Senior Lead Tax Specialist (Indirect and Direct Tax)

Senior Lead Tax Specialist (Indirect and Direct Tax) is to manage all aspects of the indirect and direct tax lifecycle including:

• Lead overall indirect and direct tax related matters, including transfer pricing, PE risk, withholding tax, and the assessment of evolving regulatory developments such as BEPS and Pillar Two for entities, including business projects, restructuring projects or other projects;
• Lead overview and administering direct and indirect tax compliance for EMEA entities to ensure the filings are timely submitted as well as accurate and fully in line with local tax law and regulations;
• Lead providing tax support to business and other functions in various activities including (but not limited to) business transactions, new business model and legal entity set up, etc.;
• Governing BPO performance and internal controls, including setting and reviewing KPIs and SLAs, maintaining the European tax compliance calendar, and ensuring the accuracy and quality of all outsourced tax deliverables;
• Support senior management on other tax related matters (e.g. managing the tax service budget);
• Lead managing relationship with local government and tax authorities;
• Acting as a cross‑functional finance partner, providing tax and treasury expertise to FP&A, Financial Control, and Indirect Tax & Procurement teams, while driving process automation and efficiency improvements in collaboration with the Operational Excellence function.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Indirect Tax Declarations: Responsibility for accurate preparation and filing of the VAT returns and Intrastat filings and other indirect tax deliverables. Maintaining statutory deadlines (timely preparation of the returns and payments initiations, internal approvals). Amend prior returns to correct any past errors/issues. Gather documents and apply for appropriate refunds. To ensure indirect taxes are collected, and remitted to tax authorities accurately, timely, and efficiently.
• Compliance, Audits & Policies: Research and verify tax rates and tax codes. Keep up to date on current state policies on taxation and be aware of any upcoming changes in tax law. Maintaining tax authority websites and checking its content. Assist with and/or manage tax and statutory audits (preparation of files and explanations). Support the team for any audits or queries from the tax authorities.
• Process Improvements & Automation: Assist with and/or implement automation efforts. Work with other departments within the company to prevent or resolve indirect tax issues. Make recommendations for process improvements. Write, analyse, and update tax software.
• Corporate Income Tax (CIT) Management: Oversee and quality‑control CIT compliance across European jurisdictions in collaboration with BPO partners. Review and approve tax returns and tax computations prepared by the BPO. Monitor and manage the effective tax rate (ETR), with regular reporting to senior management. Lead responses to tax authority inquiries and audits in coordination with the BPO. Conduct risk assessments on tax positions and communicate findings to internal stakeholders.
• International Tax & Transfer Pricing: Implement and monitor group transfer pricing policies across Europe in alignment with the global tax team at HQ. Provide advisory on international tax matters, including PE risk management, withholding tax, and tax treaty application. Track developments in international tax regulations (BEPS, Pillar Two, etc.) and assess their impact on the business. Oversee the tax compliance of intercompany transactions, including royalties, service fees, and intercompany loans. Support tax due diligence and structuring for new market entries and business model changes.
• Cross‑functional Collaboration: Provide ETR and tax cost inputs to the FP&A team for budgeting and forecasting purposes. Partner with the Financial Control team on tax accounting and the management of deferred tax assets and liabilities. Liaise with Legal and Compliance teams on relevant regulatory and governance matters.

Disclaimer: The duties and responsibilities described are not a comprehensive list and that additional tasks may be assigned to the employee from time to time; or the scope of the job may change as necessitated by business demands.

YOUR EXPERIENCE: Minimal 10+ years of relevant experience in indirect tax and direct tax areas. Multi‑country VAT/customs experience across Europe, including the UK. Tax qualifications or other equivalent qualification is required. Retail or FMCG industry background preferred. Applicants should have hands‑on experience in the maintenance and support of indirect and direct tax ensuring they operate efficiently. Strong communicative skills (both orally and in writing). Commercially minded, proactive, action‑oriented. Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills. Holds full ownership over cost and risk, committed to delivering results. Interpersonal savvy, relates well to different types of people with different backgrounds. Ability to set priorities (sense of urgency vs prioritisation). Advanced skills in Excel/Microsoft Office (pre). SAP Experience (pre).