Director of Tax and International Finance

At the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, we work with political leaders around the world to drive change. We help governments turn bold ideas into reality so they can deliver for their people. We do it by advising on strategy, policy and delivery, unlocking the power of technology across all three. And by sharing what we learn on the ground, so everyone can benefit. We do it to build more open, inclusive and prosperous countries for people everywhere.

We are a global not-for-profit organisation, operating in more than 40 countries across five continents. Our teams include political strategists, policy experts, delivery practitioners, technology specialists and more. We speak more than 45 languages and are working on over 100 projects, tackling some of the world’s biggest challenges. We’re all here at TBI to make a difference.

In a world of ever more complex challenges, we believe diversity of background and perspective is a strength. We pride ourselves on a culture that values and nurtures difference. We are dedicated to unlocking potential, not only for the countries we work in but also for each of our team members. No matter where you’re from or who you are, if you’re passionate about the transformative power of progressive politics, we invite you to build a better future with us.

Reporting directly to the Chief Financial and Operating Officer, the Director of Tax and International Finance will provide senior leadership and strategic direction across TBI’s Tax, International Finance and Travel teams. The role will develop the direction for these areas, strengthen governance and controls, and ensure high-quality delivery through the teams it leads.

TBI has a complex international tax and finance footprint arising from the breadth of its operations, the number of jurisdictions in which it works and the range of tax, statutory and compliance obligations that follow. The Director will ensure that TBI has a sustainable, well-controlled and proactive approach to managing these obligations and the associated financial risks.

A key priority will be to continue maturing the operating model: moving beyond core compliance and reactive issue management towards stronger risk management, clearer accountability, better use of data and systems, more resilient regional support and greater value to the wider organisation.

The role will also provide senior finance leadership during periods of Finance change, working closely with the Financial Controller and other Finance leaders to ensure clear ownership, effective hand-offs and appropriate segregation of duties across Tax, International Finance and related processes.

The role is expected to evolve with TBI’s needs. The principal responsibilities are set out below.

Key Responsibilities

Tax

• Develop and deliver TBI’s overall tax strategy, governance and risk management framework, ensuring tax implications are considered appropriately as TBI’s geographic footprint and activities evolve.
• Provide senior oversight of UK and international tax matters, including corporation tax, VAT and other indirect taxes, employment taxes, withholding tax and transfer pricing, working closely with HR, Legal, Payroll and Finance colleagues where responsibilities intersect.
• Ensure proportionate tax controls, review processes, documentation and segregation of duties are embedded across key tax processes.
• Oversee the preparation, review and timely submission of key tax filings and tax accounting outputs, with clear accountability between Tax and Financial Control for preparation, review and approval.
• Manage relationships and risks with HMRC and overseas tax authorities, including audit readiness, enquiries and responses.
• Provide strategic advice on tax implications of new country entry, organisational change, cross-border arrangements and other significant business decisions.
• Reduce reliance on external advisers where appropriate by building internal capability, ownership and institutional knowledge, while using specialist advice where it adds value or mitigates material risk.

International Finance

• Lead the International Finance team, providing strategic direction, technical support, escalation, people leadership and a strong connection into the wider Finance function.
• Own the control environment and risk oversight for regional finance activity across MENACA, APAC, the Americas and Africa, setting clear standards and expectations for regional teams.
• Oversee key International Finance outputs, including balance sheet reconciliations, bank payments, month-end deliverables and other material control activities, with review and approval calibrated to risk.
• Be accountable for the effective coordination of local statutory accounts, audits, direct and indirect tax compliance, withholding and payroll taxes, transfer pricing disclosures and new-country finance requirements, working through regional finance managers and external advisers as appropriate.
• Strengthen central oversight of regional finance activity, reducing key-person dependency and improving resilience, documentation and continuity of local knowledge.
• Work with FP&A, Financial Control and regional teams to clarify roles, responsibilities, hand-offs and escalation routes, supporting a well-run global Finance function.
• Ensure alignment across tax, statutory reporting, transfer pricing, intercompany arrangements, treasury-related processes and group audit requirements.

Travel

• Lead the Travel Team, ensuring effective, service-oriented and well-controlled travel operations, including policy compliance, supplier management, duty-of-care support and reporting.
• Improve travel management information, spend visibility, policy compliance, exception management and the performance management of travel suppliers and the travel management company.
• Work with relevant stakeholders to ensure travel policy and processes remain proportionate, practical and aligned with TBI’s global operating model.

Leadership, Controls and Transformation

• Lead continuous improvement across Tax and International Finance, working closely with Financial Control, Operational Finance, AP, Payroll, HR, Legal, Technology and regional teams.
• Identify opportunities to simplify processes, reduce manual intervention, improve workflows and strengthen the quality, consistency and accessibility of tax and finance data.
• Drive effective use of Workday and other technology, including appropriate AI-enabled solutions, with a focus on strong underlying processes, controls and data quality.
• Develop clear management information and risk reporting that enables senior stakeholders to understand material tax, international finance and travel risks, trends and priorities.
• Build capable, engaged teams with clear objectives, accountability, development plans and succession resilience.
• Raise the profile of Tax, International Finance and Travel as proactive, pragmatic and value-adding partners to the wider organisation.

Person Specification

The successful candidate will be able to demonstrate:

• Substantial senior leadership experience spanning tax and finance in a complex international organisation.
• Strong technical knowledge of UK and international tax, with the judgement to identify, assess, prioritise and manage risk across multiple tax areas and jurisdictions.
• Significant experience of international finance, including statutory reporting, audit, local compliance and the operation of finance teams across multiple jurisdictions and regions.
• A strong understanding of financial controls, governance, risk management and process improvement, with experience strengthening operating models and control environments.
• The ability to operate strategically while remaining sufficiently close to the detail to identify risk, challenge effectively and drive delivery.
• Experience of finance systems and data-led process improvement, with a practical understanding of how technology and automation can improve finance operations.
• Strong stakeholder management and influencing skills, with the credibility to work effectively across Finance, HR, Legal, Payroll, Technology, regional teams and senior leadership.
• A strong track record of leading and developing teams through change, providing clarity, continuity and direction while building capability and accountability.
• Pragmatic commercial and professional judgement, with the ability to balance risk management, operational delivery, cost and organisational context.
• Excellent communication skills, including the ability to explain complex tax and finance matters clearly and succinctly to non-specialists and senior decision-makers.
• A proactive, improvement-focused mindset and a track record of moving functions from reactive compliance delivery towards more mature, insight-led and value-adding models.
• A recognised professional accountancy qualification; a recognised tax qualification would be advantageous.

Desirable

• Experience working in a not-for-profit, international development, government advisory or other mission-led organisation.
• Experience with Workday or a comparable global finance system.
• Experience leading finance transformation, automation or AI-enabled process improvement.
• Experience overseeing travel operations, travel compliance, duty of care or supplier management.

Closing Date: