Tax Manager at Diageo

This role will internally work closely with the Financial Controllership team, Regional and Group tax team, the Finance team, Legal Team, and Corporate Relations team. In addition, the role will be required to maintain a relationship with various Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) departments, local tax advisors, other government bodies and other relevant associations. Specific dimensions for this role are as follows:

Financial

The Kenya Tax Manager will be responsible for:

• Ensuring tax compliance with respect to all tax types i.e., Corporation income tax, withholding taxes, VAT, and Excise duty compliance.
• Ensure entities have valid tax compliance certification.
• Ensure compliance with Kenya Transfer Pricing Requirements and documentation. 
• Work with local tax advisors to ensure the business obtains valuable services.
• Ensure compliance with relevant Diageo controls.
• Lead in KRA tax audits processes.
• Manage total business tax risks through appropriate tax governance.
• Leading Diageo tax reporting in Kenya.
• Support Diageo Centres of Excellence

Market Complexity

• This role operates in the Kenya covering eight entities at the moment. The role has significant impact on the business requiring self-drive, management and dealing with a lot of complexity.
• The role will partner with the business (Finance, Legal, Procurement, Marketing, Sales, Strategy, Innovation and Supply functions) to drive an optimized tax strategy.
• As an individual contributor, this role will require a high degree of self-sufficiency with direct accountability to help deliver initiatives for various stakeholders, as well as proactively pursuing value creation opportunities for the business and requires in-depth knowledge in tax legislation in the market.

Leadership Responsibilities

• The role will provide leadership on various tax issues

Purpose of the Role

• The holder of this role will be required to:
• To partner with the business to drive the execution of the tax strategy and governance framework in Kenya business units. 
• Proactively engage with business partners with a commercial mind-set to generate opportunities and to deliver robust tax risk management and mitigation plans. 
• To lead and work closely with wider Kenya senior management in implementing solution to various tax issues.

Key competencies

• Tax Compliance - Collaborate to provide high quality, accurate, timely computation, payment and accounting for various taxes and application agreed global standard processes/governance framework.
• External Relationships - Leadership and ownership of key relationships with KRA in order to implement strategy and address tax audits/queries. Own the relationship with external tax advisors and hold them to account for the delivery of timely, cost effective and value add tax advice
• Finance Business partnership - Develop and maintain a strong working relationship and keeping up to date with business priorities and developments, act as a trusted business advisor in order to challenge and support the markets in improving overall tax management. Advise, guide, and educate market stakeholders on key tax issues to enable the business to adopt and adhere to relevant tax policies and standards, and mitigate tax risk.
• Value Creation - Seek opportunities for standardisation and simplification. Thorough risk assessment of Kenya’s tax position and development of optimal strategy and communication of key issues to key stakeholders
• Governance & Change - Support delivery of internal or external changes. Provide tax support to market-initiated projects e.g., innovation to ensure tax strategies and policies are adhered to and opportunities to deliver tax efficiencies are identified and fully evaluated. Keep up to date with tax law changes and best practice; identify tax risks and opportunities and recommend actions. Active engagement in the management and monitoring of market tax risks.

Qualifications and Experience Required

• 1st degree in social sciences and business-related studies
• Certified Public Accountant of Kenya or ACCA Equivalent or tax certification (KESRA or ADIT)

Experience

• At least 4 years of post-qualification experience within a tax function in a multinational (preferred) or a tax advisory firm
• Wide experience in taxation within Kenya and Global.
• Application of tax technical knowledge to commercial agenda
• Sound judgement regarding acceptable levels of tax risk
• Experience of managing tax audits
• Broad understanding of key domestic and international tax issues.