Tax Director in Sutton

Location: Hybrid / Orpington, UK

Job Type: Permanent / Full-time

Sector and Subsector: Tax & Practice | General Practice

Salary: Negotiable

Role can be based in any Southern office to include: Brighton, Sutton, Orpington, Sidcup.

Affinia is a UK Top 35 Accounting firm, where we support our clients with everything from day‑to‑day Accounting, Audit and Tax planning to strategic business advice, compliance and specialist services such as Cloud Accounting, Payroll and Mergers & Acquisitions across a wide range of sectors. We are committed to delivering excellence in every aspect of our work, adapting to the evolving regulatory landscape while consistently exceeding client expectations. We focus on building authentic connections, collaboration and growth, both with our clients and colleagues with over 300 years’ experience, bringing together financial experts from across London, East Anglia & Southeast England. We have more than 600 accountancy professionals across our 15+ offices and advise businesses, government and public sector organisations and individuals in the UK and internationally across seven principal practice groups: Accountancy & Advisory, Tax and Planning, Audit Services, Corporate Finance, Digital Solutions, Payroll and Financial Planning.

Purpose of the role:

As a Director within either our Personal or Corporate team, you will be responsible for continuing to grow our overall Tax offering within the firm both internally within the existing client portfolio but also externally through your own professional contacts and connections. This role goes beyond technical tax oversight — it is a leadership position responsible for building high‑performing teams, developing future leaders, ensuring operational excellence, and helping shape the firm’s long‑term strategic direction. You will act as a key advisor to clients, supporting business development efforts and identifying opportunities to add value. Internally, you will oversee and mentor Managers and Senior Managers, role model the firm’s values, and contribute to service line strategy, operational projects, and change initiatives. You will take ownership of process improvements, risk management, and cross‑location collaboration, while supporting the Head of Tax in achieving team and firm‑wide objectives.

Accountabilities:

• You will be required to manage a comprehensive and complex client list, provide line and performance management and make a significant contribution to ongoing growth of a successful Tax practice.
• You will have a direct contribution to the development and achievement of building the practice and will be required to build and maintain relationships with third parties.
• You will be expected to advise clients in connection with their tax affairs and onboard them to the team to offer bespoke advice.
• You should already be working as an experienced senior manager or Director and looking to develop your role considerably through technical advice, client management and business development.

Client and Portfolio Leadership:

• Lead service delivery for a portfolio of high‑value or technically complex clients, ensuring timely, high‑quality, and compliant output.
• Partner with firm leadership to define and execute the tax practice growth strategy.
• Lead capacity planning, resource allocation, and workflow optimisation during periods of rapid expansion.
• Identify new service lines, cross‑selling opportunities, and market expansion initiatives.
• Contribute to firm‑wide strategic planning and innovation initiatives.
• Experience of working with our target clients such as UHNWs/ HNW clients, family‑owned, SMEs and not purely large corporate clients.
• Act as a trusted advisor to clients, providing strategic, commercially sound advice and proactively identifying opportunities to add value.
• Lead by example in embodying Affinia’s values and client‑first mindset.

Commercial and Financial Management:

• Monitor WIP, billing, and recovery rates, taking proactive action to maximise profitability and manage overruns or scope creep.
• Identify potential tax risks and cash savings opportunities, and support initiatives to manage the risks or realise the opportunities.
• Meet targets for billable hours, utilisation, and portfolio profitability, ensuring jobs are delivered within agreed budgets and timeframes.
• Contribute to fee discussions, service scoping, and pricing strategy in collaboration with Directors and Partners.

Strategic and Operational Contribution:

• Contribute insights to the development of service line and group strategy, particularly in any areas of specialism or market knowledge.
• Support Directors and Service Line Leaders (SLLs) on strategic initiatives and internal planning projects.
• Take ownership of service line projects, driving outcomes that support operational efficiency, quality, or growth.
• Stay informed on market trends, competitor activity, and emerging client needs to inform service line positioning.

People Leadership and Culture:

• Provide ongoing guidance and structured development opportunities to junior team members, particularly Managers and Senior Managers.
• Act as a role model for firm values and behaviours, fostering a culture of collaboration, accountability, and continuous improvement.
• Conduct or support performance appraisals, 1:1s, and feedback processes to drive individual and team growth.
• Champion diversity and inclusion within the team, promoting open, honest, and two‑way communication across locations.

Risk Management and Compliance:

• Ensure all services are delivered in line with firm quality standards, ethical policies, and regulatory requirements.
• Manage risks associated with client engagements, including reputational, legal, and compliance risks.
• Proactively identify and elevate internal risk incidents or concerns in line with firm protocols.

Professional skills/qualifications:

• CTA qualification or an equivalent professional tax qualification.
• Ideally 10+ years in practice with demonstrable experience managing large or complex clients.
• Experience and ability to assist in managing the KPIs such as Chargeable Time, Recoveries, Utilisation and Gross Margin and take the necessary actions to improve the performance where needed.
• Track record in commercial portfolio management, billing oversight, and client retention.
• Strategic Vision: Ability to think beyond day‑to‑day operations and guide long‑term growth.
• People Developer: Passion for coaching, mentoring, and building future leaders.
• Change Leader: Comfortable navigating ambiguity and leading through rapid expansion.
• Client‑Centric Mindset: Balances technical excellence with relationship leadership.
• Collaborative Executive: Partners effectively across departments and service lines.

Core Benefits:

• Auto enrolment Pension Scheme with True Potential
• Death in Service
• Private Medical Insurance
• Professional membership support
• Paycare – claim money back for Dental / Optical / Professional Therapies
• Dress for your Diary Policy

Please note that this job profile is not an exhaustive list of duties but merely an outline of the key components of the role. You may be required to take on additional responsibilities when requested. Affinia is committed to being an Equal Opportunity Employer. Our policy is unequivocal: we do not tolerate discrimination based on age, disability, sex, race, religion, or belief, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy, or maternity, or sexual orientation. We pride ourselves on being an inclusive organisation that actively promotes equality of opportunity for all, valuing the right mix of talent, skills, and potential. We welcome applications from a diverse range of candidates, and selection for roles is based solely on individual merit.