R&D Director

The successful candidate will be an experienced Research & Development tax credit professional joining fellow subject matter experts within Saffery’s Corporate Tax team. Serving a diverse client portfolio, spanning various business sectors, you will be leading opportunities to work on a wide range of R&D tax projects. As a senior member of our team, you will oversee more junior staff preparing R&D tax relief claims, ensuring compliance with R&D tax legislation and providing valuable expertise to our clients. You will actively be involved in marketing Saffery’s R&D offering and pitching for new opportunities. Although based in London, you will be supported by the national R&D team and involved in national R&D strategy as well as overseeing London clients.

The responsibilities

• Collaborate confidently and knowledgeably with senior colleagues across the R&D, corporate tax, audit, and accounts teams.
• Keep all relevant teams and partners informed about ongoing work and any issues, including technical updates, which may impact client relationships.
• Develop and maintain strong client relationships, delivering high levels of client service.
• Host client meetings and presentations, explaining our services effectively.
• Identify growth opportunities and participate in new business pitches for both new and existing clients.
• Manage and successfully deliver R&D tax projects, emphasizing technical excellence and practical, business-driven solutions.
• Co‑ordinate and oversee interviews with clients' technical and finance teams, advising on R&D tax relief and qualifying R&D activities and expenditures.
• Review technical descriptions of client projects drafted by more junior team members for inclusion in reports to be submitted to HMRC, and edit client-drafted descriptions for improvements.
• Review and sign‑off comprehensive documentation in line with UK BEIS guidelines and CIRD manual to support R&D claims while adhering to the firm’s quality standards.
• Contribute to claim methodology development and identify ways to improve the process to improve client service and recoveries.
• Lead R&D engagements, including cost monitoring, billing, risk management, deliverables, and client relationships.
• Be a source of technical expertise for both internal and client queries.
• Liaise with HMRC to address enquiries related to R&D tax relief claims.

You

• The role would suit a qualified individual (for example ACA/ACCA/CTA) with several years’ post qualification experience in corporation tax.
• Strong UK tax technical skills; specifically, with a Research and Development focus.
• Ability to analyse tax technical queries and provide robust advice and solutions.
• Project management skills, with the ability to plan and prioritise work, meet deadlines and monitor budgets.
• Responsibility for the delivery and quality of work.
• Excellent communication skills.
• A clear client focus with a commitment to building strong client relationships.
• Ability to work collaboratively with different teams.
• Coaching and mentoring skills to develop other team members.

Reward and benefits

A 35 hour working week with a hybrid working policy with the flexibility to work from home for up to three days per week (our core hours are 10-4). Excellent benefits including contributory pension scheme, 25 days annual leave, Life Assurance cover and great flexible benefits and family friendly policies. Eligibility for the firm’s Profit‑Sharing Plan. Paid in December. Eligibility for the discretionary bonus scheme.

Equality, Diversity & Inclusion

Equality, diversity and inclusion is a top priority for us. With our ED&I strategy, Everyone Belongs, we are building on our positive work culture and implementing initiatives to improve diversity and strengthen our equitable culture of inclusion, led from the top.