Head of Group Taxation

Skipton Building Society; United Kingdom; Hybrid; GBP 110,000; Full time

Job description

Hours: 35 hours per week

Permanent

Salary: £109,700 Per Annum plus Car Allowance £6,180 Per Annum

Closing Date: Wed, 30 Apr 2025

We’ve got a great opportunity for an experienced Finance leader, with expertise in Tax, to join Skipton Group as our Head of Group Taxation. The key purpose of this role is to lead the Taxation team ensuring that all strategic and tactical taxation matters impacting the Group are dealt with effectively. This role will largely focus on the tax affairs of the Group’s main UK businesses of Skipton Building Society (SBS) and Connells Group.

This brand-new role is an exciting opportunity for a self-driven, experienced, and passionate individual to shape and develop the taxation strategy and framework across the Skipton Group within our talented Group Finance team. The activities of the Group are largely UK-based, and the Group Tax team is responsible for managing tax on its UK operations as well as ensuring the Group meets its obligations under the OECD Pillar 2 tax rules.

In addition to technical excellence, the role requires strong business acumen and exceptional leadership and communication skills. The role holder is required to have the gravitas to influence key stakeholders and deliver on Group taxation control commitments.

Please note the role holder can be based in Skipton, Chelmsford, or Milton Keynes due to the Group nature of the role.

What Will You Be Doing?

As our Head of Group Taxation, you’ll work in partnership with our business to ensure that the Group’s tax strategy evolves with the business and remains fit for the future. The coordination of cross-functional activity and change management will also be critical to this role. You’ll provide key oversight of taxation activities (including Corporation Tax, VAT, and other taxes) and act as the lead point of contact between HMRC and the Group.

Key Accountabilities Include:

1. Lead the Group’s open and constructive relationship with HMRC in line with its obligations under the Code of Practice on Taxation for Banks and consistent with its low-risk HMRC tax status.
2. Maintain the Group’s tax strategy document in accordance with the Board’s direction and ensure compliance with the annual publication obligations.
3. Provide appropriate taxation input and analysis to Group business planning and forecasting and identify opportunities for potential tax savings.
4. Act as the lead point of contact on taxation issues with the external auditor and external tax advisers.
5. Ensure a strong control framework always exists and that all policies, processes and practices comply with relevant legislation and regulatory requirements and represent best practice.

What Do We Need From You?

To be successful in this role you’ll need:

1. Significant experience of operating in a similar level role with strong knowledge of accounting and taxation reporting requirements for a bank or building society.
2. Chartered Tax Adviser (CTA) qualification or an accounting qualification (ideally ACA or ACCA) with tax experience.
3. Strong ability to interpret accounting and regulatory requirements, identify linkages between different requirements and establish the impact on the Group.
4. Excellent stakeholder management skills with the gravitas to influence key stakeholders and deliver on Group Tax commitments, with the ability to interpret and concisely explain technical information to non-technical audiences.
5. Exceptional leadership and communication skills, providing technical guidance, support and challenge and fostering an inclusive and dynamic team culture.

What’s In It For You?

Skipton values work/life balance and we are proud to support hybrid and flexible working, where possible. We have a newly refurbished head office which offers a vibrant and collaborative working space.

We have a range of other benefits available to you including:

1. Annual discretionary bonus scheme.
2. 25 days standard annual leave + bank holidays + rising 1 day per year of service to a maximum of 30 days.
3. Holiday trading scheme allowing the ability to buy and sell additional annual leave days.
4. Matching employer pension contribution (up to 10% per annum).
5. Colleague mortgage (conditions apply).
6. Salary sacrifice scheme for hybrid & electric car.
7. A commitment to training and development.
8. Private medical insurance for all our colleagues.
9. 3 paid volunteering days per annum.
10. We care about your health and wellbeing – we provide a range of benefits that support this including cycle to work initiative and discounted gym membership.