EABL is a leading drinks company in Eastern Africa with a wide portfolio of products in various categories of beer, spirits, malt, glass and other non-alcoholic drinks.

EABL is quoted in all the 3 East African stock exchanges and has operations Eastern Africa with a turnover of over £553m. It is the largest business unit in Diageo Africa, and directly operates 5 breweries, 2 spirits plants as well as a barley & malting facility. EABL operates within a multicultural, multinational, multicurrency environment.

The Group comprises 3 main business units (Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania) with five sub-business units all of which have different competitive environments.

This role will work closely with the Financial Controllership team, Regional and Group tax team, including the FD, CRD, LD and MDs of the Uganda market as well as maintain a relationship with various Uganda Revenue Authority departments, Local tax advisors and other government bodies and other relevant associations.

Dimensions:

a) Financial

The Uganda Tax Manager will be responsible for:

• Ensuring tax compliance with respect to all tax types i.e., Corporation tax, value added tax, Excise duty compliance.
• Ensure compliance with tax payment obligations.
• Ensure entities have valid tax compliance certification.
• Ensure compliance with Uganda Transfer Pricing requirements and documentation.
• Work with local tax advisors to ensure the business obtains value for money.
• Ensure compliance with relevant Diageo controls.
• Lead in URA tax audits processes
• Manage total business tax risks through appropriate tax governance.
• Ensure effective ETR management.
• Leading Diageo tax reporting in Uganda
• Support central tax compliance and customs and excise teams.

b) Market Complexity

This role operates in Uganda covering UBL, IDU and other smaller entities. The role has significant impact on the business requiring self-drive, management and dealing with a lot of complexity.

The role will partner with the business (Marketing, Sales, Strategy, Innovation, legal, corporate relations and Supply functions) to drive an optimized tax strategy.

As an individual contributor, this role will require a high degree of self-sufficiency with direct accountability to help deliver initiatives for various stakeholders, as well as proactively pursuing value creation opportunities for the business and requires in-depth knowledge in tax legislation in the market.

c) Leadership Responsibilities

The role will provide leadership on various tax issues

Purpose of the Role

• To partner with the business to drive the execution of the tax strategy and governance framework in Uganda business units.
• Proactively engage with business partners with a commercial mind-set to generate opportunities and to deliver robust tax risk management and mitigation plans.
• To lead and work closely with wider Uganda senior management in implementing solution to various tax issues.

Role Responsibilities

• Tax Compliance – Collaborate to provide high quality, accurate, timely computation, payment and accounting for various taxes and application agreed global standard processes/governance framework.
• External Relationships – Leadership and ownership of key relationships with URA in order to implement strategy and address tax audits/queries. Own the relationship with external tax advisors and hold them to account for the delivery of timely, cost effective and value add tax advice.
• Finance Business partnership – Develop and maintain a strong working relationship and keeping up to date with business priorities and developments, act as a trusted business advisor in order to challenge and support the markets in improving overall tax management. Advise, guide and educate market stakeholders on key tax issues to enable the business to adopt and adhere to relevant tax policies and standards, and mitigate tax risk.
• Value Creation – Seek opportunities for standardization and simplification. Thorough risk assessment of Uganda’s tax position and development of optimal strategy and communication of key issues to key stakeholders
• Governance & Change – Support delivery of internal or external changes. Provide tax support to market-initiated projects e.g. innovation to ensure tax strategies and policies are adhered to and opportunities to deliver tax efficiencies are identified and fully evaluated. Keep up to date with tax law changes and best practice; identify tax risks and opportunities and recommend actions. Active engagement in the management and monitoring of market tax risks.

Qualifications and Experience Required

Qualifications

• 1st degree in social sciences and business-related studies
• Certified Public Accountant of Uganda or ACCA Equivalent or tax certification

Experience

• 5 years post qualification experience within a tax function in a multinational (preferred) or a tax advisory firm
• Wide experience in taxation within Uganda and Global.
• Application of tax technical knowledge to commercial agenda
• Sound judgement regarding acceptable levels of tax risk
• Experience of managing tax audits
• Broad understanding of key domestic and international tax issues.

Skills

The skills you will need:

• Effective project management and stakeholder management skills
• Good team working and communication skills across diverse cultures.
• Proactive judgement and escalations as required.
• Able to proactively manage risk.
• Able to embed compliance and ethics.
• Evidence of commercial and strategic impact to the business