Tax Subject Matter Expert

About the role

• Provides the regional tax technical knowledge required for preparing the in-scope statutory tax returns;
• Supervises regional Tax Compliance teams for smooth compliance operation and issue resolution;
• Collaborates Advisors, Tax Business Partners to ensure processes and activities of the Tax Compliance Function can be excellently executed;
• Supports tax authorities collaborations where necessary to deal with administrative issues, requests for information and audits;
• Supports the collation, organisation and provision of information to tax authorities where relevant to ensure timely resolution of open issues;
• Identifies and drives process efficiencies and standardization opportunities, working in strategic partnership with the Process Governance Director/FC Governance on implementations and Tax Technology teams;
• Pro-actively supports internal projects to facilitate the ongoing transformation and improvement of Diageo’s Global Tax function (including providing relevant information, answering ad hoc requests and suggesting alternative ways of working);
• Acts as a back-up for his/her Manager in relation to technical aspects;
• Acts as a coach, trainer of team members both from a technical and people management perspective and supports return preparation process;
• Is responsible for building a close relationship with key and senior stakeholders within Global Tax, in Diageo markets, Global and Regional Supply Leaders, other functional teams of GDBS shared services in Budapest and Bangalore as well as Tax authorities, external and internal advisors.

The purpose of this role is to ensure that the markets’ VAT, Customs and Excise and Environmental tax processes are undertaken accurately, efficiently (utilising automation) and on time and the surrounding internal control procedures, legislative requirements are strictly adhered to.

The role will support the implementation and ensure ongoing operation of the Global Tax processes, controls and automation tools under the new Tax Operating model for markets in scope. The role will actively support the global tax projects and advisory topics in VAT, Customs and Excise, Environmental tax as well as will be the tax capability building for the respective regions/markets.

About you

What you will be responsible for:

• Ensuring that complex tax and connected supplementary returns are prepared according to the global standard process and controls, local DTP-s, on time and utilising automation tools where applicable.
• Managing routine tax and other tax related audit enquiries and tax projects for your markets in cooperation with tax manager. Acting as back -up for the tax manager upon request.
• Ensuring compliance with market specific regulatory requirements and legislative changes working closely with Global and Local SMEs.
• Provide close support of in tax related advisory topics in the scope falling under own remit.
• Actively managing and coordinating tax related document retention for your markets.
• Identifying and driving continuous process improvement in cooperation with the tax manager through establishing a LEAN approach to drive effectiveness and efficiency - supporting process improvements and rollout of standardised processes and automation re in scope markets.
• Supporting the new controls and KPI report implementation (Tax calendar review), monitoring the implemented KPI-s, supporting investigation of the root-cause or errors and working with end-to-end processes to improve KPIs.
• Promptly responding to market queries in respect of markets in her/his responsibility and supporting tax leaders, tax managers, SME-s in non-routine questions, global projects, and during tax audits in her/his competency.
• Providing training and any other kinds of technical support to the Tax teams and to other departments.

What you’ll bring

• Ideally minimum 3-4 years’ relevant tax experience in SSC and/or FMCG/Big 4 advisory environment
• Experience at an operational level with tax, controls and risk management
• Experience with transitions and project management
• Experience in working with tax supporting tools
• Has college/university degree in finance/accounting
• Strong process and tax technical understanding at an operational level in VAT / C&Ex / Environmental tax
• Experience with tax automation/SAP is desirable
• Flexibility for adopting to change with positive attitude
• Excellent communication skills able to build strong relationships with operational staff and stakeholders
• Strong risk management skills, ability to follow-up/flag potential issues
• English language

Flexible Working Statement

Flexibility is key to our success. Talk to us about what flexibility means to you so that you’re supported to manage your wellbeing and balance your priorities from day one.

About us

Diageo is the world’s leading premium drinks company with an outstanding collection of brands, such as Johnnie Walker, Smirnoff, Baileys, Captain Morgan, Tanqueray and Guinness. With over 200 brands in 180 countries and a global network of entrepreneurial individuals, our teams blend a diverse range of experience, knowledge and skills. We connect customers and consumers to our iconic products and create innovative experiences that bring people together to celebrate life.

Contract: Permanent