Assistant Manager – Alternatives Funds, Tax

Introduction 

The KPMG Alternatives team provides high-quality and impactful tax advisory and compliance services to the Alternative Investment Fund sector. This includes private equity, hedge funds, credit funds and real estate funds.

Due to our ongoing growth, we have a number of job openings for exceptional candidates. This posting is for a role focussed on Alternative Funds tax and would be well suited to a driven and motivated candidate with experience in the Alternative Investment Funds sector, or someone with a keen interest in developing this as a specialism. We are also hiring for other roles across the Alternatives tax team – see separate postings.

Key responsibilities

As an Assistant Manager, your responsibilities will include:

• Preparing tax advice on a wide range of UK and international tax matters relevant to the Alternative Funds sector, including UK corporation tax and partnership tax matters. This will require undertaking detailed technical research of legislation, case law and HMRC manuals. If you don’t have a background in Alternative Investment Funds, we will support you in learning about the sector and applying your existing UK corporation tax and partnership tax knowledge.
• Reviewing corporation tax and partnership tax returns that have been prepared by team members, identifying any errors or changes, and getting them ready for final review and sign-out.
• Attending client meetings and calls, including playing an active role in the discussion of tax technical topics.
• Interacting with HMRC, including by telephone and letter.
• Build long-term trusted client relationships with the clients that you are aligned to. This will include understanding the client’s business and pro-actively think about their needs, in order to identify other KPMG services that they may benefit from.
• Working collaboratively with other members of the Alternatives team in the UK, as well as with other KPMG offices globally. Adapting your style and approach when needed in order to achieve the best possible outcome.
• Supporting the team with business development initiatives, which may include researching potential clients, preparing flyers or other marketing material, and preparing for seminars and in-person events.

Relevant skills and experience for this role

The successful candidate will be able to demonstrate all of the following attributes:

• Qualified as a Chartered Accountant (CA or ACA), Chartered Tax Advisor or solicitor (or international equivalent).
• Career drive to develop a specialism in Alternative Funds taxation and to be part of a fast-growing, high-performing Alternatives tax team.
• Positive approach to personal development and motivation for progression to Manager grade and beyond, as your experience and knowledge develops.
• Track record of delivering high-quality corporate tax advisory and compliance services to clients. Experience in Alternative Investment Funds sector is preferred, but this is not essential.
• Ability to manage competing deadlines by planning ahead and prioritising, and communicating effectively with colleagues and clients, including when under pressure.
• Strong level of UK corporation tax knowledge and the ability to communicate complex rules and ideas in a simple way, both verbally and in writing.
• Delivers written work to a consistently high standard, with a strong attention to detail.

Why choose KPMG?

At KPMG you can be a part of something big and are welcome to

At KPMG, our values define who we are and the way we do business. As a leading professional services firm, we know that our strength and capability comes from our people – their different perspectives, experiences and backgrounds. From our inclusive leadership strategy to our diversity and inclusion targets – we’re making bold changes to who we are and what we do. Be part of it.

KPMG’s Innovation Reliefs and Incentives team is made up of tax, engineering, science and technology specialists delivering expert advice to a broad range of clients across almost every industry sector. As one of the largest teams in the industry, our continued investment in innovation advisory means that we seek engineers, scientists and tax professionals to join us on the next exciting phase of our growth.

Our team works with clients from owner managed business, to large multinational organisations, and we are looking for an Assistant Manager with a strong financial, accounting and tax background to assist clients across a suite of innovation advisory services including R&D tax Credits, Patent Box, R&D Allowances, Grants and Innovation Advisory services. This is an excellent opportunity for someone with an Honour/ Post Graduate Degree in finance, accounting and tax or other related discipline that either has industry financial experience or working knowledge of the R&D tax legislation.

The EPM capability within our Corporate Services and People Consulting business specialises in delivering large scale Techno-Functional transformation initiatives and supporting CFOs/ CXOs on a wide range of issues. Over the last few years, we have established a reputation as the leading provider of top-quality consulting and technology delivery services. Our teams are recognised by our clients for the depth of industry and functional expertise they bring combined with our practical and innovative technology capabilities. As a result of our strategy and strong pipeline of exciting projects, we are looking to grow our EPM capability. We are looking for candidates who bring a combination of technology skills and business acumen, possess the ambition and potential to become future leaders of our EPM consulting business. This is an exciting time to be part of growing business.

In Corporate Services & People, we improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the business functions (Strategy, Customer, Finance, People, Operations) and generate real insights to help deliver value to the business. Our mission statement is to create a sustainable practice which is recognized as being number one in the industry. 

Our Enterprise Performance Management practice is a priority area for significant and strategic growth and the team works with leading Sectors and Markets, focusing on understanding the core issues and opportunities, in order to deliver technology led value-adding change across their functions.

