Tax & Customs Manager Sub-Saharan Africa at Siemens

Role Headline

• The Tax Manager role covers Siemens’ tax and customs matters in South Africa and designated Sub-Saharan African countries, including legal entities, branches, permanent establishments, and cross-border project activities. The incumbent is responsible for the design, roll out and ongoing optimization of a 'One Tax Function' covering all Siemens’ activities within Sub-Saharan Africa.
• The Tax Manager role collaborates with, and is supported by, Siemens internal tax experts and external tax advisers.

Responsibilities of the Role

• Management of Tax / Customs Compliance and Reporting for Siemens in Sub-Saharan Africa: Ensure compliance with tax / customs laws and complete, correct and timely submission of all Tax / Customs Returns as well as payment of taxes / duties. Responsible for complete, correct and timely tax reporting to Siemens AG.
• Provide oversight of customs and trade-related tax matters, including import/export compliance, customs valuation, tariff classification, rules of origin, duty optimization, documentation, customs audits, and coordination with logistics and supply-chain teams.
• Effective Tax Risk Management: Identify, assess and proactively manage the tax governance across jurisdictions with differing levels of regulatory maturity. Lead responses to tax audits and assessments, disputes, objections and litigation.
• Review, manage and optimize Siemens’ effective tax rate, tax liabilities and receivables, deferred tax and tax losses where applicable.
• Strategic Planning and Optimization: Provide appropriate planning to create value within an agreed risk framework and to ensure Siemens business can be conducted efficiently and effectively whilst being fully compliant with tax and customs laws. Manage and optimize tax and customs advice for Business and M&A (investments and disposals) including cross-border activities.
• Leadership: Lead and manage the Sub-Saharan Africa Tax & Customs team including budget responsibility, performance management, support and guidance, personnel training and development. Develop the assigned team through training, clear guidance and development and implementation of standardized processes.
• Stakeholder & External Management: Manage external advisors to ensure cost‑effective, high‑quality support. Engage with regulators, auditors, and advisors with credibility and authority. Represent tax and customs matters at regional governance forums as required.

Qualifications and Experience

• Tertiary Qualification in Law, Finance or Accounting with a specialization / focus on Tax
• Profound knowledge in Tax of South Africa and experience in Sub-Saharan Africa countries (e.g. Kenya, Ghana, Tanzania) comprising direct, indirect and international tax matters, which has been developed in a tax advisory firm or in-house tax function.
• 10+ years' working experience covering tax advisory, tax compliance and tax reporting aspects.

Attributes and skills

• High motivation, excellent communication skills, decision making skills, growth mindset, openness to work in international environment, ability to coordinate.
• Strong experience and interest for how technology and systems can support internal control effectiveness and efficiency
• Strong analytical skills including the ability to spot, assess and address risk, materiality and interdependencies and translate it into impact analysis for the financial reporting and recommendations for improvement
• Strong management abilities to manage a team of professionals including mentoring, development, and performance management.
• Strong communication skills presenting internal control and risk matters in an understandable way across various forums and levels of the organization with the right level of detail.
• Excellent organizational and interpersonal skills, and ability to work as part of a multi-geographic team.
• Must be professional/articulate and able to communicate at all levels of the organization.
• Must be organized and focused (deadline Driven)