Statutory Reporting & Tax Compliance Manager at British Council

Job Description

• British Council is recruiting for two positions of Statutory Reporting & Tax Compliance Manager. The first position will manage statutory and tax compliance across multiple British Council countries. The second position will manage statutory and tax compliance across entities in Sub-Saharan (SSA) countries.

Role Purpose
Statutory Reporting & Tax Compliance Manager 1 (multiple British Council countries):

• This role will manage Statutory and Tax compliance across multiple British Council countries where operating complexity is high and local statutory reporting/tax filing is required. This role will drive organisational change in how the business unit/geographical area approaches financial accounting and tax compliance.
• The post holder will support multiple British Council countries to implement consistent standards of performance and accuracy while fostering strong and efficient collaboration with the MSP.
• The role-holder will make an important contribution to the provision of finance services and will contribute to the strategy and development of new expertise, supporting the creation of a single Finance culture.
• The post holder will be a pro-active self-starter with the ability to distinguish and operate both at strategic and at task levels with an eye on the detail. They will be a skilful and flexible finance professional with good communications skills and understanding of commercial finance and tax accounting/compliance.
• This role will support the Head of Statutory & Tax Compliance COE to deliver Statutory & Tax compliance strategy and provide respective oversight and governance and ensure that all local financial statements and all local accounting and tax compliance requirements are completed correctly and in a timely manner, and numbers reported accurately to the local authorities and auditors.
• Where required, support countries’ local statutory reporting, tax strategy, tax review & filing.
• The role will be responsible for providing guidance, in the form of expert knowledge or information/data required, to support financial & tax audits and assessments across multiple British Council countries, while ensuring that teams stay informed about prevailing rulings, developments, or any relevant information that can impact business operations. The role will also oversee the execution of corrective actions stemming from audits, assessments and rulings to maintain compliance. 
• Additionally, it will involve monitoring renewal dates for rulings to prevent coverage gaps and collaborating with advisors to ensure timely submission of renewals.
• The role will be responsible for assessing and managing tax risks within countries’ operations while actively monitoring changes in the regulatory and reporting landscape. 
• The post holder will provide strategic recommendations and advice to business leaders, evaluate the statutory and tax reporting implications of business activities and contracts to mitigate risk exposure, and proactively identify potential risks and opportunities to implement timely solutions.
• The role will support liaison with external auditors, tax advisors, regulatory authorities, and government officials as deemed necessary, as well as collaborate with British Council Group experts, including but not limited to the group tax and status team, group accounting, treasury teams, and other relevant specialists.
• This role supports the financial accounting activities for multiple British Council countries and collaborates closely with the Managed Service Provider (MSP) to ensure the financial accounts are completed correctly, in a timely manner, and numbers are reported accurately. 
• The post holder must be comfortable challenging senior stakeholders to ensure Statutory and Tax compliance whilst complying with financial reporting standards, respective country regulations/Tax laws and corporate policies.

Statutory Reporting & Tax Compliance Manager 2 (Sub Saharan Africa (SSA)):

• This role will manage Statutory and Tax compliance across entities in SSA countries where operating complexity is high and local statutory reporting/tax filing is required.
• This role will drive organisational change in how the business unit/geographical area approaches financial accounting and tax compliance. The post holder will support SSA entities to implement consistent standards of performance and accuracy while fostering strong and efficient collaboration with the MSP.
• The role-holder will make an important contribution to the provision of finance services and will contribute to the strategy and development of new expertise, supporting the creation of a single Finance culture.
• The post holder will be a pro-active self-starter with the ability to distinguish and operate both at strategic and at task levels with an eye on the detail. They will be a skilful and flexible finance professional with good communications skills and understanding of commercial finance and tax accounting/compliance.
• This role will be a part of the Statutory and Tax Centre of Excellence (CoE) and will contribute to the overall strategy of the function. The primary remit will be Sub Sahara Africa region but may be required to support other regions on need basis. He/she will be required to drive/implement the CoE’s strategic goals, plans and initiatives within SSA.
• This role will be responsible for local statutory reporting, tax strategy, tax review & filing in countries assigned. He/she will be responsible for ensuring accurate and timely completion of all local financial and tax reporting in line with accounting standards and applicable tax legislations in the various jurisdictions.
• The role will be responsible for providing guidance, in the form of expert knowledge or information required, to support financial & tax audits and assessments across multiple countries in SSA, while ensuring that teams stay informed about prevailing rulings, developments or any relevant information that can impact business operations. The role will also oversee the execution of corrective actions stemming from audits, assessments and rulings to maintain compliance. Additionally, it will involve monitoring renewal dates for rulings to prevent coverage gaps and collaborating with advisors to ensure timely submission of renewals.
• Across SSA, the role will be responsible for assessing and managing tax risks within SSA countries’ operations while actively monitoring changes in the regulatory and reporting landscape. The post holder will provide strategic recommendations and advice to business leaders, evaluate the statutory reporting and tax implications of business activities and contracts to mitigate risk exposure, and proactively identify potential risks and opportunities to implement timely solutions.
• The role will support liaison with external auditors, tax advisors, regulatory authorities, and government officials as deemed necessary, as well as collaborate with British Council Group experts, including but not limited to the group tax and status team, group accounting, treasury teams, and other relevant specialists.
• This role supports the financial accounting activities for the British Council in SSA and collaborates closely with the Managed Service Provider (MSP) to ensure the financial accounts are completed correctly, in a timely manner, and numbers are reported accurately. The post holder must be comfortable challenging senior stakeholders to ensure Statutory and Tax compliance whilst complying with financial reporting standards, respective country regulations/Tax laws and corporate policies.

