Manager - Accounting & Taxation

Role - Manager - Accounting & Taxation | India

Driving intelligent tax strategies and flawless compliance as a forward-deployed solver (fds) by architecting a resilient tax framework and ensuring every decision aligns with business outcomes.

Role Description:

You are a proactive, indispensable partner to Searce's leadership, deeply embedded in our financial and operational strategy. This isn't just about filing returns or managing audits; it's about being a Tax Strategist who preempts risks, optimizes tax structures, and acts as a force multiplier for Searce's financial health and growth.

You'll be a Directly Responsible Individual (DRI) for orchestrating all direct & indirect tax activities for the India region. You will ensure meticulous compliance, manage complex litigations, and serve as a critical advisor, enabling Searce to navigate the intricate tax landscape with confidence and efficiency.

Let's be clear: this role demands more than just technical knowledge. It requires a keen business acumen, an analytical mindset to identify opportunities, and the proactive drive to implement value-generating tax strategies. You'll solve challenges before they arise, operate with a process-first mindset, and contribute directly to our ability to solve differently for our clients and our organization.

If you're a meticulously organized, analytical professional with a strategic brain, an unwavering commitment to compliance, and the ability to amplify financial impact — you're exactly who we're looking for.

You're not just a tax manager; you're a Compliance Architect.

Responsibilities:

(A) Strategic Tax Planning & Optimization:

• Take accountability for tax outflow, implementing strategies for estimation, forecasting, and optimization to align with business goals.
• Research and recommend tax-efficient structures, including restructuring, and advise on cross-border transactions and overseas operations.
• Identify tax savings and proactively suggest ways to increase profitability while maintaining compliance.

(B) Compliance & Litigation Management:

• Lead and manage all direct & indirect tax compliances for the India region, including the filing of corporate income tax returns and other annual compliances.
• Own and oversee all litigations, assessments, and notices, drafting appeals and submissions to be filed before various tax authorities.
• Represent Searce before tax authorities such as CIT(A), DRP, and ITAT, and manage all related liaisoning activities.

(C) Transfer Pricing & Intercompany Oversight:

• Manage intercompany transactions among Searce entities from a Transfer Pricing (TP) standpoint.
• Conduct in-depth analysis of TP issues, and lead the preparation of TP reports, Form 3CEB, and other required documentation.

(D) Research & Advisory:

• Conduct extensive research on Domestic Tax, International Tax, FEMA, and Companies Act to stay ahead of regulatory changes.
• Provide expert advice and strategic guidance to leadership on new and existing tax laws, ensuring all business decisions are tax-efficient and compliant.

Functional Skills:

Analytical Architect: Breaks down complex tax laws and financial data to design robust, compliant, and optimized tax strategies.

Compliance Custodian: Manages all regulatory filings and deadlines with meticulous attention to detail, ensuring zero-defect execution.

Litigation Strategist: Navigates the legal landscape with precision, drafting persuasive submissions and representing the company with confidence before tax authorities.

Value-Driven Researcher: Goes beyond surface-level research to find genuine opportunities for tax savings and revenue enhancement.

Process-First Driver: Thinks systematically to streamline tax workflows, identifies inefficiencies, and implements process improvements that enhance accuracy and speed.

Leadership Multiplier: Mentors and guides a team, amplifying their capabilities and ensuring collective excellence in tax management.

Skills:

Direct Tax, Indirect Tax, Transfer Pricing, Tax Litigation, Tax Advisory, Tax Planning, FEMA, Companies Act, Financial Management, Team Leadership, Analytical Skills, Attention to Detail.

Tech Superpowers:

Data-Fluent Navigator: Proficiently uses financial and tax software to extract, analyze, and synthesize large datasets for strategic tax planning and compliance.

Automation Evangelist: Identifies manual, repetitive tax processes and champions the implementation of automation tools to reduce human error and increase efficiency.

Predictive Modeler: Leverages forecasting and modeling tools to project tax outflows and simulate the financial impact of different tax strategies, providing data-backed recommendations.

Tech-Informed Litigator: Utilizes legal and tax databases to conduct extensive research, ensuring submissions are backed by the latest case law and legislative changes.

Experience & Relevance:

Tax Pedigree: A Chartered Accountant with around 7 years (post qualification) of proven work experience in a similar industry role, demonstrating a strong foundational understanding of direct taxation.

Leadership Acumen: Prior experience leading and mentoring a team of 1-3 members, demonstrating the ability to manage and develop talent.

Compliance Command: Exhibits a track record of successfully managing end-to-end tax compliance for a corporate entity, including direct handling of litigations.

Strategic Mindset: Proven ability to not only manage compliance but also to identify and implement tax-saving strategies that contribute to profitability.

Bonus Points:

Action-Oriented Solver: Exhibits strong ownership, drives diligent execution, and demonstrates a clear bias for achieving real-world financial impact.

Impactful Contributor to Transformation: Has played a pivotal role in delivering tangible outcomes within a tax or finance transformation project, contributing effectively beyond theoretical concepts.

Passion for Solving Differently: 0→1, 1→10: Understands and has actively contributed to the lifecycle of building and scaling tax frameworks, from inception (0→1) to significant adoption and growth (1→10).

You default to Solve, not posture; Deliver, not debate; Impact over optics and solving for real financial outcomes over we've always done it this way.