Manager, Innovation Funding

This client-facing and management role, reporting into the director, involves undertaking a discovery into businesses’ research and development projects/activities and expenditure to identify and qualify opportunities for tax relief. It incorporates the following, and the line-management of consultants carrying out the same:

• Determining eligibility for claimant companies.
• Ascertaining and evaluating technical project detail from subject matter experts (scientists and technologists) for qualification as R&D for tax purposes per legislation and government guidelines.
• Ascertaining and evaluating financial and expenditure information relevant to the R&D projects to quantify the size of the tax relief claim per legislation and government guidelines.
• Writing complex technical documents to justify the claim.
• Defending claims in the case of challenge by the tax collection authority and to safeguard the client’s interests (e.g. minimising the tax benefit lost or any financial penalties incurred).

We work with every industry/sector and every level of company, therefore the types of business Consultants engage with are diverse, consultations are conducted with the technical experts, directors and senior management of limited companies. Knowledge is applied to clients’ businesses and a report is developed, spelling out the level of approved activity present. In this role the Manager will often assist with the aspects of the end-to-end servicing of high-profile and high-value clients, including pitching for business through to tax enquiries post-submission by the tax collection authority, HMRC.

The Manager supports new business development activities, by providing technical support in lead generation events, such as seminars and speaking engagements, the authoring of articles and press releases, through to the risk-based commercial decision-making on whether opportunities to revisit existing (externally made) claims or undertake the defence of ongoing external enquiries should be pursued.

Duties and responsibilities, as they align to Ryan’s Key Results:

• Thoroughly documents activity on the company’s internal systems.
• Explores potential R&D activity in a detailed, thoughtful and considered manner with subject matter experts.
• Identifies the most effective and concise justifications for projects that qualify for R&D tax relief by being able to explain the technological baseline from first principles, relative advances in knowledge and descriptions of technological/scientific challenges.
• Manages complex claim compilations and engaging directors/C-level executives and corporate customers.
• Reviews financial documentation and establishes the qualification of candidate claimants.
• Authors high-quality narrative reports that efficiently and effectively communicate robust justifications for projects that qualify for R&D tax relief.
• Effectively explains the impact of future changes in the tax legislation and key areas of focus at HMRC to decision-makers.
• Maintains diligent records of pertinent information and client interaction, thoroughly documenting activity on the company’s internal systems.
• Manages relationships with a variety of client-side contacts, including business leaders, technical leads and finance leads, to ensure that all deadlines are met in a timely and controlled manner.
• Ensures appropriate client handling best practices are applied, and complaint-handling processes are followed.
• Ensures compliance-related processes are appropriately followed for the timely and successful defence of claims under enquiry by the tax collection authority.
• Supports consultants on all of the above points when servicing complex, high-value or high-profile clients.

Value:

• Reviews cases of concern and cancellation requests from Consultants.
• Reviews and drives the development and maintenance of departmental systems and processes to meet company goals and objectives.
• Delivers technical training to colleagues across the business and external sales partners.
• Delivers sales-oriented support, such as presenting at events, supporting in pitches for business and assisting in prequalification calls for new business.
• Involvement in HMRC enquiries on both existing claims and new clients.
• Authors technical resources/articles for use internally and publication to demonstrate the company’s thought leadership in the field of R&D Tax Relief.
• Works with the Account Management Teams to resolve scheduling conflicts and to optimise use of the consultants’ time.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Education and Experience:

• Professional qualification, or degree, such as a Bachelors, Masters, AAT or ATT (or willing to work towards qualification) is desirable.
• Strong technical understanding of government guidelines/legislation and HMRC guidance regarding the R&D Tax Relief scheme and HMRC policies in maintaining compliance.
• Able to review and interpret an organisation’s financial documents.
• Professional report writing experience (e.g., strategies, reports, briefings).