The Group Head of Tax is a senior leadership role responsible for overseeing all tax matters globally across the organization. This includes designing and implementing the global tax strategy, ensuring compliance, and providing strategic long-term direction. A key aspect of this role is to partner with the business to ensure activities align with relevant regulations while optimizing tax outcomes from commercial decisions. The position requires comprehensive management of direct and indirect tax matters across various European jurisdictions, necessitating strong cross-border expertise and collaboration with remote teams across diverse cultures. Regular reporting to the Board is essential for transparency, assurance, and alignment with statutory obligations.
Core responsibilities include ensuring tax compliance for both direct and indirect taxes, optimizing tax efficiency through appropriate use of allowances and deductions, and developing long-term tax strategies within the group's risk framework. This includes monitoring REIT compliance, managing relationships with tax authorities, and overseeing Group tax accounting and audits. Additionally, the role involves providing executive guidance, managing tax risks, and identifying opportunities to enhance tax efficiency as the business expands internationally. A significant focus is on partnering with local finance teams across European markets to ensure cohesive tax principle application and proactive cross-border tax issue management.
Qualifications for this role include being ACA qualified, with preference for Big Four training and additional tax-focused qualifications like CTA. Proven experience in a similar senior tax position within a large, complex organization is required, with significant expertise in Real Estate tax, REIT regulations, and cross-border structuring. Strong collaborative skills are essential, as is the ability to engage and influence at all levels, including Group functions, finance teams, senior leadership, external advisors, and tax authorities. The candidate should have a track record of delivering change, enabling continuous improvement, and adopting tax technology or automation tools in a dynamic environment.