Senior Director, Tax Counsel - Europe

Job Description Summary:

Position Overview:

This role offers significant ownership over day‑to‑day tax matters, meaningful exposure to audits and controversy, and the opportunity to partner closely with business and finance leadership on complex cross‑border issues. This position is ideal for a self‑directed, business‑minded tax professional who combines deep technical grounding with the executive presence required to influence senior stakeholders and navigate tax authorities across multiple jurisdictions.
Function Related Activities/Key Responsibilities:

Regional Tax Leadership & Operations

• Serve as the go‑to tax partner for European business and finance teams, providing practical, commercially informed tax advice across day‑to‑day operations.
• Own regional tax matters with a high degree of autonomy, including audits, planning initiatives, and operational tax issues.
• Regularly review and advise on legal entity structures, capitalization, and regional operating models.
• Address day‑to‑day tax questions from legal, finance, and operational stakeholders across Europe.
• Review local statutory financial statements and tax returns, partnering with internal teams and external advisors as appropriate.
• Participate in local and regional finance leadership forums as the tax voice for the business.
• Maintain strong relationships with counterparts in the Coca-Cola bottling organizations, outside advisors, and various governmental authorities.

Tax Planning

• Monitor and develop overall tax strategies and positions in light of the Company’s current and prospective business.
• Provide tax-related advice for M&A and other strategic Company transactions, including structuring, due diligence, execution, and post-acquisition integration planning. 
  • Develop strategies for creating tax efficiencies in structuring transactions. 
  • Oversee the tax aspects of strategic planning and implementation of transactions, including assistance with creating legal entities and other necessary matters in accordance with legal and operational requirements.
  • Draft, review, and negotiate tax provisions in contracts associated with acquisition, dispositions, and post-acquisition integration.
• Identify, analyze, quantify, and properly document FIN 48 tax reserves, while also supporting regional associates analyzing specific tax-related FAS 5 reserves.
• Review ongoing and new business activities and provide advice on the tax consequences, risks, and opportunities in the context of evolving and complex U.S. and foreign tax systems. 
• Review requests for authorization of capital projects and other material transactions.
• Work with foreign developmental agencies and tax authorities regarding inbound investment projects and opportunities for investment.  
• Proactively work with colleagues in the Tax Department, the Controller’s Group, and Treasury to ensure that the tax implications of transactions in Europe are properly accounted for and described in quarterly financial statements and tax filings.   
• Assist with local transfer pricing documentation requirements, DAC6 compliance, as well as any local country-by-country reporting requirements.
• Draft, review, and negotiate tax provisions in a variety of contracts including procurement and intercompany contracts.

Tax Controversy

• Proactively liaise with the U.S. audit team on legal and factual issues that impact future audits and support the U.S. audit team during the eventual audit of those issues.
• Actively manage tax audits in European jurisdictions, including strategy development, drafting responses, identifying appropriate documents and data in response to requests from foreign tax authorities, and coordinating internal and external resources.
• Participate in discussions with foreign tax officials to negotiate resolutions.
• Coordinate with Transfer Pricing team in negotiating Mutual Agreement Procedures and Advance Pricing Agreements.
• Assist the Senior Tax Counsel – Europe in preparing for litigation on foreign tax issues with the assistance of local outside counsel. 

Legislative/Regulatory

• Monitor and analyze the tax cost or benefit of European corporate and indirect tax legislation (including the implementation of OECD and UN initiatives in Europe) that may impact the Company.
• Partner with government affairs, public policy, and external advisors on relevant legislative and regulatory developments.
• Support responses to discriminatory or high‑impact tax proposals affecting the business.

Education Requirements:
J.D. degree (or foreign law equivalent) required
Related Work Experience:
Minimum of six years’ experience in international tax practice, preferably at a law firm, Big 4 Accounting Firm, in‑house tax role at a multinational, and/or government
Functional Skills:

• Knowledge of U.S. international tax principles – both corporate and indirect, as well as transfer pricing regulations and principles
• Ability to work with outside advisors to understand and apply foreign tax principles
• Tax research proficiency
• Writing and verbal skills for clear and often persuasive communications
• Aptitude for proactively identifying tax issues and opportunities and creatively thinking on how to resolve the issues

LEADERSHIP SKILLS

• Executive presence to meet with and explain to senior management a variety of matters including, but not limited to, M&A transactions and litigation matters.
• Proven self‑starter who operates effectively without close supervision.
• Strong judgment and comfort managing ambiguity in a complex, highly visible environment.
• Ability to influence through relationships and credibility rather than formal authority.
• Curiosity about the business and motivation to understand how tax considerations intersect with commercial reality.
• Generate new or unique solutions and embrace new ideas that help sustain our business.
• Tact and negotiation skills necessary to resolve tax conflicts with U.S. and foreign governments
• Develop and leverage relationships with internal and external stakeholders.

Skills:

Pay Range:

Base pay offered may vary depending on geography, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. A full range of medical, financial, and/or other benefits, dependent on the position, is offered.

Annual Incentive Reference Value Percentage:

Annual Incentive reference value is a market-based competitive value for your role. It falls in the middle of the range for your role, indicating performance at target.

Long-term Incentive Reference Value Percentage:

Long-term Incentive reference value is a market-based competitive value for your role.

Location(s):

City/Cities:

Travel Required:

Relocation Provided:

Job Posting End Date:

Our Purpose and Growth Culture:

We are taking deliberate action to nurture an inclusive culture that is grounded in our company purpose, to refresh the world and make a difference. We act with a growth mindset, take an expansive approach to what’s possible and believe in continuous learning to improve our business and ourselves. We focus on four key behaviors – curious, empowered, inclusive and agile – and value how we work as much as what we achieve. We believe that our culture is one of the reasons our company continues to thrive after 130+ years. Visit Our Purpose and Vision to learn more about these behaviors and how you can bring them to life in your next role at Coca-Cola.