VAT Lead

Financial Control, Governance & Compliance

• Lead the delivery of UK and Ireland VAT compliance obligations, ensuring accurate and timely filing of all VAT returns and related submissions.
• Maintain a strong financial control environment across VAT processes and activities.
• Review and oversee VAT balance sheet reconciliations, ensuring timely investigation and resolution of reconciling items.
• Support month-end, quarter-end, and year-end reporting activities relating to VAT and indirect taxes.
• Monitor VAT positions, liabilities, recoveries, and exposures, providing clear insight into emerging risks and opportunities.
• Ensure compliance with internal policies, external regulations, and statutory requirements.
• Support Senior Accounting Officer requirements and other corporate governance obligations.
• Partner with internal and external auditors to support audits, compliance reviews, and remediation activities.

Business Partnering & Stakeholder Management

• Provide VAT and financial governance support to business stakeholders across multiple functions.
• Act as a trusted advisor to Finance, Commercial, Procurement, Supply Chain, Legal, and Shared Service teams.
• Collaborate with key stakeholders to ensure VAT considerations are appropriately incorporated into business decisions and operational activities.
• Support strategic business initiatives by assessing financial, control, and VAT implications.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with external advisors, tax authorities, and industry networks where appropriate.

Process Improvement, Transformation & Projects

• Lead and support finance transformation initiatives impacting indirect tax and wider finance operations.
• Identify opportunities to improve processes, simplify activities, enhance controls, and reduce operational risk.
• Drive automation and digitalisation initiatives to improve efficiency and reporting capability.
• Act as Finance lead or subject matter expert for VAT-related systems enhancements, implementations, and business change projects.
• Support acquisitions, divestments, restructures, and business integration activities from a VAT and finance perspective.
• Partner with Digital Technologies teams to improve system functionality, reporting accuracy, and process effectiveness.
• Champion continuous improvement and best practice across finance operations.

Risk Management & Technical Oversight

• Identify, assess, and mitigate VAT and indirect tax risks across the business.
• Monitor legislative and regulatory developments, evaluating potential business impacts.
• Implement appropriate controls and process changes to manage evolving regulatory requirements.
• Support governance reviews and periodic control assessments.
• Maintain robust process documentation and operational procedures.

Leadership & Team Contribution

• Provide coaching, guidance, and technical support to colleagues within the VAT and broader Finance teams.
• Coordinate activities across multiple stakeholders to ensure delivery of priorities and deadlines.
• Support capability building and knowledge sharing within the team.
• Deputise for the UK&I VAT Manager when required.
• Contribute actively to department and Finance function objectives.
• Foster a culture of accountability, continuous improvement, collaboration, and customer focus.