Head of Taxation

The Trust is a large and complex charity but the basic model upon which it runs is simple – we provide people with access to beautiful or historic places that provide physical and spiritual refreshment; people join the Trust, visit and donate money; and that money is invested in conservation and access. It is a virtuous circle. The more income we generate, the more we are able to spend on the places in our care and to pursue our wider plans.

Strong and sustainable finances are central to the success of an organisation whose core purpose is to protect special places for everyone, forever. Leading our tax compliance is a key aspect of the strong and careful financial stewardship needed. Our small tax team does this for all aspects of the Trust’s tax policy, from VAT to Corporation Tax, Gift Aid to Business Rates, the numbers are large and the opportunities are huge to make a significant difference to our charitable cause and to work on exciting and impactful projects making a lasting difference to the nation’s heritage.

We’re bigger than you think, we’re more complicated than we appear and we’re larger scale than you’d imagine. We’ve got passionate people in all our teams, and we’ve got so much more we want to achieve. We’re for ever, for everyone and we really mean that. We don’t want to stop at 5.5 million members and we want everyone to feel welcome and enjoy access to our places, so we need to reach new audiences in ways that are meaningful and relevant to them without losing the hearts and minds of those that are already with us.

Your contractual location will be our head office in Swindon and there will be an expectation for you to attend the office. However, there is flexibility on where you are based at other times. You will be required to work at a National Trust location for 40-60% of your working week. This will be discussed in more detail at interview.

As Head of Tax, that’s where you come in. You’ll work senior stakeholders across the business to develop policy as legislation changes and to ensure that tax compliance is strong and is applied in a way that is efficient.

The post holder will act as a leading internal expert on taxation matters across a wide array of exciting projects, embedding tax considerations in business cases, system and process changes.

This is an excellent opportunity to contribute in a significant way to one of the UK’s largest charities and Europe’s largest conservation organisations.

You can view the full role profile for this role in the document attached. You don't need to have all the knowledge, skills and experience listed in the role profile; this is just to provide a full picture of what is possible in this role, we’d love to hear from you if you have:

• A proven background as a Chartered Tax Adviser.
• Sector-leading knowledge of current tax legislation, HMRC regulations and technical policy documents.
• Experience of leading on tax affairs for large charities.
• The ability to debate, negotiate and influence at a senior level, both internally and externally.
• A well-developed communication skills, both written and oral and an ability to explain complex issues i

The National Trust has the motto ‘For everyone, for ever’ at its heart. We’re working hard to create an inclusive culture, where everyone feels they belong. It’s important that our people reflect and represent the diversity of the communities and audiences we serve. We welcome and value difference, so when we say we’re for everyone, we want everyone to be welcome in our teams too.

•Substantial pension scheme of up to 10% basic salary

•Free entry to National Trust places for you, a guest and your children (under 18)

•Tax-free childcare scheme

•Rental deposit loan scheme

•Season ticket loan

•EV car lease scheme 

•Perks at work discounts such as gym memberships, shopping discount codes, cinema discounts

•Holiday allowance up to 32 days relating to length of service, plus holiday purchase scheme, subject to meeting minimum criteria.

•Flexible working whenever possible

•Employee assistance programme

•Free parking at most Trust places

Click here to find out more about the benefits we offer to support you.