Your new company An established and growing organisation within the education sector is expanding its in‑house tax function and is looking to appoint an experienced VAT professional. This newly created role sits within a collaborative finance team supporting a large and complex UK group. Your new role As In‑House VAT Manager, you will take ownership of the organisation's UK VAT compliance and advisory responsibilities, working closely with finance teams across the group. You'll also support the Head of Tax on wider tax matters and process improvement initiatives. Key responsibilities include: Preparing and submitting quarterly UK VAT returns, including annual Partial Exemption calculations Maintaining the Capital Goods Scheme register and preparing annual CGS adjustments Ensuring accuracy and integrity of VAT data through effective review processes and analytical review Acting as the first point of contact for VAT queries across the business Working closely with central finance teams and local stakeholders to ensure robust VAT records Maintaining internal VAT guidance and delivering training where required Supporting corporation tax compliance through data collation and finance system interrogation Assisting with process improvements from a tax perspective and supporting other tax projects Keeping up to date with VAT legislation and technical developments The role offers hybrid working and the opportunity to move to a four‑day working week following successful completion of probation. What you'll need to succeed To be successful in this role, you will have: A recognised accounting or tax qualification, or be qualified by experience Strong practical VAT experience Current UK VAT technical knowledge Advanced Excel skills and strong proficiency across Microsoft Office Experience working with large ERP systems for reporting and analysis Excellent analytical and problem‑solving skills The ability to work autonomously while building strong relationships across the business Experience managing competing priorities in both office‑based and remote environments A proactive, improvement‑focused mindset What you'll get in return In return, you'll receive a competitive salary of up to £65,000, flexible hybrid working and the opportunity to move to a four‑day working week following probation. You'll have the chance to shape a newly created role, gain exposure to a broad and interesting tax profile within the education industry and work within a supportive, professional environment that genuinely values work‑life balance. What you need to do now If you're interested in this VAT Manager role, click 'apply now' to forward an up-to-date copy of your CV, or call us now. If this job isn't quite right for you, but you are looking for a new position, please contact us for a confidential discussion about your career. Hays Specialist Recruitment Limited acts as an employment agency for permanent recruitment and employment business for the supply of temporary workers. By applying for this job you accept the T&C's, Privacy Policy and Disclaimers which can be found at hays.co.uk