UK Tax Incentives Director

Grant Thornton (UK); Belfast; On-site; GBP 150,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading professional services firm in Northern Ireland is seeking an experienced UK Tax Incentives Director to lead the Incentives Team. This strategic role involves driving growth and ensuring high-quality delivery of R&D tax relief services. The ideal candidate will have extensive experience in managing client relationships, technical knowledge in R&D legislation, and strong leadership skills. This position offers a dynamic work environment with a focus on innovation and team development.

Benefits

Health and wellness benefits

Equity, diversity and inclusion initiatives

Qualifications

• Extensive experience in R&D tax incentives.
• Proven track record of managing senior client relationships.
• Strong technical knowledge of R&D legislation.

Responsibilities

• Lead the strategic vision for the Incentives team.
• Identify and pursue new business opportunities.
• Act as a trusted advisor to senior client stakeholders.
• Manage and develop a high-performing team.

Skills

Leadership

Business development

R&D tax incentives expertise

Stakeholder management

Commercial acumen

Education

ACA/ACCA and/or CTA qualified (or equivalent)

Job description

UK Tax Incentives Director

We are seeking a dynamic and experienced Director to lead our UK Incentives Team with a focus on Research & Development (R&D) tax relief. This is a strategic, client-facing role that combines technical expertise, leadership, and business development. The successful candidate will play a pivotal role in shaping the future of our R&D offering, driving growth, and ensuring delivery excellence across a diverse portfolio of clients.

Key Responsibilities

• Set and execute the strategic vision for the Incentives team, aligning with broader firm objectives.
• Proactively identify and pursue new business opportunities across sectors and regions. Lead high-impact pitches, proposals, and tenders, leveraging internal networks and external relationships to secure new engagements.
• Represent the firm as a subject matter expert in R&D tax incentives. Build and maintain a strong professional network to enhance visibility and credibility in the market.
• Work closely with other tax service lines and wider teams, to deliver integrated solutions. Collaborate with internal stakeholders across audit and advisory to ensure seamless client service and identify cross-selling opportunities.
• Lead the delivery of technically robust R&D tax claims. Ensure claims are accurate, defensible, and aligned with HMRC guidance. Provide strategic oversight on claim methodologies, documentation, and client communications.
• Act as a trusted advisor to senior client stakeholders. Anticipate client challenges and opportunities, offering tailored solutions that maximise value from available tax incentives and support broader business objectives.
• Review and approve technical documentation and financial quantifications of R&D claims. Ensure all submissions meet internal quality standards. Champion best practices in risk management and governance across the team.
• Manage, mentor, and develop a high-performing team. Foster a culture of collaboration, innovation, and continuous learning.
• Lead the operational and financial management of the Incentives team.

Skills & Experience

• ACA/ACCA and/or CTA qualified (or equivalent).
• Extensive experience in R&D tax incentives, ideally within a Big 4 or large professional services firm.
• Proven track record of leading large-scale R&D engagements and managing senior client relationships.
• Deep technical knowledge of R&D legislation and HMRC compliance requirements.
• Strong commercial acumen and experience in business development.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Experience in managing and developing high-performing teams.

Life at Grant Thornton

Reward and benefits

Our reward and benefits are designed to create an environment where our people can flourish. We are committed to building a culture where our people have access to the necessary benefits to help promote a healthy lifestyle and thrive.

Equity, diversity and inclusion

At Grant Thornton, we provide equitable opportunities for all our colleagues. We are a responsible, sustainable business where equity, diversity and inclusion (ED&I) is at the forefront of our workplace culture agenda, and today, we continue to build and develop on our existing ED&I structure and strategy to meet our workplace culture needs. People are at the heart of our business and teams built with varied backgrounds, racial differences, cultures, sexual orientations, religious orientations, ages, gender identities, abilities and family types present diverse viewpoints, which need to be heard and valued.

We are all at our best when we are able to be ourselves and we view integrity and authenticity as integral values to bring to our day-to-day work-life at the firm. We are excited to see the personality and perspectives you will bring to our team because we know we will all benefit from them. Diversity of thought, background and experience enables better decision-making, improves the quality of our delivery, and helps us to meet the needs of our clients. Our firm is built on people and their ideas, so we want to hear all the new perspectives and fresh thinking you have to offer. You form the bedrock of our firm’s best‑practice principles, and we will champion you as leaders from day one.

Recognition

We want to create a culture of recognition and celebrating success, by saying thank you to people who surpass our expectations and recognising the right values and behaviours. Our Shout Out recognition scheme is our way of highlighting and promoting achievements. Whether you simply want to say thank you, celebrate a special occasion or give an award for doing something exceptional, you can do all of this and more through the scheme.