Interim Group Tax Manager

Gofractional; Greater London; On-site; GBP 75,000 - 85,000; Part time

Job summary

Trainline in London seeks an Interim Group Tax Manager to own UK and European tax obligations, including corporation tax, VAT, employment taxes, and transfer pricing. You will lead tax accounting, statutory disclosures, and liaise with external advisors and auditors.

Reporting to the Group Head of Tax, you will drive budgeting and forecasting, oversee cross-jurisdiction compliance, mentor the Senior Tax Analyst, and push for tax process improvements across the function.

Qualifications

• Qualified tax professional with ACA/CTA/ACCA or equivalent.
• Experience preparing UK corporation tax returns and group-level audit provisions.
• Experience across UK and EU tax compliance incl VAT and employment taxes.
• Strong Excel skills for complex tax models and reconciliations.
• Excellent communication to explain tax matters to non-specialists.
• Experience mentoring colleagues within a tax or finance team.
• Exposure to tax forecasting or automation tools; familiarity with D365 preferred.

Responsibilities

• Own management of UK and European tax obligations (corporation tax, VAT, employment taxes, transfer pricing).
• Lead tax accounting, disclosures in statutory accounts, and tax journals using D365.
• Budgeting and forecasting of corporation taxes; manage instalment payments and cash tax positions.
• Coordinate with external advisors, auditors, and cross-functional teams across Finance, HR, Legal, and Treasury.
• Support the Senior Tax Analyst’s development and provide training across the function.
• Drive process improvements and automation to enhance efficiency and accuracy.

Skills

UK tax knowledge

Excel modeling

Communication skills

Mentoring others

Independent working

Cross border / transfer pricing

Forecasting / automation tools

D365 familiarity

Education

ACA/CTA/ACCA or equivalent

Tools

Pigment

Microsoft D365

Job description

Role

Who you are

• A professional tax or accounting qualification such as ACA, CTA, ACCA, or equivalent, with significant experience in a broad tax role gained in practice, in-house, or a combination of both
• Proven experience preparing UK corporation tax returns and audit provisions at Group level, paired with a strong working knowledge of tax accounting principles
• Experience managing compliance obligations across multiple jurisdictions and a range of taxes, including corporation tax, VAT, and employment taxes
• Strong analytical ability and high proficiency in Microsoft Excel, including the capability to build and review complex financial models and tax calculations with a high level of accuracy
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the confidence to translate complex tax matters into clear, accessible language for non-specialist stakeholders across the business
• A proactive, hands-on approach, with the ability to work independently, manage competing deadlines effectively, and collaborate across teams to deliver high-quality outcomes
• Experience supporting or mentoring colleagues within a tax or finance team, with a genuine interest in contributing to others' professional growth
• Ideally, some exposure to tax forecasting or automation tools; familiarity with Microsoft D365 or a similar ERP system would also be helpful, though not essential

What the job involves

• Trainline is a FTSE 250 global travel tech business, and our Tax team plays a central role in how we manage our financial responsibilities across the Group. Since our Group Head of Tax joined, we have been on an exciting journey - building out a dynamic in-house tax function and transitioning from a fully outsourced model to a proactive, value-adding internal advisory and compliance capability
• With a clear roadmap in place and an enthusiastic Senior Tax Analyst already embedded in the team, this is a genuinely compelling moment to join and help shape the next chapter of what our tax function can be
• As Interim Group Tax Manager, you will report directly to the Group Head of Tax and take real ownership across the full breadth of our tax obligations - spanning corporation tax, VAT, employment taxes, and transfer pricing across our UK and European entities
• You will work closely with colleagues across Finance, HR Operations, Legal, and Treasury, acting as a key bridge between the tax function and the wider business, whilst also playing an active role in supporting the professional development of the Senior Tax Analyst and managing relationships with external advisors and auditors
• Own the management of all compliance tax matters across the Group's UK and European entities (UK, France, Italy, Spain, and Belgium), including corporation tax, VAT, and employment taxes, working with external advisors to ensure accurate and timely submissions across all jurisdictions
• Lead the tax accounting function end-to-end, including preparation of tax disclosures in statutory accounts, management of Group audit provision corporation tax calculations, and ownership of tax journals and postings using Microsoft D365 - acting as the bridge between tax and finance
• Drive the budgeting and forecasting of corporation taxes, leveraging forecasting software (Pigment) and automating calculations where possible, whilst managing Quarterly Instalment Payments and cash tax positions in collaboration with the Finance and Treasury teams
• Review and manage UK and EU VAT return submissions via Making Tax Digital software, and oversee Operational Transfer Pricing across Group entities, ensuring intercompany agreements are maintained and invoicing is operating as expected
• Lead the management of R&D tax relief claims across Group jurisdictions, working closely with technical teams and external advisors to ensure submissions are accurate and timely
• Champion tax process improvement across the business, identifying automation opportunities, communicating best practices, and delivering training to the wider team to embed lasting change
• Manage tax governance for the Group, including the CCO risk register, the SAO annual process, tax accounting controls, and process documentation, ensuring a well-governed and audit-ready function
• Support the Group Head of Tax on ad-hoc research and project work - including monitoring VAT issues, transfer pricing developments, and the tax treatment of new product offerings - whilst also actively supporting the Senior Tax Analyst's development in the profession

Contract Details

• 4 Month Fixed Term Contract
• £75-85k
• 3+ days a week in office
• London
• Reports to: Group Head of Tax