Role Overview

At KPMG, you will bring your industry knowledge and technology experience to map customer business challenges to Microsoft AI Business Solutions, shape end-to-end transformational journeys, and deliver real business value to our clients. The core element of the role is to drive new business in Central Government clients through collaborating with the broader firm, owning the Microsoft alliance within the sector and leveraging your industry connections to identify new opportunities and building partnerships to overseeing bids and ensuring successful delivery. This role requires a blend of strategic vision, operational excellence, and a deep understanding of the public sector landscape.

As part of this role, you will lead our teams, and coach and mentor junior members in their own career progressions whilst contributing to our overall go-to-market activities through building the KPMG brand and being visible as a leading advisor within our clients, the market, and our alliance partner Microsoft. You will also be a key part of the governance layer within the practice ensuring compliance and quality is at the heart of our sales approach.

This role is crucial in shaping the sales and pre-sales strategy, delivering high-impact presentations, and demonstrating the value of solutions to potential clients. The Director will also play a key role in building and maintaining strategic relationships with key stakeholders, both internally and externally.

You will be responsible for driving revenue growth and market share within the public sector, predominantly Central Government, focusing on Microsoft solutions and services within the AI Business Solutions pillar. This is a critical role for our firm, and we are looking for a proven leader with a strong track record of success in selling complex solutions to the Public Sector.

Key Responsibilities

Develop and Execute Strategy:

• Create and implement a comprehensive business development strategy for Central Government, aligning with organisational goals and market trends. Achieve and exceed individual and team sales and business origination targets through leading the end-to-end sales process, ensuring profitability and client satisfaction

Market Intelligence:

• Conduct market research to identify trends, competitor activity, and emerging opportunities, ensuring the business remains agile and responsive. Align the market opportunity, Microsoft technology and KPMG capability to define relevant market propositions and continually adapt our offering and GTM approach. Own the go-to-market strategy and orchestrate the creation of relevant propositions and assets to drive pipeline. Delivering c compelling content and proposals to potential clients.

Pipeline Generation:

• Identify, qualify, and pursue new business opportunities within Central Government departments and agencies, building a robust pipeline to achieve growth targets. Lead on sales excellence, identifying opportunities for improving pre-sales processes, tools, and methodologies to enhance efficiency and effectiveness.

Stakeholder Engagement & Collaboration:

• Build and maintain strong relationships with key government stakeholders, industry partners, and internal teams to position the organisation as a trusted advisor. Collaborate with other teams within KPMG, including delivery, marketing, and technology. Particularly in large scale transformation programmes (typically greater than £2m) where your role will be to lead and augment bid teams.

Thought Leadership:

Actively participate in industry events, conferences, and networking opportunities to build brand visibility and generate new leads by proactively positioning KPMG as a trusted advisor to capitalise on new growth areas

Performance Management:

• Set clear performance goals for your direct business development team to align to the business strategy. Drive business and team success through the implementation and management of this, identifying opportunities for improvement and acceleration. Support this through providing coaching and feedback, and foster a culture of excellence, innovation, and collaboration.

Market Intelligence:

• Conduct market research to identify trends, competitor activity, and emerging opportunities, ensuring the business remains agile and responsive. Align the market opportunity, Microsoft technology and KPMG capability to define relevant market propositions and continually adapt our offering and GTM approach. Own the go-to-market strategy and orchestrate the creation of relevant propositions and assets to drive pipeline. Delivering c compelling content and proposals to potential clients.

Governance and Compliance:

• Ensure all business development activities adhere to internal governance, quality standards, and public sector procurement regulations. Lead on risk processes and model leading practice to the team.

The Person

• Extensive experience in business development sales, with a proven track record of winning and delivering complex deals in the public sector, ideally Central Government. Demonstrative sales experience working in large matrix organisations with senior stakeholders from either large consulting organisations or system integrators to develop pipeline leveraging alliances and strategic partnerships.
• Strong understanding of government procurement processes, frameworks, and compliance requirements.
• Passionate about talking to clients on current technology issues and market direction and seeks collaborative ways of working with both clients, technology alliances and KPMG teams.
• Strategic thinker with creative problem-solving skills and the ability to navigate ambiguity. Exceptional leadership and people management skills, with a proven ability to lead, motivate, and develop high-performing teams.
• Strong strategic planning skills, with the ability to develop and execute innovative sales strategies
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to articulate complex ideas clearly and persuasively.
• Deep knowledge of Microsoft technologies and how these align to client challenges in complex digital transformation programmes.
• Flexible and resilient – this team works at a fast pace, so you will be priority focused, detail-conscious, dedicated, and able to work calmly under pressure and be adaptable

Certifications and Education

• Bachelor's degree in business administration, marketing, or equivalent
• Proven experience in sales, with a track record of success in selling Microsoft solutions to the public sector
• Strong understanding of the public sector landscape and the challenges and opportunities faced by government agencies
• Deep knowledge of data analytics and related technologies, including cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and machine learning
• Excellent communication, presentation, and negotiation skills
• Proven leadership ability, with a track record of building and motivating high-performing teams.