Director - R&D Tax - Software Technology in London

This role is available across all our UK offices. At KPMG, our values define who we are and the way we do business. As a leading professional services firm, we know that our strength and capability comes from our people – their different perspectives, experiences and backgrounds. From our inclusive leadership strategy to our diversity and inclusion targets – we’re making bold changes to who we are and what we do. Be part of it.

KPMG’s national Incentives, Reliefs & Innovations team is made up of tax, engineering, science, and technology specialists delivering expert advice to a broad range of clients across almost every industry sector. As one of the largest teams in the industry, our continued investment in innovation advisory means that we seek technology specialists to join us on the next exciting phase of our growth.

Our team works with clients from owner managed businesses to large multinational organisations, and we are looking for a Director with a strong information technology background to assist clients across a suite of innovation advisory services including R&D tax credits, Patent Box, R&D Allowances, Grants and Innovation Advisory services.

Role and Responsibilities:

• Lead engagement teams to develop claim methodologies and prepare R&D tax relief claims for submission to HMRC.
• Take responsibility and accountability for your own, and your team’s work.
• Lead all aspects of R&D work stream and manage conflicting resourcing requirements between projects.
• Ensure correct quantification of R&D claims and ensure the KPMG technical team document the work being undertaken by our clients within technically complex projects for submission to HMRC.
• Lead by example in terms of client relationships, technical quality, and service delivery.
• Advise our clients in the application of complex legislation to real life situations.
• Coach and develop junior staff, including technology knowledge sharing.
• Liaise with HMRC specialists to facilitate the agreement of R&D claims, including leading HMRC negotiation on the technology aspects of R&D claims.
• Develop and role model best practice in the preparation of R&D claims, based on the latest HMRC policy and legislation.
• Establish, lead and maintain strong client relationships with both existing and new clients.
• Build an internal network within the wider tax practice of the firm and be an advocate for our services amongst the practice.
• Lead the business development process to progress leads to sales and take responsibility for contract negotiation and agreement.
• Deliver comprehensive proposals and take part in presentations/pitches as required.
• Follow KPMG best practice and policy.
• Demonstrate strong resilience to enable flexibility in approach and ability to work under pressure.

Skills and Qualifications:

• Honours/Post Graduate Degree in an Information Technology related discipline.
• Detailed working knowledge of the R&D tax legislation, and its application to Information Technology activities.
• Significant industry experience in Information Technology and ability to rapidly grasp new technical concepts.
• Proven experience of leading workstreams.
• Ability to understand key technical concepts relevant to R&D claim preparation.
• Strong attention to detail to review complex technical outputs while maintaining a client service focused perspective.
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to quickly adapt to a range of situations and audiences.
• Models the use of technology tools to improve quality and efficiency in the preparation of R&D claims.
• Sustains a high level of leadership and drive, shows enthusiasm and a positive attitude when coping with pressure at work.
• Builds co-operative relationships and fosters an environment in which everyone’s opinion is valued.
• Excellent project management skills and ability to manage your own workload, as well as the workloads of others in your team.
• Provides ongoing feedback, coaching and mentoring that supports individual development needs and career aspirations.
• Analyses problems, identifies core issues, investigates, evaluates and integrates information.
• Builds the reputation of KPMG through the quality of work, knowledge and experience.
• Tax and accounting qualifications are not essential for this role, but would be welcome (e.g. CTA / ACA / ACCA qualified or equivalent).

KPMG is part of a global network of firms that offers Audit, Tax & Legal, Consulting, Deal Advisory and Technology services. Through the talent of over 16,000 colleagues, we bring our creativity and insight to our clients’ most critical challenges. With offices across the UK, we work with everyone from small start-ups and individuals to major multinationals, in virtually every industry imaginable. Our work is often complex, yet our vision is simple: to be the clear choice for our clients, for our people and for the communities we work in.

The Claims and Incentives team are part of our wider Corporate Tax department. They help our clients to secure cash tax savings through government sponsored tax reliefs and incentives. The team is made up of Fixed Asset Tax Services (“FATS”) and Innovation Reliefs & Incentives (“IRI”) and supports clients who incur expenditure on fixed assets and carry out innovative activities.

The FATS team is made up of tax advisers, accountants and surveyors and reviews fixed asset costs such as expenditure incurred on the construction of property to enhance and accelerate the available tax relief wherever possible. They also help clients on their processes to capture data in relation to fixed assets and have developed technology tools to assist with this process.

Within IRI, staff work with clients to help them claim tax incentives for innovation. The IRI team works with companies of all sizes from almost every sector of the economy to identify their qualifying R&D activity, quantify it and help them obtain their R&D incentives, as well as working with clients to best leverage the Patent Box regime. The team consists of staff with a wide variety of skill sets all working together, from technical specialists including scientists, engineers, and IT experts to fully qualified accountants and tax advisers. The teams are spread over the UK to best meet our clients’ needs and the national team all work together as one unit.