Senior Manager: Head of Tax

Large Telecommunications Company  is seeking a Senior Manager: Head of Tax

Mission/ Core purpose of the Job
  • The role is responsible for implementing the Tax strategy for the organisation, that MTN SA is a Tax-compliant entity, and that reporting is performed timeously and accurately.
  • This role is expected to have a clear grasp of current tax developments, digital disruptors changing the operating environment, business performance and ability to identify tax risks whilst leveraging opportunities to optimise the organisation’s Tax position through delivery of the agreed strategy.
  • Manage the development of the business Tax information model with regards to the future state and comparison to the current state in line with the Finance vision. This role will help drive the direction and scope for Tax information with a forward-looking view.

Key Performance Areas: Core, essential responsibilities / outputs of the position (KPA’s)

Tax Strategic Planning & Advisory

  • Co-design, with GM: FinOps, and co-ordinate the organisational Tax Strategy
  • Ensure that the Tax team provides valuable Tax advice to the business through business partnership.
  • Enable the team to identify Tax saving opportunities for the organisation.
  • Assist in the development of tax optimisation projects and implementation of tax strategies to ensure effective tax planning.
  • Provide faster insights-driven advisory on tax implication of projects, contracts and transactions.
  • Ensure the provision of project decision support driven by effective policies and procedures.
  • Provide automated advice on Tax implications from projects for the business.
  • Provide inputs into business planning through Tax planning insights.
  • Evaluate potential tax impacts of business decisions.
  • Ensure upskilling on Tax legislation through capacity enhancement and ensure timely advice on Tax implications from changes in legislation.

Compliance

  • Ensure that all automatically generated tax returns required by the authorities are submitted timeously and accurately.
  • Ensure that legal and regulatory correspondence is provided timeously to the relevant stakeholders, supported by AI/Cognitive accurately and complete and timeous SARS & legal correspondence.
  • Timeous SARS payments
  • Ensure polices, processes and procedures are updated and adhered to

Reporting

  • Ensure that all automated tax reported amounts are valid, accurate, complete and reported in the appropriate periods.
  • Ensure the accurate and timeous reporting of group total contribution amounts.
  • Ensure Automated provisional tax computation
  • Ensure real-time reporting to tax authorities
  • Ensure an automated end to end income tax reporting process (incl. computations, provisioning and returns).
  • Ensure automated SARS Reconciliations & journals
  • Enable automated indirect tax computation enabled by advanced analytics

Risk Management

  • Ensure the maintenance of a Tax register and that this is updated continuously
  • Oversee the performance of Tax data analysis for risk identification
  • Enable the updating / Maintaining of PPPs
  • Ensure proactive Risk identification and register maintenance enabled by advanced analytics
  • Ensure compliance with MTN SA tax policy

Technology and Data

  • Ensure that the Tax Technology tool in use is configured, maintained and updated accordingly
  • Enable Tax Data Analysis
  • Oversee the automated end-to-end tax reporting process
  • Oversee the automated end-to-end tax compliance process

Stakeholder management

  • Drive the training and rollout of tax updates and policies that affect the respective regions.
  • Ensure the provision of timeous and accurate reports to governance structures
  • Ensure that input into legislative decision making is business led from the MTN SA team
  • Ensure timeous updates on Tax legislation to relevant stakeholders
  • Ensure that Reports(i.e. exposures, interest, et. al.) are automatically generated to MTN SA governance structures
  • Ensure workflow based support for SARS queries

International Tax

  • Ensure timeous file submissions for reporting
  • Ensure appropriate benchmarking is performed for transfer pricing purposes
  • Ensure accurate and timeous reporting of reportable irregularities
  • Reporting of reportable arrangements
  • Ensure automated Tax computation in respect of CFCs
  • Enable faster, standardised determination of Tax implications for cross-border transactions

Supervisory / Leadership / Managerial Complexity: Refers to the responsibilities for directing, guiding, motivating, and influencing others.

