Associate Director - Personal Tax

Location: Hybrid / Stratford, London, UK
job type: Permanent / Full-time
Sector and subsector: Tax & Practice General Practice
Salary: Negotiable salary

Affinia is the UK's fastest growing purpose led, purpose built Accountancy firm, focused on building stronger, more valuable relationships. With over 1000 colleagues across the East, South East, London and the Midlands, we are dedicated to supporting our clients, colleagues and communities.

We advise businesses, public sector organisations, charities and individuals throughout the UK and internationally across six Service Lines - Accounts Solution, Taxation, Audit & Assurance, Corporate Finance, Payroll and Corporate Recovery, supported by centralised enabling functions spanning People, Finance, Marketing, Business Support, IT, Risk and Corporate Development. Our team also offers in depth sector expertise across a number of sectors, ensuring our clients receive the best short to medium and long term advice, tailored to them.

We are committed to delivering excellence in every aspect of our work, adapting to the evolving technology and regulatory landscape while consistently exceeding client expectations.

Our people are our most valuable asset. We are therefore committed to supporting our colleagues throughout their professional development, providing guidance and training at whatever stage of their career they join us.

Purpose of the role

As an Associate Director within our expanding Tax service line, you will help lead a high value client portfolio, delivering strategic, compliant, and commercially successful services. You will act as a key advisor to clients, supporting business development efforts and identifying opportunities to add value. Internally, you will oversee and mentor Managers and Senior Managers, role model the firm's values, and contribute to service line strategy, operational projects, and change initiatives. You'll take ownership of process improvements, risk management, and cross location collaboration, while supporting the Director or Service Line Head in achieving team and firm wide objectives.

You will be supported in your role with line management and leadership training as well as CPD access via Tolley's, Croner i, Mercia and LinkedIn Learning as required. Together with your line manager you will craft a development plan that sees you succeed in your role and plan for the next step should you wish to take it.

Accountabilities

You will be required to manage a comprehensive and complex client list, provide line and performance management and make a significant contribution to ongoing growth of a successful Private Client tax practice. You will have a direct contribution to the development and achievement of building the practice and will be required to build and maintain relationships with third parties, such as trustees, wealth managers and more. You will be expected to advise clients in connection with their tax affairs and onboard them to the team to offer bespoke advice. You should already be working as an experienced senior manager and looking to develop your role considerably through technical advice, client management and business development.

Client and Portfolio Leadership

• Lead service delivery for a portfolio of high value or technically complex clients, ensuring timely, high quality, and compliant output.
• Experience of working with our target clients such as family owned, SMEs and not purely large corporate clients.
• Act as a trusted advisor to clients, providing strategic, commercially sound advice and proactively identifying opportunities to add value.
• Maintain strong client relationships through regular contact, effective communication, and a deep understanding of client needs.

Commercial and Financial Management

• Monitor WIP, billing, and recovery rates across your portfolio, taking proactive action to maximise profitability and manage overruns or scope creep.
• Identify potential tax risks and cash savings opportunities, and support initiatives to manage the risks or realise the opportunities.
• Meet targets for billable hours, utilisation, and portfolio profitability, ensuring jobs are delivered within agreed budgets and timeframes.
• Contribute to fee discussions, service scoping, and pricing strategy in collaboration with Directors and Partners.

Strategic and Operational Contribution

• Contribute insights to the development of service line and group strategy, particularly in any areas of specialism or market knowledge.
• Support Directors and Service Line Leaders (SLLs) on strategic initiatives and internal planning projects.
• Take ownership of service line projects, driving outcomes that support operational efficiency, quality, or growth.
• Stay informed on market trends, competitor activity, and emerging client needs to inform service line positioning.

People Leadership and Culture

• Provide ongoing guidance and structured development opportunities to junior team members, particularly Managers and Senior Managers.
• Act as a role model for firm values and behaviours, fostering a culture of collaboration, accountability, and continuous improvement.
• Conduct or support performance appraisals, 1:1s, and feedback processes to drive individual and team growth.
• Champion diversity and inclusion within the team, promoting open, honest, and two way communication across locations.

Process Improvement and Change

• Identify and lead process improvements that enhance service efficiency, quality, or client experience.
• Support the adoption and implementation of new technology or systems, advocating for smarter ways of working.
• Embrace and help deliver change projects within the service line or wider group.

Risk Management and Compliance

• Ensure all services are delivered in line with firm quality standards, ethical policies, and regulatory requirements.
• Manage risks associated with client engagements, including reputational, legal, and compliance risks.
• Proactively identify and elevate internal risk incidents or concerns in line with firm protocols.

Business Development and External Profile

• Support Directors and SLLs with business development activities including proposals, pitches, and client onboarding.
• Identify and act on cross selling or upselling opportunities within your client portfolio.
• Represent the firm at industry events, networking opportunities, and speaking engagements, contributing to the firm's public profile.

Professional skills/qualifications

• CTA qualification or an equivalent professional tax qualification.
• Ideally 10+ years in practice with demonstrable experience managing large or complex clients.
• Experience and ability to assist in managing the KPIs such as Chargeable Time, Recoveries, Utilisation and Gross Margin and take the necessary actions to improve the performance where needed.
• Track record in commercial portfolio management, billing oversight, and client retention.
• Strong leadership and coaching skills, including mentoring Managers and future leaders.
• Strategic thinker with the ability to contribute to business planning and change initiatives.
• High level communication and interpersonal skills, with credibility to represent the firm.

Core Benefits

Auto enrolment Pension Scheme with True Potential

Death in Service

Professional membership support

Paycare - claim money back for Dental / Optical / Professional Therapies

Dress for your Diary Policy

Please note that this job profile is not an exhaustive list of duties but merely an outline of the key components of the role. You may be required by your line manager to take on additional responsibilities when requested.

Affinia is committed to being an Equal Opportunity Employer. Our policy is unequivocal: we do not tolerate discrimination based on age, disability, sex, race, religion, or belief, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy, or maternity, or sexual orientation. We pride ourselves on being an inclusive organisation that actively promotes equality of opportunity for all, valuing the right mix of talent, skills, and potential. We welcome applications from a diverse range of candidates, and selection for roles is based solely on individual merit.

Affinia will use the personal data you provide for recruitment purposes, including assessing suitability, communicating with you, arranging interviews, and completing pre employment checks. Our lawful bases include contractual necessity, legal obligations, and our legitimate interests in managing recruitment.