Tax Manager - European Markets

Morgan McKinley (Milton Keynes); Welwyn; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Morgan McKinley (Milton Keynes) is recruiting a Tax Manager to lead regional tax compliance across five European markets including the UK, Western Europe and the Nordics. You will own VAT, corporate tax, transfer pricing, and the SAO process, reporting to Senior Finance Leadership and guiding in-country specialists.

You will mentor a regional team, collaborate with Global Tax, Legal, and external advisers, and drive system improvements to strengthen tax controls and timely filings across Europe.

Qualifications

• Fully qualified tax professional (CTA/ACA/ACCA or equivalent) or qualified by extensive multi-jurisdictional experience.
• VAT expertise across multiple European countries and UK corporation tax knowledge.
• Experience leading regional tax teams and cross-functional collaboration.
• Strong Excel skills and ability to manage deadlines across jurisdictions.
• Excellent communication translating tax rules for non-tax teams.
• Retail/FMCG exposure and fluency in additional European languages are a plus.

Responsibilities

• Own regional tax compliance & lead multi-jurisdictional governance across Europe.
• Manage regional tax calendar, ensuring deadlines are met.
• Mentor and develop a regional team of tax specialists.
• Review VAT returns; advise on VAT rates and train procurement teams.
• Prepare/ review corporate tax computations and UK quarterly installments.
• Support UK SAO process and Pillar Two group reporting.
• Maintain transfer pricing documentation and intercompany agreements.
• Act as primary liaison with tax authorities and audits.
• Drive system enhancements to improve tax controls and workflows.
• Partner with Legal and country managers to resource compliance needs.
• Provide concise executive updates on compliance, risks and changes.

Skills

Leadership

VAT management

Tax compliance

Transfer pricing

Regulatory liaison

Excel skills

Cross-functional collaboration

Team mentoring

Education

CTA/ACA/ACCA or equivalent

Job description

Are you a strategic tax professional with multi-jurisdictional expertise?

We are partnering with a retail business to find a dynamic Tax Manager to lead their tax compliance across five key European markets, including the UK, Western Europe, and the Nordics. In this newly created role driven by the company's expanding regional footprint and the increasing complexity of international tax obligations-you will take ownership of all tax domains across the region, including VAT, corporate tax, transfer pricing, and the Senior Accounting Officer (SAO) regime.

Reporting to Senior Finance Leadership, you will lead a team of in-country specialists, partnering with the Global Tax team at HQ, Legal, Commercial divisions, and external advisors to ensure seamless, accurate, and proactive tax compliance across Europe.

What You'll Do

Multi-Jurisdiction Tax Compliance & Leadership

Own the Regional Calendar: Manage the tax compliance calendar across multiple European jurisdictions, ensuring all filing and payment deadlines are consistently met.

Lead & Develop: Manage, mentor, and provide technical guidance to a dedicated regional team of tax specialists.

VAT Management: Review and approve VAT returns across the region. Advise on VAT rates for new product lines, conduct regular commercial reviews, and train procurement/merchandising teams to minimize VAT liabilities.

Corporate & Statutory Tax: Prepare and review corporate tax computations and UK quarterly installments. Handle tax provisions for local statutory accounts and support Global HQ with group reporting, including Pillar Two.

Transfer Pricing & SAO: Maintain local transfer pricing documentation, review intercompany agreements, and support the UK SAO process (including maintaining tax controls and the UK tax strategy publication).

Policy & Authority Liaison: Act as the primary contact for regional tax authorities, manage audits, collaborate with external advisors, and standardize tax policies across the region.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

System Optimization: Drive the discovery and implementation of system enhancements to improve tax controls and compliance workflows.

Business Partnering: Collaborate directly with Legal on regulatory matters and partner with European country managers to resource local compliance needs effectively.

Executive Reporting: Provide clear, concise updates to the Finance Director regarding compliance positioning, risks, and legislative changes.

What You Bring

Qualifications: Fully qualified tax professional (CTA, ACA, ACCA, or equivalent) or qualified by extensive experience in a multi-jurisdictional tax role.

VAT & Regional Expertise: Proven experience managing indirect tax (VAT) compliance across multiple European countries, alongside strong knowledge of UK corporation tax and the SAO regime.

Leadership: Demonstrated experience managing, developing, and overseeing a team of specialists.

Technical Skills: Highly organized with advanced Excel skills and the ability to manage competing deadlines across multiple jurisdictions.

Communication: Exceptional interpersonal skills, with a proven ability to translate complex tax legislation into clear, actionable advice for non-tax commercial teams.

Bonus Assets: Experience in a large-scale retail, wholesale, or FMCG environment is highly preferred. Additional fluency in a European language (such as French, Spanish, or a Nordic language) is a distinct advantage.

Why Join Our Client?

Step into a highly visible, newly created role within a globally recognized enterprise. This is a unique opportunity to build processes, shape regional strategy, and directly impact the financial efficiency of a massive European operation with excellent long-term career progression.