Corporate Business Tax Manager

About BII

British International Investment (BII) is the UK’s leading development finance institution, wholly owned by the UK Government. Our primary mission is to address global development challenges through strategic investments that promote sustainable and inclusive economic growth.

BII focuses on catalysing economic development, creating jobs, and building resilient economies in some of the world's most complex and underserved markets. We invest in businesses and projects that prioritise inclusive development, environmental sustainability, and innovation.

Our approach is characterised by rigorous investment standards, high governance principles, and a commitment to delivering measurable development impact. Our team consists of highly skilled and passionate professionals dedicated to making a tangible difference globally.

We foster a collaborative and intellectually stimulating work environment that values curiosity, innovation, and professional growth. Our culture balances high performance with a strong emphasis on wellbeing, ensuring our employees can achieve their full potential while contributing to our mission.

BII at a glance:

Over 75 years supporting sustainable business growth in developing and emerging markets

More than £9.9 billion in net assets

1,600+ businesses invested in

950,000+ workers in the businesses we support

650+ people in our diverse global team

3 key development objectives: Productive | Sustainable | Inclusive

Team and role overview

BII’s tax function sits within BII’s Legal & Tax team and is split into two specific divisions: 

• the Investment Business Tax division whose focus is to advise on the tax risks and implications of transactions undertaken by BII; and 

• the Corporate Business Tax division whose focus is to manage the direct and indirect tax affairs of the BII group of companies  

• This opportunity is within the Corporate Business Tax division.  

• Whilst the successful candidate will report to BII’s Group Head of Tax, they will, necessarily, work closely with their fellow colleagues within the Tax team as well as BII’s Investment and Legal teams.

Purpose

This role offers a highly skilled, well experienced tax practitioner an exciting opportunity to design and implement transformative tax planning, compliance and risk-governance systems for an interestingly unique global business, across dynamic emerging markets with active tax authorities. The right candidate will have the commercial acumen and interpersonal skill to develop deep understanding of BII’s business model and stakeholder requirements so that BII’s tax affairs are managed in contributing to its broader strategic objectives.    

Responsibilities

Leading a team of two, the Corporate Business Tax Manager will have oversight and responsibility for the management of tax obligations for all BII group entities. They will be responsible for developing and maintaining best in-class tax risk governance systems and the provision of proactive, solution-oriented advice for an increasingly complicated business. Key responsibilities will include: 

 Tax risk management and planning

• Assists the Group Head of Tax in designing risk management framework to evaluate and monitor key tax risks for the business and accordingly develop appropriate risk management controls and processes 

• Acts as a tax business partner on international tax issues including providing advice on BII’s international growth strategy and to plan and manage direct tax exposures in relation to permanent establishment risk and transfer pricing and indirect taxes 

• Develop and manage relationships with key personnel within the business in educating and guiding behaviour within controls framework 

• Assists the Group Head of Tax raise awareness of global tax developments across the wider BII business.  

Tax compliance and reporting

• Responsible for monitoring, evaluating and reporting key global tax risks for the business with suggested risk management controls and processes for Group Head of Tax. 

• Oversee and manage the direct tax compliance and financial reporting obligations undertaken by the broader team for BII and its subsidiaries. 

• Work with the IB Tax team, Finance, Treasury and Legal teams to ensure transaction structures as advised are implemented correctly and reported accurately. 

• Maintain transfer pricing compliant positions for all cross-jurisdictional transactions across the BII group of companies. 

• Develop stronger control, oversight and ownership for Finance-led reporting and settlement of transaction taxes, including VAT, WHT, GST and any other service tax. Lead and train relevant Finance personnel in doing so.  

• Ensure compliance with agreed methodology with HMRC on UK VAT recovery. 

• Develop stronger control, oversight and ownership for Payroll and Rewards team-led reporting and settlement of employment taxes and aligns corporate tax implications for employing entities. 

• Seek to improve compliance processes, leveraging IT to do so. Assist BII Investment Operations team in developing efficiency-yielding tax related processes. 

• Develop standards and tools for BII to monitor tax practices of portfolio companies and to encourage best practices.  Work with the Development Impact team on how best to assess and incorporate tax metrics into BII’s impact on economic development across all jurisdictions in which BII invest. 

• Lead on tax authority audits and coordination of firm-wide responses  

• Lead on tax technical papers, maintaining and updating SOPS to their responsibilities 

Tax Policy

• Support the Group Head of Tax in developing BII’s strategy and policies on tax including tracking international tax initiatives, such as the OECD Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (“BEPS”) package and their impact on BII and its investee companies. 

• Support the Group Head of Tax in engaging government departments, tax authorities and non-governmental organisations on tax and regulatory policy and how regulatory environments might be improved in BII’s target countries. 

• Engage with other development institutions to discuss best practices regarding operational tax policies and procedures. 

The Candidate

• A qualified accountant or chartered taxation adviser with 12+ years’ post-qualification experience gained in an international tax practice with in-house experience. 

• Candidate should have track record of managerial experience gained either in-house or in-practice  

• Excellent grasp of technology with broad understanding/experience of financial reporting systems to which tax systems can be attached. Working knowledge of tax tools/ ERP/ investment management platforms is a bonus 

• Keen intellect with confidence to disrupt status-quo and challenge existing methods to improve tax systems and drive tax efficiencies, all in the service of broader organisational objectives  

• Ability to independently assess risks and make well-reasoned judgements and recommendations to the Tax function and / or wider business 

• Proven ability to communicate complex taxation concepts a wide composition of stakeholders, including non-tax professionals  

• Excellent understanding of tax financial reporting principles, and experience of running annual global compliance and reporting obligations 

• UK and international tax experience is essential. Exposure to emerging markets desirable 

• Able to confidently oversee and technically lead indirect and other employment tax obligations  

• A self-starter – able to work independently with a willingness to “muck in” and get involved in all areas of the business where required 

• Cultural sensitivity and a proven ability to work across cultures. 

• Candidates should be strongly motivated by BII’s development mission and ideally demonstrate some commitment to development or social goals through previous executive or non-executive activity.    

Our cultural values

We look for team members who aspire, as we do, to work at our best and to be:

• Impact-led, commercially rigorous
• Tenacious in the face of challenges
• Collaborative and caring

British International Investment is committed to diversity and inclusion and welcomes all applicants regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation or educational background. 

Please provide a cover letter with your application

Salary: Competitive