Head of Tax Accounting

Our client, an international industrial group, is seeking a Head of Tax Accounting to lead its tax reporting agenda. The role sits where tax and finance meet, and makes sure the Group’s tax position is correctly captured in both the consolidated accounts and the individual entity accounts.

Beyond the numbers, you’ll set the direction for how tax accounting develops across the organisation, from governance and controls to the systems behind them. It suits someone who wants technical ownership and the scope to drive change.

• Head up an international team of tax accounting specialists and develop their capabilities, while advising the executive team on complex tax matters at home and abroad.
• Make sure the Group’s current and deferred tax figures are accurately calculated, well documented and delivered in line with every monthly and annual closing deadline.
• Partner with the business on M&A, joint ventures, restructurings and integrations, assessing how complex transactions play out from both an accounting and a tax perspective.
• Build a robust tax control environment covering global tax risk, Group-wide policies and supporting processes.
• Modernise tax technology by identifying and implementing tools that make reporting faster and more reliable.
• Manage relationships with auditors, external advisers and tax authorities, and collaborate with Group Accounting and colleagues across the business wherever tax balance sheet issues arise.

• Senior leadership experience in tax accounting, group tax or international financial reporting, ideally gained within a global industrial group or a Big Four practice.
• A tax adviser qualification, with academic training in law, economics or a similar field.
• Deep technical command of IFRS, with IAS 12 at its core.
• Confidence working with international tax structures and transfer pricing models.
• Practical familiarity with SAP and consolidation platforms.
• Experience leading through influence in a matrixed, multinational setting.
• Sharp analytical judgement and a strategic outlook, matched by the ability to explain complex topics clearly to any audience.
• Business fluency in German and English.