Employment Tax Manager EMEA in Fareham

Department: Finance

Location: Fareham, 3 days per week in office

Working Hours: 37.5 weekly

A brighter future awaits you. CooperVision is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of soft contact lenses with a presence in over 100 countries. Being part of CooperVision means helping improve the way people see each day. It’s more than making contact lenses, it’s about giving lens wearers freedom and confidence to move about their daily lives. We’re all about bright futures – for our people and those who wear our contact lenses.

Job summary – What to expect: The Employment Tax Manager EMEA is responsible for ensuring the overall compliance, governance, and integrity of employment tax matters across the EMEA region. The role requires engagement with senior stakeholders across the Cooper Companies organisations, working closely with functions such as Finance, Payroll, HR, Legal, Share Reporting, and Reward, as well as external professional advisors. This is a key role responsible for managing employment tax across EMEA, ensuring full compliance with local legislation through ongoing monitoring, and the implementation of robust and sustainable tax controls.

Responsibilities include:

• Partner closely with Finance, HR, Reward, Legal, and Payroll teams to review business processes are in place.
• Ensure employment tax processes and controls across EMEA are appropriately documented, maintained, and operating effectively, including supporting compliance with the Senior Accounting Officer (SAO) regime.
• Develop, implement, and enhance employment tax governance frameworks across EMEA, including the Employment Tax Strategy and supporting policies, ensuring appropriate tracking and escalation of risks, outstanding issues, and governance reporting (e.g. CCO, BRR+).
• Oversee all employment tax aspects of employee benefits, working closely with HR and Reward, including management of PAYE Settlement Agreements (PSAs).
• Work closely with Global Mobility teams and external advisors to ensure cross-border employment arrangements operate in compliance with local tax and regulatory requirements.
• Collaborate with HR teams to ensure appropriate processes are in place to track and report home working, overseas working, and business travel, ensuring accurate and compliant tax treatment across jurisdictions.
• Oversee and review off-payroll working (IR35) determinations in the UK, ensuring consistent application of status assessment frameworks, robust documentation, and compliance with relevant PAYE and NIC obligations.
• Take responsibility for employment tax aspects of share schemes, including all relevant reporting requirements and compliance obligations.
• Act as the primary point of contact for HMRC and other tax authorities on employment tax matters, including managing enquiries, disputes, and reviews, developing technical positions and coordinating responses to mitigate financial and reputational risk.
• Identify and lead opportunities to optimise the organisation’s employment tax position, ensuring alignment with the overall tax strategy and proactive management of associated risks.
• Monitor, interpret, and communicate changes in tax legislation, case law, and tax authority focus areas, leveraging internal and external networks to identify emerging risks and opportunities and strengthen compliance and controls.
• Build strong relationships across the business to ensure employment tax considerations are understood and embedded into decision-making.
• Lead or support periodic employment tax risk reviews and internal audits, ensuring findings are addressed promptly and controls strengthened where required.
• Provide guidance, training, and support to HR, Payroll, and Finance teams to enhance understanding of employment tax requirements and improve compliance across the business.
• Work collaboratively with Payroll teams to support the design, testing, and ongoing review of payroll compliance controls.
• Engage with external advisors on complex matters and support periodic external reviews or audits.
• Undertake additional responsibilities as required to support the broader tax function and business objectives.

About you: We are looking for someone with:

• Strong understanding of tax risk management, governance, and control frameworks, including experience operating in a regulated environment (e.g. SAO).
• Strong stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence and collaborate effectively across Finance, HR, Payroll, Legal, and external advisors.
• Demonstrated ability to take ownership of complex areas and operate with a high degree of autonomy.
• Proactive mindset with the ability to identify risks, drive improvements, and deliver practical, compliant solutions.
• Advanced Excel skills, with experience using financial or payroll systems (e.g. Oracle) considered an advantage.

Experience & Education:

• Ideally 6+ years in an employment tax focused role, with comprehensive working knowledge of employment tax principles, with proven ability to apply them in a complex, international corporate environment.
• Experience leading end-to-end employment tax processes and projects, including implementation of controls, governance frameworks, and process improvements.
• Experience working within, or supporting, international organisations, with exposure to EMEA employment tax and cross-border working considerations, including global mobility.
• Strong advisory experience across a broad range of employment tax matters, including employee benefits, international mobility, off-payroll working, statutory payments, and salary sacrifice arrangements.
• Experience of managing UK employment tax reporting cycles and ensuring ongoing compliance with legislative and regulatory requirements, including interaction with tax authorities where required.
• Qualified Accountant (ACA, ACCA) or Tax professional (ATT and/or CTA) or equivalent or practical tax work experience obtained.

What we offer: You’ll receive competitive compensation and a fantastic benefits package including 25 days holiday, pension scheme, healthcare cover, life assurance, access to our Wellness Platform to support you in mental health and wellbeing, a discounted contact lens scheme and much more! We are committed to our employees’ personal and professional development and offer extensive training to support your career growth and help every individual to reach their full potential. To help us achieve our goals, we’ll give you everything you need to help you achieve yours. We also provide access to LinkedIn Learning to help you develop in your career and grow with CooperVision.

What you can expect: As a CooperVision employee, you’ll be welcomed into a diverse and progressive global business. We appreciate how important fostering an inclusive culture is and how different perspectives add value and contribute to our success. If you like what you see, take the first step towards your Brighter Future and apply today! All suitably qualified applicants will receive equal consideration and opportunities from CooperVision.