  • Recruit, develop and retain people with outstanding skills, qualifications, and potential
  • Define the divisional KPAs and KPIs that will be cascaded down to each area
  • Performance management and identification of training needs
  • Build talent by identifying and developing new leaders for the respective environment
  • Employee relations and collaborative teamwork
  • Coaching and guidance of subordinates
  • Build professionalism, loyalty, and commitment to the organization
  • Communicate actively and effectively resolving any potential conflicts that may arise
  • Display an understanding of the strategic nature of effective leadership in the organisation

Required Skills & Capabilities e.g.. teaching, report writing or specific skills/abilities such as computing or the ability to work without supervision

  • Expertise in Direct and Indirect Tax compliance and reporting
  • Experience in staff management peer management, and stakeholder management
  • Experience in working within the Tech, Media, and Telecoms Industry
  • Proficiency in Tax Strategy implementation
  • Understanding of Accounting for Tax
  • Knowledge of Tax Modelling
  • Ability to plan, organise and prioritise workload, including co-ordinating with others and ensuring that statutory and other deadlines are met.
  • To work as part of a part and independently to deliver a common goal or objective
  • Ability to deal with difficult situations and make decisions on the best course of action
  • Excellent computer skills including Microsoft Excel and Word
  • Strategic thinking (new risks and opportunities), problem solving, critical thinking and analytical skills.
  • Risk Intelligent
  • Proficiency in relationship building, networking, persuasion, and influential skills
  • Good technical, business, and global acumen. Future focused
  • Comfortable with ambiguity
  • Assertive
  • Storytelling
  • Innovative
  • Data analysis and visualisation
  • Technological expertise
  • Emotional intelligence
  • Negotiation, influencing and relationship building
  • Legal skills
  • Project Management

Key Deliverables

  • Execute governance and compliance models and frameworks in order to identify and manage risk liabilities.
  • Make recommendations for alignment of strategies and objectives according to knowledge gained from reports and analysis.
  • Ensuring efficient and effective tax internal controls are rolled out and consistently applied
  • Training and rollout of tax updates and policies that affect the organisation
  • Assist in the development of tax optimisation projects and implementation of tax strategies to ensure effective tax planning.
  • Enforcement and compliance of various tax legislation that affects all units within the organisation
  • Tax saving opportunities

Education:

  • Chartered Accountant or Admitted Attorney
  • Post graduate tax qualification (Masters in Tax)

Experience:

  • 8+ years in corporate, indirect, withholding tax, and international taxes
  • 6+ years in tax strategy implementation, planning support, and project management
  • Senior management track record of 5 years or more; with at least 3 years in relevant sector/ industry as per relevant role
  • Experience working in a global/multinational enterprise (understanding emerging markets advantageous)
  • Worked across diverse cultures and geographies
  • Large Corporate/commercial Tax and Accounting experience (at least 7-10) with last 3 years working with Exco/senior management.
  • Familiarity with Tax Compliance & Reporting tools
  • Solid presentation preparation to Board/ exco/senior management level

Behaviours and competencies (Qualified candidates for this important position will therefore need to demonstrate the following):

Head – Big Picture Focus (25)

Strategy Formulators – Formulates divisional strategies aligned to overarching strategies for execution

Decisive Problem Solver – Has the mental agility to understand complex business challenges and provide effective solutions through effective influencing

Innovative Value Creator – Creates an environment for commercial and enterprise innovation to maximize business impact

Heart – Emotionally Intelligent (35)

Culture and Change Champion – Drives ethical business practices by holding others accountable for demonstrating the MTN values and vital behaviours

Inspiring People Leader – Is self-aware and leads/coaches others to develop capabilities for realising individual potential

Relationship Builder – Collaborates across teams and builds networks and relationships with internal and external stakeholders

Hands – Results Focused (30)

Results Achiever – Produces sustainable enterprise results through ethical practices

Operationally Astute – Plans, organises and sets controls in place for delivery of strategies

Agility – to work in a matrix and complex environment where change happens at a rapid pace

Courage – to share ideas, think out of the box

Ownership – to see the bigger picture and take ownership by thinking and acting beyond the role

Analytical – able to break complex reporting into user stories and dashboards for end-users that drives decision making

Collaboration (Formal and Informal Relationships)

Responsibility towards:

  • Direct reports: SM: Direct Tax, SM: Indirect Tax, M: Direct Tax, Tax Technology Specialist
  • Matrix reports: n/a
  • Key customers: CFO
  • Key suppliers: IS; FinOps
  • Relations, etc.: Group functions, external and internal auditors IS; BI; BRM; MTN subsidiaries; Network Group; HR; Legal and Regulatory
  • May 30, 2025

  • Johannesburg

  • Permanent