Area Tax Director

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The Position

The Group Tax and Insurance (FS) department bears Roche's global responsibility for tax matters. The Basel-based team consists of over 20 specialists who handle all tax-related matters for the Roche Group.

The Opportunity

Due to an upcoming retirement, an exciting opportunity has opened up for an Area Tax Director to join our team in Basel. As the Area Tax Director, you will lead and oversee the Tax function across assigned geographical areas, being fully accountable for the strategy and operations within this area. As a member of the Group’s Tax & Insurance Leadership Team, you will also co-own the ongoing development and execution of the broader departmental and group-wide tax strategy. In addition, you will spearhead a thematic area within our responsibility. You will be responsible for the entire lifecycle of the Tax function, including managing related financial impacts. This includes defining, developing, and executing the vision, strategy, strategic objectives, and plans with applicability across all divisions and functions within the Group, ensuring the proper execution of the global strategy of the function. Your responsibilities include defining, establishing, and implementing governance frameworks for Tax, while ensuring their seamless application across the organization. You will enable effective solutions for cross-border transactions, spanning planning, documentation, and execution. During external audits from competent authorities, you will coordinate with local teams and serve as the primary contact for Roche’s approach within the assigned areas. You will foster business partnerships at local and global levels by leveraging expertise gained through interaction with the business community. You will ensure alignment of local strategies with functional objectives, provide timely risk reports, and establish risk provisions for Group reporting purposes. Furthermore, you will lead and develop high-performing teams within the Tax function, ensuring the functional efficiency of this area. By embodying Roche’s Finance Framework, mindset, and behaviors, you will drive operational excellence and align with Roche’s cohesive vision.

Key Responsibilities:

• Oversee the Tax function across assigned global and regional areas, being responsible for both strategy and operational execution.
• Manage the entire lifecycle of Tax operations, including evaluating and addressing related financial impacts.
• Define, establish, and implement governance frameworks for Tax, ensuring alignment with global strategy and compliance across the organization.
• Enable effective solutions for cross-border transactions, ensuring proper planning, documentation, and execution.
• Build and maintain relationships with tax authorities and business associations to advocate for business-friendly solutions.
• Lead the response to external audits from competent authorities, coordinating local teams and determining strategic approaches.
• Align local and global business strategies by fostering partnerships across teams and ensuring functional objectives are met.
• Provide proactive risk reports and develop risk provisions in accordance with Group reporting requirements.
• Lead and manage the Tax team, fostering their growth, developing their skills, and ensuring efficient and effective operation of the function.
• Live and promote Roche’s Finance Framework, mindset, and behaviors as an integral part of the company’s vision.

Who you are

You are an experienced and results-oriented finance professional specializing in Tax operations. You demonstrate exceptional strategic thinking, leadership capabilities, and operational expertise in managing complex tax environments. The ideal candidate will have:

• A master’s or equivalent advanced degree in Law, Economics, Finance, Business Administration, or a related field.
• Further professional certifications in tax or finance such a certified tax expert degree from Switzerland or another country is required.
• Extensive experience in leading Tax functions at the regional or global level, including strategy development and operational oversight.
• Strong expertise in planning, documenting, and executing cross-border transactions, ensuring compliance with applicable tax regulations.
• Proven ability to define, implement, and monitor governance frameworks, ensuring alignment with both global strategy and local compliance requirements.
• Demonstrated experience managing relationships with tax authorities and other key external stakeholders to secure business-friendly outcomes.
• Furthermore, you have a strong track record of effectively coordinating and driving responses to external audits and regulatory inquiries.
• You possess exceptional leadership skills, including selecting, developing, and evaluating talent to build high-performing teams.
• You have the ability to work collaboratively across multiple levels, fostering alignment between local operations and global objectives.
• You possess a deep understanding of financial impacts and risk management in the Tax domain, including timely reporting and risk mitigation strategies.

Join our Tax team in Basel, apply now!

Who we are

A healthier future drives us to innovate. Together, more than 100’000 employees across the globe are dedicated to advance science, ensuring everyone has access to healthcare today and for generations to come. Our efforts result in more than 26 million people treated with our medicines and over 30 billion tests conducted using our Diagnostics products. We empower each other to explore new possibilities, foster creativity, and keep our ambitions high, so we can deliver life-changing healthcare solutions that make a global impact. Let’s build a healthier future, together.

Roche is an Equal Opportunity Employer.