Senior Customs & Excise Manager at Diageo

Provide proactive, high quality specialist Excise Tax process governance leadership to ensure the effective management of Diageo's Excise commitments within the Africa Region. Apply and execute Global Excise strategies and policies to manage and mitigate key risks. Develop local regional policies and procedures for operational execution of excise controls within the Africa Region.

Accountabilities:

• Participate in developing and executing strategies, policies, standards, guidelines for global tax and trade management specifically focusing on Excise taxes and drive adoption of, and adherence to, policies, standards, CARM requirements and maturity of the model.  
• Provide specialist support with regional tax and trade issues, and with reviewing the implications of business-initiated projects to Diageo’s operational structure and value chain.
• Participate in Global Tax projects to deliver shareholder value/manage potential exposures, where Excise taxes play a role in the decision-making criteria in Africa.
• Proactively support the delivery of the Global Tax objectives aiming to standardise and simplify processes and procedures.
• Keep up to date with Excise regulatory changes and best practice; identify risks and opportunities and recommend actions.
• Provide guidance with tax risk management and the resolution of customs and excise related queries across Africa.

Key interactions - Internal

• Regional Supply business partners and business unit leaders – develop and maintain a strong working relationship and keep up to date with business priorities and developments.
• Specialist global functions including Global Trade Central Team– Legal, CR and Global Tax. 
• Regional Finance, Legal and CR – lead and maintain a good working relationship with the in-market stakeholders in Africa to ensure alignment regarding risk and opportunity.
• Global Tax Governance – provide specialist excise support to the delivery of change programs.

Key interactions - External

• Customs & Excise authorities – proactive management of the relationship with customs and excise –providing specialist input to local site excise audits and resultant enquiries, documentation, where requested and dealing with technical enquiries
• 3PL, production, warehousing, logistics providers and customs agents, with respect to Excise.
• Ensure that the correct excise guarantees, licenses and approvals are held for operation
• Ensure there are the correct licenses, approvals in place for any operational changes.
• Trade bodies – contribute on specialist areas and share knowledge with other large corporations

Qualifications / experience

• 7 years experience within a Global Trade/ Tax /Customs in a global multinational beverage or tobacco manufacturer.
• Experience of providing domestic and cross border technical advice
• Effective project management and implementation skills
• Good team working and communication skills across diverse cultures