Research and Development Manager – Tax Audit Firm (JHB Illovo) at BDO South Africa

Description

• The Research & Development (R&D) Manager will serve as a strategic advisor within the firm, leading initiatives that enhance tax methodologies, optimize data-driven decision-making, and support innovation in compliance and incentive strategies. This role requires a blend of technical expertise, business analysis, and leadership to drive projects that strengthen organizational efficiency and client outcomes.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Advisory & Leadership

• Act as a trusted advisor to senior leadership, providing insights on tax innovation, grant strategies, and incentive programs.
• Manage multi-level projects across departments, ensuring alignment with corporate strategy and compliance objectives.
• Lead stakeholder engagement and cross-functional collaboration to support business growth and audit excellence.

Research & Development Initiatives

• Review and evaluate R&D incentive client projects and assist with applications, supporting write-up, submissions, annual monitoring and reporting.
• Design and implementation of R&D initiatives focused on improving tax methodologies, compliance frameworks, and data integrity.
• Develop standards and processes to enhance communication and efficiency between clients, IT, tax, and business teams.
• Oversee data migration, transformation, and integration projects to ensure accuracy and timeliness in reporting.

Data & Analytics

• Collaborate with senior management to ensure data quality across multiple systems (SAP, SQL, ETL tools).
• Provide analytical insights to guide strategic initiatives, compliance improvements, and tax audit innovation.
• Draft and review technical reports, ensuring outputs align with funding, compliance, and audit objectives.

Project & Change Management

• Manage concurrent projects, ensuring delivery excellence, adherence to timelines, and compliance with change-management principles.
• Lead preparation of materials, presentations, and communication content for leadership and client meetings.

Training & Mentorship

• Facilitate training sessions for internal teams to enhance understanding of tax processes and compliance requirements.
• Mentor junior analysts and consultants to build organizational capacity in R&D and audit innovation.

Role Overview

Requirements
Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or master’s degree in accounting, Finance, Business Analytics, or Information Technology.
• 7+ years of experience in IT consulting, business analysis, or data management within audit, tax, or compliance environments.
• Strong expertise in:
• Data tools: SQL, SAP, ETL, UATs
• Project tools: Jira, Visio
• Presentation tools: PowerPoint, Canva
• Data analysis & reporting: Excel
• Proven track record of managing complex projects and delivering strategic outcomes.
• Excellent communication, stakeholder management, and leadership skills.

Core Competencies

• Strategic thinking and problem-solving
• Strong analytical and data management skills
• Project and change management expertise
• Ability to cultivate networks and foster collaboration
• High integrity and confidentiality in handling sensitive information