Tax Incentives, R&D Senior Associate, Financial Services

About the role

We are looking for an R&D Tax Senior Associate to join our Financial Services Tax Innovation & Capital Incentives (ICI) team. The ICI team has a wide range of clients across all areas of financial services including insurance, banking, fintech, payment companies, asset management and many more.

We advise businesses on HMRC incentives including Research & Development reliefs, Patent Box claims and Capital Allowances claims which are effective tools to reward their innovation & technological development. Our aim is top quality client experience delivering in a way that differentiates us from our competitors.

Whilst we are focused on financial services, we operate across multiple offices as part of a wider national network. Our team includes individuals with experience across general tax, audit and industry backgrounds, all bringing different skills, qualities and perspectives to ensure that we are delivering an exceptional service to our clients. The role will be client facing from the outset and you will be typically expected to start building effective working relationships with your clients from day one including leading communications yourself. Relevant R&D incentives and client experience are therefore essential.

As a Senior Associate in our team, you will be involved in a wide variety of projects, predominantly covering R&D tax incentives, working as an integral part of engagement teams and taking ownership of defined workstreams.

You will be encouraged to take ownership of your development, with support to build your technical knowledge, seek varied project experience and remain familiar with the latest HMRC guidance and legislation. Within our team, legislation and guidance are only part of the picture: you will develop through practical application, coaching and increasing responsibility. We actively encourage you to be inquisitive, ask questions, contribute in meetings and apply your learning to client work from the outset.

What your days will look like:

- Delivering high-quality work across R&D tax incentive projects, taking ownership of defined workstreams and escalating issues appropriately
- Building effective client relationships by managing day-to-day queries, coordinating information requests, contributing to meetings and communicating progress clearly
- Working closely with Managers and Senior Managers to support client relationships, project planning and delivery against agreed scope, quality standards and deadlines
- Using our AI tools to support day-to-day activities, including preparing formal reports for numerical claims filed with HMRC, drafting project technical summaries that explain clients’ innovation, and analysing claim data and the application of relevant rules
- Supporting the development of junior colleagues by sharing knowledge, reviewing defined aspects of their work and providing constructive coaching
- Identifying opportunities to add value for clients by connecting their needs with the wider tax team and other teams across the Firm
- Contributing proactively to business development activity, including research, proposal preparation and follow-up for existing clients and new targets

- Coordinating effectively with multiple stakeholders, including colleagues across the Tax Markets, and maintaining clear records of actions, dependencies and deadlines

This role is for you if:

- You have a sound understanding of the R&D regimes and practical experience in preparing R&D claims, including developing claim workings, participating in client technical calls and drafting supporting documentation
- You can demonstrate strong interpersonal skills that enable you to build credibility with clients and collaborate effectively with our team and the wider tax team at PwC
- You possess the ability to lead yourself, work independently on defined tasks, exercise sound judgement and seek guidance at the right time
- You have a passion for client service and the confidence to engage professionally with client stakeholders at different levels of seniority
- You have strong organisational skills and the ability to balance work across several clients, priorities and internal and external stakeholders
- You have a strong track record of clear, accurate and persuasive written communication, with close attention to detailas well as excel and analytical skills sufficient to understand, prepare and explain the numerical aspects of claims
- You possess a professional tax qualification (e.g., CTA, ACA, ACCA, or an international equivalent) or have equivalent work experience. This includes international candidates who qualify through experience in their home country

What you’ll receive from us:

No matter where you may be in your career or personal life, our benefits  are designed to add value and support, recognising and rewarding you fairly for your contributions.

We offer a range of benefits including empowered flexibility and a working week split between office, home and client site; private medical cover and 24/7 access to a qualified virtual GP; six volunteering days a year and much more.