Group Tax Manager

The job holder will play a critical role in driving d.light's tax strategy, ensuring compliance across jurisdictions, optimizing the group's tax position, and overseeing tax accounting processes. Reporting to senior leadership, the Group Tax Manager will manage all tax-related matters across d.light's global operations, spanning the USA, Mauritius, India, Hong Kong, China, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Nigeria, and Zambia. This role requires a proactive and strategic leader who can navigate complex tax regulations, mitigate risks, and provide expert tax advice for new projects and business decisions.

Roles & Responsibilities

• Strategic Tax Leadership

  • Develop and lead d.light's global tax strategy, ensuring alignment with the company's business objectives.
  • Provide expert advice on tax planning, compliance, governance, and accounting across all operational regions.
  • Identify and implement tax-efficient structures and processes to optimize the group's tax position.
  • Continuously assess and mitigate taxation risks across the organization. Maintain a formal tax risk register - covering all jurisdictions, material tax positions, and open disputes - and present it to the CFO and Audit Committee at least twice annually as a board-reportable governance deliverable.
  • Collaborate with leadership to provide tax advice on new projects, product launches, and expansion plans.Own compliance with OECD Pillar Two global minimum tax obligations and country-by-country reporting (CbCR), assessing the financial impact of these frameworks on the group's effective tax rate and ensuring all required filings are submitted accurately and on time.

• Tax Compliance, Accounting & Optimization

  • Ensure compliance with tax laws and regulations in all jurisdictions, including corporate tax, transfer pricing, PAYE, and indirect taxes.
  • Oversee the accurate preparation and timely submission of all tax filings, returns, and reports.
  • Lead tax accounting efforts, including tax provision calculations, deferred tax analysis, and accurate financial reporting of tax positions. Provide rolling tax payment forecasts to the Group Financial Controller to support day-to-day liquidity planning, ensuring tax cash outflows are anticipated and funded.
  • Conduct regular reviews to identify tax-saving opportunities and integrate tax planning into broader company strategies.
  • Evaluate the tax implications of new and existing products or services and recommend optimization strategies.

• Transfer Pricing & Cross-Border Transactions

  • Act as the custodian of d.light's transfer pricing policy, ensuring its relevance and compliance with international standards.
  • Establish and maintain intercompany agreements and approvals to ensure adherence to transfer pricing regulations.
  • Review and leverage Double Taxation Agreements (DTAs) for cross-border transactions, maximizing benefits.

• Legislative Monitoring & Adaptation

  • Monitor changes in global tax laws, regulations, and trends - including OECD developments, Pillar Two implementation timelines, and jurisdiction-specific legislative changes - and communicate their impact to senior management with sufficient lead time for operational and structural response. Manage the panel of external tax advisers across jurisdictions: set scope, control costs, and ensure advice quality and consistency with group tax strategy.
  • Develop strategies to capitalize on legislative changes and update company policies accordingly.

• Process Improvement & Audit Management

  • Lead efforts to enhance tax processes, leveraging best practices in tax administration. Own the group's tax technology infrastructure: ERP tax configurations, tax automation tools, and data integrity for tax reporting purposes. Ensure that system-generated tax data is reliable, auditable, and aligned with the group's compliance obligations.
  • Manage and facilitate tax audits, ensuring effective preparation and communication with tax authorities.
  • Support internal audits and special projects related to taxation. Ensure strategies developed to capitalize on legislative changes are implemented, embedded in policy, and tracked to completion.

• Team Leadership & Development

  • Lead, mentor, and develop the tax team to achieve high levels of engagement and performance.
  • Foster a culture of knowledge-sharing and provide training to enhance tax-related expertise across the organization.

Requirements

• Educational Background

  • Master's degree in Accounting, Finance, Taxation, or a related discipline.
  • CPA, ACCA, or equivalent professional designation, with completion of advanced tax-related courses.
  • Solid knowledge of global tax accounting standards such as IFRS or US GAAP.

• Professional Experience

  • Minimum of 10 years of progressive experience in tax planning, compliance, and tax accounting, with at least 3 years in international corporate taxation across multiple jurisdictions, including Africa (preferably East Africa).
  • Proven experience in managing tax compliance and advisory for complex multinational organizations with operations in diverse tax environments.
  • Demonstrated expertise in transfer pricing, cross-border taxation, and application of Double Taxation Agreements (DTAs).
  • Strong background in tax audits, dispute resolution, and engagement with tax authorities.
  • Experience implementing and managing tax compliance systems and process improvements.
  • Exposure to renewable energy or similar industries is an added advantage.

• Key Competencies

  • Technical Expertise: In-depth knowledge of corporate tax laws, international tax principles, and tax accounting standards.
  • Strategic Thinking: Ability to align tax strategy with organizational goals and identify tax-efficient solutions.
  • Analytical Skills: Advanced problem-solving skills to evaluate complex tax scenarios and mitigate risks.
  • Leadership: Proven ability to lead, mentor, and manage a high-performing tax team across multiple geographies.
  • Communication: Strong verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to present complex tax concepts clearly to stakeholders at all levels.
  • Collaboration: Adept at working across functions, regions, and cultures to ensure effective tax planning and compliance.
  • Adaptability: Flexible and resourceful in responding to changing tax legislation and business priorities.
  • Project Management: Skilled in organizing, prioritizing, and managing multiple projects and deadlines effectively.

Benefits

• Competitive Remuneration
• Medical Cover
• Pension