Main Sccountabilities
Not limited to the following:
Leadership & Collaboration:

• Plans and prioritizes own activities, which span across a range of different countries/operations. Responds to changing and at times competing requirements to ensure effective delivery of responsibilities over set reporting timescales. Provide a good standard of financial business partnering, financial insight and financial discipline. Tasks and coordinates others (e.g., internal customers, colleagues or third-party suppliers) to complete activities in accordance with agreed financial procedures.

Statutory Financial Reporting:

• Stay abreast of financial reporting, accounting or auditing standards (FRS 102, IFRS, IAS etc) or exposure drafts, assess and analyse their impact on British Council entities and notify key stakeholders of findings.

Strategy:
Reporting:

• Ensure timely preparation of financial statements for in line with the and local accounting standards.
• Ensure timely preparation of statutory accounts and delivery of tax computations, and reporting required for financial statements’ completion
• Ensure timely preparation of tax computation and filing of tax returns for the British Council in accordance with local legislation.
• Oversee, support and periodically responsible for the management of all direct and indirect tax matters, including preparation of tax returns, ensuring they are accurately prepared and filed on time, paid as at when due, and tax audits are managed effectively. These include VAT, WHT returns.
• Ensure manage and maintain British Council’s tax database, and establish the development, preparation of documentation to support the entities’ tax positions.

Compliance:

• Support external audit of British Council entities and work with the In-country Financial Control, Regional Finance teams to address audit findings and monitor and track progress.
• Maintain tracker with up-to-date record of Tax compliance across British Council operations. This will require regular reviews, checks and information gathering sessions with in-country Financial Control teams, Statutory & Tax Compliance Managers, Regional Finance teams, SBU Leads etc.
• In collaboration with in-country FC and MSP P2P teams, ensure tax payments are made on time. In exceptional cases, he/she may be required to directly process the tax payments.
• Preparation and filing of corporate income tax returns or any other filing requirement across British Council entities, when required, ensuring they are accurately prepared and filed in a timely manner.

Tax Reporting & Compliance:

• Propose effective tax strategies that comply with relevant statutes and laws and promote British Council’s financial, operational, and regulatory well-being.
• Establish and foster relationships with tax experts/tax advisors/tax authorities to ensure proactive management of tax matters and stay up to date with changes in the tax and regulatory landscape and analyse impact on overseas entities’ tax positions.

Relationship and Stakeholder Management:

• Provide stakeholder engagement (including advisory) and business partnering for statutory reporting and tax compliance, building strong working relationships with key stakeholders and the MSP to ensure that activities comply with professional accounting standards, technical tax accounting issues and other external reporting requirements in British Council.

Service Improvement:

• Develop, manage, and execute plans for implementation of new or updated tax, accounting and reporting requirements in line with professional accounting standards and local regulations; communicate change effectively with internal stakeholders, ensure appropriate training and compliance monitoring.

Role Specific knowledge and experience
Essential Requirements:

• Minimum of 4 years relevant experience in finance controllership, tax accounting and statutory reporting.
• Experience in preparing & managing corporate taxation, tax compliances, VAT, WHT returns and statutory reporting across several countries in a global or regional organisation.
• Proven competence in the management and resolution of complex tax and technical accounting issues.
• Good understanding of financial control processes and professional accounting standards for commercial and/or charitable organisations.
• Good influencing and negotiating skills and experience.
• Business partnering experience.
• ERP experience.
• Language requirements: Strong written and oral English communication skills.
• The Role holder must have existing rights to live and work in the country the role is based.

Desirable:

•  Shared Services Operations.
• Experience of working in international and multi-cultural organisations.
• Participation in change projects/initiatives. SAP experience.

Role Specific skills:

• Strong financial accounting & reporting, tax accounting & reporting skills.
• Excellent IT skills and proficient in excel.
• Effective communication and influencing skills, able to relay complex financial information in an easy-to-understand way.
• Highly organised and deadline oriented.
• Building relationships at all levels of the organisation.
• Flexibility, independence, and initiative to perform successfully in a rapidly changing environment.

Salary
N23,652,757 Annually (Gross)