Senior Manager Tax (m/f/d)

at  Adidas

Purpose & Overall Relevance for the Organization:
The overall objective of Group Taxes is to create value for the global enterprise, business units, and shareholders by maximizing corporate profitability through minimizing overall tax burden while executing and directing compliance to conform with all legal frameworks in preserving the Company’s reputation and integrity.
Within Group Taxes, the Group Transfer Pricing is responsible for setting the Group’s transfer pricing strategies and policies and for monitoring compliance by the group entities with such strategies and policies. The department provides direction on the pricing of all intra-group transactions such as sale and purchase of goods and services, sale and licensing of intangibles and provision of group financing. The department supports the group entities in international tax and transfer pricing audits and is to ensure appropriate tax/TP risk management.
Key Responsibilities:

Business Partnering & Communication

• Partner with business (Regional Tax Leads, Finance Managers of Subs, Business Units at HQ) and Senior Management (Taxes, Group Reporting, Group Accounting, Treasury, Controlling and senior management of other functions) on international transfer pricing issues and, where required in the underlying context, also on general tax matters such as VAT, CIT, WT.
• Enable fact-based decision by creating transparency on TP/tax implications of (existing or new) business models, supply chain processes etc.
• Contribute to business projects which have TP/tax implications, develop and help implement TP compliant and tax efficient solutions, e.g. in TradeCo Rollouts, in structuring new business models, in redesigning internal processes such as tax-efficient compensation of Group functions and Subs functions
• Develop and implement adequate communication packages to present results, recommendations and solutions.
• Support global TP compliance provider from an overall strategic perspective

Innovation

• Create new and improved working methods for relevant processes and systems
• Design, develop and implement state-of-the-art analytical tools such as instruments to track TP compliance by Subs (periodic reporting requirements, periodic review of changes in local tax law etc.) and to analyze transactional data (tax analytics, big data)

Strategy

• Develop new processes and standards / policies and deliver results with direct impact on the department and overall targets.
• Significantly contribute to the achievement of the department strategy by ensuring tax/TP compliance of the group entities and by assisting with managing the Group’s overall tax expenditure

Analysis / Reporting

• Identify significant improvement potential by assessing a group entity’s TP position, derive solutions where problems arise or are expected to arise and facilitate related decisions.

Functional Expertise

• Provide comprehensive expertise for assigned functional areas and processes (such as standardized preparation of TP documentation, management of intra-group service charges and finance/treasury transactions) towards team and business partners.
• Ensure smooth operation of the business by taking on ownership for related actions, e.g. support and (co-) manage tax/TP audits.

Key Relationships:

Internal:

• Finance Directors and Finance Managers of the Subs
• Regional Tax Functions
• HQ Controlling, FP&A, Group Accounting
• Global Operations / Gl. Logistics
• Corporate Legal
• Business Units at Corporate HQ and regional HQs

External:

• Revenue Authorities
• Statutory and Tax Advisors
• Law Firms

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

Business Partnering & Communication

• Comprehensive business understanding of international TP regulations and practices
• High degree of customer orientation
• Ability to manoeuvre in consistently changing environment by tracking regulatory changes in TP
• Ability to operate cross-functionally (e.g. with Controlling/BA, Treasury, Legal and Accounting/Reporting and Sales functions) and understand external business drivers
• Thorough understanding of the complexity, interactions and dynamics within an international company, i.e. having an in-depth understanding of the Group’s value chain across all brands and Markets.
• Experience in Project Management
• Excellent communication skills for influencing others
• Business fluency in English (written and spoken)

Strategy

• Ability to think and act strategically, in particular in tax/TP situations

Analysis / Reporting

• Excellent analytical skills, managing large data quantities from multiple sources in order to understand tax/TP implications of any restructuring of the Group’s value chain in select segments

Requisite Education and Experience / Minimum Qualifications:

Knowledge

• University degree in Business Administration, with focus on tax/TP
• Advanced degree in Tax, Accounting or Law
• Good understanding of system landscape, i.e. MS Office, and basic skills in SAP-AFS

Experience

• Minimum 5+ years of relevant practical experience in TP, including professional background in tax planning and compliance
• Professional background “Big 4” or multinational preferred

Please refer the Job description for details