Deputy Director Excise & Environmental Taxes

There are six Deputy Director-led teams within BTILA (Business Tax & International Legal Advisers). Our work spans a broad range of business tax and international matters, including corporation tax, VAT, environmental taxes and excise, customs, business rates advice to the Valuation Office Agency, and international trade. Our lawyers advise on legislation, support HMRCs operational delivery, provide policy advice to HMRC and HM Treasury, and work closely with ministers and legal colleagues across government.

The main areas covered by the Environmental Taxes work include, Fuel duty, Aggregates Levy, Air Passenger Duty, Climate Change Levy, Landfill Tax, Plastic Packaging Tax and the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism. The areas covered by the Excise work, include, Alcohol duty, Gambling duties, Tobacco duties, and the new Vaping Products duty. This is a new team bringing excise and environmental together and there is an opportunity to shape the vision and direction of the team.

The work attracts stakeholder interest and plays an important role in supporting HMRCs wider strategic objectives. The team regularly provides advice to Ministers, HMRCs Commissioners and senior governance boards, requiring clear, practical and legally robust analysis.

You will work closely with policy and operational areas across HMRC, HM Treasury and other government departments, as well as colleagues across Legal Group and the wider Government Legal Profession. You will join BTILA leadership team alongside me and the other Deputy Directors. You will be a part of the wider team leading the advisory function (this is BTILA and the directorate advising on cross cutting and personal tax areas) as well as being a member of the Legal Enterprise Leadership Group.

Working across our five regional centres, we take a strategic approach to leadership, resourcing, risk management, capability building and professional development, while maintaining a strong commitment to diversity, inclusion and employee wellbeing.

• Leading the provision of timely, high quality, risk-based advice on public law, excise and environmental taxes to key stakeholders in HMRC and HM Treasury, facilitating creative and practical solutions that meet client priorities.
• Delivering effective primary, secondary and tertiary legislation required to make changes to the excise duty and environmental taxes regimes.
• Forming and managing highly effective working relationships with key stakeholders in HMRC and externally.
• Leading a team of 12 lawyers.
• Overseeing the allocation of work and resources to ensure effective delivery within available funding, meeting changing client needs through accurate management and reporting.
• Providing inspiring, confident and empowering leadership that is inclusive, supporting staff to improve their skills and performance, and offering support to career development.
• Contributing to the development and sharing of legal knowledge and capability and best practice across the team, Legal Group and HMRC, and wider government.
• Contributing to the effective management and development of the directorate and advisory function as well as the wider leadership of Legal Group and enterprise leadership in HMRC.
• Promoting the use of digital tools, including the use of AI, and a new advisory case management system.

• Excellent legal professional skills with knowledge and experience in delivering legal services, and the ability to command the confidence of senior officials and Ministers.
• Capability to lead and manage a team of lawyers: setting direction; managing performance, finance and risks; and embracing innovation to improve service delivery and value for money.
• Strong people leadership skills: promoting a diverse and inclusive workplace, alongside developing capability and professionalism.
• Demonstrable ability to work collaboratively and influence other senior leaders across HMRC Legal Group, HMRC, the Government Legal Profession and external stakeholders.
• Ability and enthusiasm to deliver the business of the legal group and to act as an enterprise leader.

Desirable criteria:

• An understanding of and some experience of the work of Government, including primary and secondary legislation.
• Experience and knowledge of tax and the tax system.