Tax Director & Counsel, NAM

Diageo

17d

About The Position

About Us: With over 200 brands sold in nearly 180 countries, we’re the world’s leading premium drinks company. Bring your passion and use your curiosity as you explore, collaborate, and innovate to build brands consumers love. Together with passionate people from all over the world, you’ll test new ideas, learn and grow, and unlock a brighter, more exciting future. Join us to build a career worth celebrating. Which company will you join? From Arthur Guinness to Johnnie Walker, our business was founded on people of outstanding character, and in 250 years, nothing has changed. We’re the world’s leading premium alcohol company! Our brands are industry icons including Johnnie Walker, Crown Royal, Bulleit and Buchanan's whiskies, Smirnoff, Cîroc and Ketel One vodkas, Captain Morgan, Baileys, Don Julio, Tanqueray and Guinness. Our success is thanks to the strength of our people, in every role. It’s why we trust them with our legacy and why we reward them with the career-defining opportunities that they deserve. Our ambition is to build the best performing, most trusted and respected Consumer Products Company in the world. To achieve these, we need the very best people! At Diageo, our purpose is to celebrate life everywhere, every day. To do that, you will join an organization that is passionate about customers and consumers, and proud of what they do. Diageo teams constantly set high goals and then try hard to exceed them. We are also an incredibly diverse organization, and we value each and every one’s talent and personality. About the role: The Tax job family encompasses global roles accountable for the design and implementation of tax strategies, policies and the tax governance framework. It also includes the provision of tax support to Diageo’s business units, delivery of projects to create shareholder value, and proactive management and mitigation of key tax risks, compliance and reporting. Purpose: The Tax Director & Counsel is a strategic advisor to the tax team and our customers, ensuring compliance with complex US federal, state and local tax laws, and ensures Diageo’s US tax posture remains defensible and aligned with business goals, and stays ahead of legislative and regulatory changes. The role provides tax support on M&A transactions, restructurings, and other commercial transactions and business initiatives/projects. The role is responsible for driving North American (NAM) tax strategy and planning and supports Group Tax strategy. The role is also primarily responsible for management of transfer pricing policy and issues within the NAM market, and provides support on federal tax audits, material state tax audits and other tax controversies. Job Dimensions: Reporting to the VP Tax – Americas, the role is a strategic advisor to Global Tax and our customers, ensuring compliance with NAM tax laws. The role will be responsible for our response to tax law developments, including active engagement with industry groups. The role will partner closely with Finance, Government Relations, Legal and Business Development to develop policies in line with our business model. The NAM Tax team is comprised of US tax and Canadian tax experts and oversees all areas of US & Canada federal, state, and international income taxes, as well as key functions in significant indirect taxes (sales/use/property). The team is accountable for all NAM income tax reporting, compliance, controversy, risk management, and planning in line with the Global Tax Policy. Financial NAM market constitutes approximately 39% of the overall net sales and one half of operating profit for management purposes. Market Complexity NAM market is extremely complex. Market is active in all areas of Diageo global business (supply, brand owner, demand). Legislative environment is very complex and evolving. Reporting includes management reporting packages, multiple legal entities, and federal, state, provincial and local audits. Leadership Responsibilities & Capabilities Responsible for displaying Diageo Leadership Standard and Diageo Values Interact effectively with senior customers within the business, as well as external advisors and group auditors Maintain integrity and focus on tough situations; be able to constructively challenge partners Demonstrate commercial competence, strong analytical skills and sound judgement in managing tax opportunity and risks Responsible for developing and coaching others within Group Tax Manage resources and numerous priorities

Requirements

• Approximately 8+ years corporate tax experience in advisory and/or in-house tax department (preferably both)
• JD required
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience in accounting or finance
• Strong tax technical knowledge across a broad range of taxes
• Strong legal research and writing
• Strong financial modelling and tax accounting knowledge
• Excellent written and oral communication skills with the ability to communicate complex tax issues to senior management
• Excellent interpersonal, business partnering and influencing skills
• Commercially astute; analytically strong critical thinking with global perspective
• Imaginative and solution oriented
• Able to balance a diverse and complex agenda
• Energy and drive to cut through and make things happen

Nice To Haves

• Big 4 experience preferred
• 2+ years of tax M&A experience
• Masters or equivalent experience in Tax/LLM in Tax a plus

Responsibilities

• Lead tax interaction on all NAM business development and commercial transactions
• Coordinate with Legal and Government Relations to proactively develop advocacy strategies and responses to legislative and regulatory tax proposals
• Track legislative and regulatory tax developments impacting the NAM market and Group Tax strategy, and provide timely communications to internal customers on considerations and proposed actions and mitigation strategies; coordinate with Finance on tax modelling to quantify tax impacts of new tax proposals
• Drive NAM tax strategy and planning
• Support global tax objectives including global strategy, planning and transactions, as well as implementation of tax policies throughout the business
• Provide support on federal and state and local tax audits
• Coordinate with Legal on tax litigation matters
• Draft tax technical memoranda
• Manage transfer pricing policy for NAM and review documentation
• Provide coaching to develop team knowledge and serve as a resource for deep technical expertise to members of Group Tax

Benefits

• US-based employees are eligible for healthcare benefits, retirement benefits , short-term and long-term disability coverage, basic life insurance, wellness benefits and industry leading parental leave, among others.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director