Manager - Tax Reporting & Forecasting

Since its creation in 2014, Harbour has grown to become one of the world’s largest and most geographically diverse independent oil and gas companies.  Today, Harbour is producing between 475,000 and 485,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day with significant production in Norway, the UK, Germany, Argentina and North Africa. Harbour benefits from competitive operating costs and resilient margins, and a broad set of growth options including near-infrastructure opportunities in Norway, unconventional scalable opportunities in Argentina and conventional offshore projects in Mexico and Indonesia. With low GHG emissions intensity and a leading CO2 storage position in Europe, Harbour remains committed to producing oil and gas safely and responsibly to help meet the world’s energy needs. Harbour is headquartered in London with approximately 5,000 staff and contractors across its operations and offices. 

Ours is an inclusive workplace where individuals can bring their whole selves to their job and feel recognised for the value they add. We are committed to creating a genuinely inclusive and supportive working environment to ensure everyone has a positive experience at work.

At Harbour Energy, we aim to recruit, retain and promote our people based on their unique skills, regardless of race, gender or background. We need excellent people to help shape and develop the future of our company. Could this be you?

If so, we want to hear from you.

Location - London or Aberdeen 

Purpose of Role:

• Functional leadership for reporting processes and capability across the group. 
• Manage the group consolidation of tax for group reporting and reporting purposes 
• Determine and implement the groups tax accounting policies 
• Ensure that group external results and forecasts reflect correct amounts in respect of taxation, free of error or omission and that Harbour
• Energy’s statutory financial statements and market releases reflect correct amounts and disclosures in respect of taxation. 
• Manage the relationship with external auditors for tax matters and investor relations internally 
• Strategic management of the Group’s effective tax rate, group uncertain tax positions and contingent liability disclosures and ensuring optimisation of tax attributes.

Critical Responsibilities: 

Ensure that all activities are carried out in a safe manner complying with all regulatory requirements, legislation and Harbour Energy HSES Procedures

Ethics and Compliance Responsibilities:

Ensure that all activities and behaviours are carried out in accordance with Harbour Energy’s Ethics and Compliance Policies and Procedures, and to complete any compulsory compliance training as required.

Areas of Accountability, Responsibility and Competence:

• Develop, implement and document appropriate tax accounting policies across the group. 
• Ensure alignment of tax policy across local GAAPs and IFRS where possible. 
• Identify, implement and continually enhance processes and systems for tax consolidation and disclosures. 
• Ensure robust control framework over tax reporting and forecasting processes both at corporate and BU level. 
• Assure business unit processes and models for tax accounting and forecasting processes. 
• Strategic management of the Group’s effective tax rate. 
• Standardise tax reporting and forecasting outputs from the business units. 
• Provide assurance over the tax reporting and forecasting outputs from the business units 
• Oversight of tax risks relevant to reporting and forecasting and positions taken on uncertain tax issues 
• Ownership of relationship with external auditor tax team 
• Review of material statutory accounting tax provisions across the group. 
• Development of appropriate procedures to allow real time oversight of true ups to previously reported tax positions. 
• Approval of material cash tax payments. 
• Implement appropriate processes to track cash tax payments. 
• Work with tax compliance team to optimise Harbour’s Pillar 2 position. 
• Unsure appropriate group wide process for the consistent assessment of deferred tax positions. 
• Ensure alignment between tax forecasting processes and forecasts in the corporate model. 
• Develop strong working relationships with business unit tax reporting and forecasting teams.
• Strong interactions and working relationships both within the Tax function and with the wider Harbour Finance teams. 
• Proactively monitor, report and adopt changes in legislation, accounting standards and FRC pronouncements which impact tax provisioning, reporting and forecasting. 
• Management of annual review of tax attributes to ensure a tax optimised position (e.g. ensuring effective relief for decommissioning.  
• Assure tax regimes used within the corporate model to ensure accurate forecasting of tax 
• Work with Investor Relations to ensure sound, reliable and consistent public messaging re: Harbour tax position 
• Input into sponsorship documents for M&A processes. 
• Input into tax accounting for strategic acquisitions. 
• Share insights gained from reporting and forecasting with other teams within tax to ensure overall tax position optimised. 
• Management, development, and training of individuals involved in the tax reporting process including line manager responsibility. 
• Any other reasonable duty as per instruction by your manager.

Critical Skills, Qualifications, Experience, etc:

• Degree qualified or equivalent.
• Qualified Chartered Accountant and/or Chartered Tax Advisor. 
• A high level of IFRS tax governance 
• Experience of advising on and executing complex transactions. 
• Experience in reviewing earnings data for UK upstream activity, identifying issues, and framing an appropriate control and risk management environment (including SOX). 
  Detailed SAP expertise preferable. 
• Tax system development experience preferred and/or attitude and ability to embrace and own a tax accounting system. 
• Working knowledge of general corporate law and its application. 
• Able to correctly and competently handle complex tax matters of high value, and able to delegate complex advice. 
• Strong commitment to technical excellence and drive to get advice correct
• Ability to clearly articulate complex tax matters to a range of internal and external audiences. 
• Able to work under pressure and meet deadlines. 
• High commercial awareness of value drivers, where required, a strong negotiator. 
• Desire to develop people and provide active leadership on difficult or contentious matters. 
• Financial numeracy/literacy a pre-requisite. 
• Awareness of Harbour Energy HSEQ Policies and Business Management System (BMS) 
• Awareness of Harbour Energy Values & Business Principles

Inclusive recruitment is a vital part of our diversity, equity and inclusion strategy. Whatever your background, if you feel you need an adjustment during our selection process to suit your needs, please let us know, and we will be happy to help.