VAT Manager

Salary From £58,732 pa dependent on experience

LOCATION: Milton Keynes

HYBRID WORKING: Our current hybrid working policy requires a minimum of 60% of working time to be based in the Milton Keynes office however flexibility is expected to meet the needs of the business and the role.

HOURS / CONTRACT TYPE: Full time or Part Time hours considered

We're looking for a VAT Manager to lead our VAT and Customs compliance activities, provide expert tax advice across the business and ensure we meet all statutory obligations across the UK and Ireland.

This specialist and highly influential role will be instrumental in protecting the business from tax risk, maintaining regulatory compliance, and supporting strategic business decisions through expert VAT guidance. Working closely with teams across the organisation, you'll act as the go-to VAT expert, helping shape processes, projects, and business change initiatives while ensuring compliance is embedded into everything we do.

What you'll be doing

• Managing VAT and Customs compliance activities across the UK and Ireland, ensuring all statutory filing deadlines are met.
• Reviewing and preparing VAT returns whilst overseeing changes required as a result of business, regulatory, or legislative developments.
• Providing practical, commercially-focused VAT advice to stakeholders across the business.
• Acting as the VAT subject matter expert on projects, business change initiatives, and process improvements.
• Monitoring changes in VAT and Customs legislation, assessing business impacts, and developing implementation plans.
• Building strong relationships across the organisation to ensure effective VAT controls, compliance, and risk management.
• Supporting internal and external audits, responding to information requests from HMRC, Revenue Ireland and other stakeholders.
• Delivering VAT training and guidance across the business to increase awareness and ensure compliant processes are followed.
• Working closely with operational and finance teams to identify, assess, and mitigate VAT risks whilst driving continuous improvement in controls and procedures

What you'll bring

You'll be an experienced VAT professional with a strong technical background and a collaborative approach to stakeholder management.

You'll have a passion for delivering practical and commercially-focused tax solutions, ensuring compliance while supporting business objectives.

Essential experience & skills

• Qualified Chartered Tax Adviser (CTA) or hold a recognised VAT-specific professional qualification.
• Significant experience in a VAT-focused role within industry or a leading professional services firm.
• Strong technical knowledge of UK VAT legislation and compliance requirements.
• Experience providing clear, practical advice to non-tax specialists and senior stakeholders.
• Excellent organisational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines.
• Strong communication and relationship-building skills, with the confidence to influence across a complex organisation.
• Ability to interpret complex tax legislation and translate it into practical, business-focused solutions.
• Experience influencing stakeholders across multiple functions and building effective working relationships in a complex organisation.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with a proactive approach to identifying risks and improving processes.

What's in it for you?

Bonus: Discretionary 10% on-target bonus (based on personal and Group company performance)

Pension: Employer pension contribution of 9% (based on employee contribution of 3%). VWFS will pay 6% if employee chooses a 2% employee contribution.

Car schemes*: Choice of Employee Car Ownership (ECO) scheme for petrol/diesel and hybrid vehicles plus car insurance.

OR Company Car scheme for Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs) plus car insurance cover for you and a partner/eligible family member.

Other benefits: From day 1 we provide income protection, life assurance (4x salary), retail discount vouchers, access to Care Concierge (a service to support carers of adults), along with other salary sacrifice options including a will writing service and cycle to work (subject to scheme restrictions).

Following successful completion of probation, you will have access to private medical insurance for you (with the option to buy additional family cover), access to our loan car scheme for up to 2 cars for your partner or eligible family members (subject to scheme restrictions) and during our annual benefit window you can purchase critical illness cover and dental cover, so you can select the benefits that matter to you.

We invest in our people and are passionate about driving development. You'll have access to LinkedIn Learning via our Degreed platform as well as a host of professional development programmes and opportunities to build your technical and soft skills so you can further develop your career. We also offer mentoring schemes and reciprocal partnerships recognising that we can all learn from each other in the flow of work.