VAT & Indirect Tax Advisor

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.

Purpose of Role:

• Own the detailed preparation, reconciliation and technical support for recurring VAT and indirect-tax processes across the Mexico BU.
• Ensure VAT positions are supported by complete accounting, CFDI, payment, contractual and materiality evidence and are consistent with applicable Mexican tax requirements.
• Provide specialist indirect-tax support to Compliance, Tax Controversy, AP, Treasury, Procurement, Accounting and Cost Recovery.

Critical Responsibilities (MAE/MATTE/HSES*):

• Ensuring 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.
• Ensure that tax analyses, filings, calculations, workpapers and representations are accurate, complete, properly supported and consistent with approved tax positions. Escalate potential non-compliance, errors, omissions, conflicts of interest or control failures.
• Protect confidential tax, financial, legal and commercial information and conduct interactions with tax authorities, auditors, advisers, suppliers and internal stakeholders professionally and ethically.

Areas of Accountability, Responsibility and Competence:

VAT Determination and Reconciliation

• Prepare monthly VAT determinations and supporting workpapers.
• Perform accounting-to-tax VAT reconciliations and investigate differences.
• Analyse input VAT, output VAT, VAT withholding and creditability requirements.
• Analyse importation of services, virtual VAT and other self-assessed VAT mechanisms.
• Maintain VAT roll-forwards, balance controls and supporting evidence.

Evidence, CFDI and Transaction Testing

• Review VAT creditability requirements and supporting documentation.
• Perform cross-checks between CFDIs, payments, contracts, accounting records and tax returns.
• Assess evidence of materiality and support audit-ready VAT files.
• Coordinate resolution of VAT-related CFDI issues with AP and Accounting.
• Support hydrocarbon complements and partner VAT reporting where VAT treatment or evidence is relevant.

Special Transactions and Oil & Gas Support

• Analyse VAT treatment of special transactions, foreign services, temporary use or enjoyment, reimbursements, recharges and operational arrangements.
• Provide indirect-tax input to procurement, contracting and Cost Recovery assessments where tax treatment affects recoverability or evidence.
• Support IAEEH and other indirect-tax processes as assigned, coordinating operational data with relevant functions.
• Coordinate with AP, Treasury, Procurement and Cost Recovery to ensure transaction flows and tax evidence are aligned.

VAT Refund Support

• Prepare the underlying VAT reconciliations, evidence packs and transaction-level support required for VAT refund claims.
• Provide technical and documentary input to the Tax Supervisor for SAT information requests and refund controversy matters.
• Maintain traceability of refund support from accounting and CFDI data through to filed VAT positions.

Governance and Reporting

• Maintain documented procedures and controls for VAT determinations and reconciliations.
• Report recurring errors, aged reconciling items and material VAT exposures to the Tax Compliance Team Lead.
• Support external and JV audits with VAT evidence and explanations within the scope of the role.
• Monitor legislative, regulatory and business developments relevant to the role and recommend required process changes.
• Prepare periodic status reporting to the Tax Manager / functional lead on deliverables, risks, open items and upcoming deadlines 

Critical Skills*, Qualifications, Experience, etc.:

Technical Skills:

• Strong knowledge of Mexican VAT, VAT withholding, importation of services, CFDI and creditability requirements.
• Strong reconciliation and transaction-testing capability using accounting and tax data.
• Working knowledge of oil & gas partner billing and indirect-tax documentation preferred.
• Proficiency in SAP, Excel and tax-data extraction/reconciliation tools.

Non-Technical Skills:

• High attention to detail and evidence discipline.
• Strong coordination skills across AP, Treasury, Procurement, Accounting and Cost Recovery.
• Ability to explain VAT positions clearly and escalate exceptions promptly.

Professional Experience:

• Experience in VAT/indirect tax compliance or advisory in a multinational, Big Four or similar environment.
• Experience supporting VAT refunds and tax authority information requests preferred.

Education:

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Tax, Finance or a related field.
• Tax specialisation preferred.

Language:

• English: Working proficiency or above.
• Spanish: Proficient / native-level.

Harbour Principles and Values:

• Strong alignment with and commitment to the core values and behaviours of Harbour Energy.

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.

For further information or support on any of these points, please reach out to us at careers@harbourenergy.com