R&D Tax Software Assistant Manager

BDO UK; Reading; On-site; GBP 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

BDO UK in Reading is seeking a consultant to join the Corporate Tax team within the Innovation & Technology Group, focusing on R&D tax relief, RDAs, grants, and related advisory work for tech and software clients.

You will translate complex ideas into clear, non-technical concepts for clients, collaborate with engineers and tax specialists, and help drive delivery with integrity and discretion.

Qualifications

• Degree in IT/Software with demonstrable industry experience as engineer/scientist/technical role
• Experience with software clients or software R&D tax claims
• Experience tackling architectural design and API/tool development improvements
• Excellent written and spoken communication; curiosity about science/tech
• Strong interpersonal skills; ability to summarise complex information concisely
• Attention to detail, numerical focus and awareness of tax treatment
• Proactive, collaborative, and able to work independently
• Professional demeanour with discretion and confidentiality
• Willingness to travel to client premises and other offices as needed

Responsibilities

• Translate complex ideas into non-technical concepts for a broad client base
• Collaborate with technical professionals and tax specialists across projects
• Assist in tax planning/consultancy work and HMRC interactions
• Prepare tax returns and computations for clients in the tech/software sector

Skills

MSc/MEng/PhD in IT or Computer Science

Software client experience

R&D tax claims knowledge

Software architecture design

Excellent communication

Interpersonal skills

Attention to detail

Proactive & team player

Travel to client sites

Education

MSc/MEng/PhD in IT or Computer Software

Job description

Ideas | People | Trust

We're BDO. An accountancy and business advisory firm, providing the advice and solutions entrepreneurial organisations need to navigate today’s changing world.

We work with the companies that are Britain’s economic engine – ambitious, entrepreneurially-spirited and high-growth businesses that fuel the economy - and directly advise the owners and management teams that lead them.

We'll broaden your horizons

Working hard and working together, our Tax team thrives on keeping busy. Friendly, driven and diverse, they service our clients across the country and around the world. By providing expertise in many different specialist areas of tax, they collaborate across BDO to deliver wider business solutions. From meeting clients’ evolving business needs to managing changes to legislation, there are always fresh challenges to face in the Tax team. If you're after a career that will keep you on your toes, we'll give you the autonomy to drive your career forward.

We'll help you succeed

Leading organisations trust us because of the quality of our advice. That quality grows from a thorough understanding of their business, and that understanding comes from working closely with them and building long-lasting relationships.

You'll be someone who is both comfortable working proactively and managing your own tasks, as well as confident collaborating with others and communicating regularly with senior managers, directors, and BDO's partners to help businesses effectively. You'll be encouraged to identify and draw attention to opportunities for enhancing our delivery and providing additional services to organisations we work with.

Role Overview

The firm's specialist Innovation & Technology Group comprises engineers, software programmers and scientists as well as specialist finance professionals such as auditors and tax accountants all of whom are experienced in claiming R&D tax relief. The Innovation and Technology team provide the following services:

• Claiming R&D tax relief
• R&D Allowances (RDAs)
• Grants
• International R&D relief
• Patent Box

The successful candidate will get the opportunity to work as part of the wider Corporate Tax team, in a diverse team of highly successful tax and industry specialists. The Corporate Tax team provides bespoke taxation services to its clients and deals with all queries from basic compliance through to high-level advisory work. It prepares tax returns and computations, carries out tax planning/consultancy work, and deals with HMRC, clients and third parties.

This is a client facing role where the consultant will be working with customers primarily in the technology and software sector. A key aspect for this role will be the ability to translate complex ideas into non-technical concepts and communicate these to a broad client base.

Key Skills And Qualifications

When you join us, we'll make your growth our priority. If you can demonstrate the following skills, we can help you go far. We are looking for someone with:

• A recognised university degree (MSc/MEng and/or PhD) in a field of Information Technology or Computer Software, with demonstrable work experience in your chosen industry as an engineer, scientist, or technical role, with a good sector knowledge.
• Experience working with software clients or software related R&D tax claims as an R&D tax practitioner, with strong sector knowledge.
• Experience in dealing with technological challenges faced by industry professionals, such as software architectural design, the enhancement or improvement of software development processes, development of new tools/APIs and improvement to existing tools/APIs.
• Excellent communication (both spoken and written), curiosity, awareness and an interest in the fields of science, technology and innovation.
• Interact readily with other technical professionals, have outstanding interpersonal skills and excel in eloquence and concise summary of information.
• Strong attention to detail and first-time accuracy is essential, as well as an interest in project and company finances, strong numerical ability and the application of tax treatment.
• Proactive in the approach to new work opportunities, whilst being a team player and having an ability to work on own initiative.
• Ability to project a professional, credible image, trustworthy and able to maintain strict confidentiality.
• Ability to travel to clients' premises for meetings and on-site reviews as well as other offices as needed.

You'll be able to be yourself; we'll recognise and value you for who you are and celebrate and reward your contributions to the business. We're committed to agile working, and we offer everyone the opportunity to work in ways that suit them, their teams, and the task in hand.

At BDO, we'll help you achieve your personal goals and career ambitions, and we have programmes, resources, and frameworks that provide clarity and structure around career development.

We're in it together

Mutual support and respect is one of BDO's core values and we're proud of our distinctive, people-centred culture. From informal success conversations to formal mentoring and coaching, we'll support you at every stage in your career, whatever your personal and professional needs.

Our agile working framework helps us stay connected, bringing teams together where and when it counts so they can share ideas and help one another. At BDO, you'll always have access to the people and resources you need to do your best work.

We know that collaboration is the key to creating value for the companies we work with and satisfying experiences for our colleagues, so we've invested in state-of-the-art collaboration spaces in our offices. BDO's people represent a wealth of knowledge and expertise, and we'll encourage you to build your network, work alongside others, and share your skills and experiences. With a range of multidisciplinary events and dedicated resources, you'll never stop learning at BDO.

We're looking forward to the future

At BDO, we help entrepreneurial businesses to succeed, fuelling the UK economy. Our success is powered by our people, which is why we're always finding new ways to invest in you. Across the UK thousands of unique minds continue to come together to help companies we work with to achieve their ambitions

We've got a clear purpose, and we're confident in our future, because we're adapting and evolving to build on our strengths, ensuring we continue to find the right combination of global reach, integrity and expertise. We shape the future together with openness and clarity, because we believe in empowering people to think creatively about how we can do things better.