs clearance, while simultaneously managing the group's wider corporate tax and transfer pricing profiles.
Strong understanding of the pharmaceutical supply chain and cross border operating models will be key to the success in this role alongside being a problem solver able to navigate through UK and European VAT legislations and customs requirements.
Key Accountabilities
1. European VAT & Customs Strategy (Primary Focus)
- Supply Chain Mapping: Architect and optimise the VAT and customs positioning for complex, cross-border pharma flows, including CMO loops, drop-shipments, and multi-leg European distribution.
- Compliance Infrastructure: Manage the group's UK VAT and European VAT/Intrastat registrations, working with local fiscal representatives to ensure flawless execution.
- In source VAT work and set-up in-house filing for regulator VAT returns utilising external support for advisory work rather than routine filings
2. Strategic Tax Planning & PE Alignment
- Align the broader tax framework with the PE sponsor’s VCP/exit thesis, ensuring no legacy VAT or corporate tax exposures decrease enterprise value at sale.
- Manage the group's Effective Tax Rate (ETR) and corporate tax forecasting.
- Lead tax workstreams for bolt-on acquisitions, focusing heavily on evaluating the target's historic historical EU VAT compliance.
3. Corporate Tax, Transfer Pricing & Incentives
- Work with external tax advisors to ensure the Group Transfer Pricing (TP) framework aligns with physical supply chain routes, ensuring IP licensing fees and distribution margins are compliant with OECD guidelines.
- Work with external tax advisors to oversee UK and Ireland R&D tax credits and maximize the benefits of the Patent Box regime for commercialised drug assets.
- Coordinate the group's year-end tax accounting provisions and statutory disclosures (under UK GAAP).
- Support filing of annual PSA and other company returns to HMRC
4. Audit Defence & Governance
- Act as the primary interface for HMRC and European tax authorities, spearheading defence strategies for VAT inspections or corporate tax audits.
- Select, manage, and audit local European tax and customs brokers to ensure strict compliance with changing EU-UK trade rules.
Required Skills & Experience
- Professional Qualification: CTA, IIT (Institute of Indirect Tax), ACA, ACCA, or equivalent. A dedicated focus or specialized pathways in Indirect Tax is highly distinct.
- Deep familiarity with pharmaceutical supply chain dynamics, including wholesale distribution rules, importing medical products post-Brexit, and the interaction of EU customs valuations with transfer pricing is essential for success in this role.
- Strong technical knowledge of UK and EU VAT legislation, triangulation rules, place of supply rules for services, and customs classification/valuation.
- Experience navigating the fast-paced, lean environment of a PE-backed or highly leveraged business where cash-management is a daily priority.
- Comfortability being a sole contributor initially, capable of executing a technical VAT returns process while explaining the strategic risks to the CFO and Board.
- A clear communicator to articulate complex indirect tax and customs concepts to non-tax colleagues across the organisation and to the executive committee.
