Regional Tax Manager

Together, Cognita schools provide a uniquely global education that goes beyond grades, developing academic excellence alongside adaptability, agency, and the positive attitudes that prepare young people to grow, thrive, and find success in a rapidly evolving world.

Cognita Middle East has 14 schools within its portfolio, including: RGS Guildford Dubai, Repton Dubai, Repton Al Barsha and Repton Abu Dhabi, Horizon English School, Horizon International School, Ranches Primary School and Al Ain English Speaking School in the UAE, Dasman Bilingual School in Kuwait, Downe House Riyadh and King's College Riyadh in Saudi Arabia, Downe House Muscat and Cheltenham Muscat in Oman, and King's College Doha in Qatar.

Job Overview

We are seeking a highly skilled Regional Tax Manager to leadand oversee all tax compliance, corporate tax, and VAT activities across ourMiddleEast operations. This role is pivotal in ensuring robust tax governancewithin a dynamic regulatory landscape, supporting statutory reporting, andengaging key stakeholders across the region and group level.

The successful candidate will be a technically strong taxprofessional with exceptional communication skills, proven experience managingmulti-entity structures, and the ability to drive continuous improvement acrosssystems, processes, and compliance frameworks.

What you'll do Tax Filings & Governance

• Lead and coordinate corporate taxregistrations, groupings, filings, and transfer pricing compliance for UAEand regional entities.
• Oversee end-to-end VAT compliance,including registrations, return submissions, process improvements, andautomation.
• Monitor and interpret regulatorychanges across the Middle East, implementing timely updates to policiesand procedures.
• Maintain and updateCountry-by-Country reporting checklists, ensuring full compliance withmultinational reporting standards.
• Develop and implement stronginternal controls and governance frameworks to mitigate tax risks.

External Audit & Reporting

• Serve as the primary liaison withexternal tax advisors and auditors, managing tax computations, transferpricing documentation, and audit inquiries.
• Ensure the accuracy and completenessof statutory financial statements in line with IFRS and internal policies.
• Prepare and review tax-relateddisclosure notes and schedules for group audit requirements.

Stakeholder Engagement

• Partner with Cognita and groupfinance teams to ensure alignment with global tax reporting and compliancerequirements.
• Provide technical tax guidance andtraining to internal teams to strengthen regional tax capability.
• Represent the region in group-leveltax discussions, supporting decision-making and implementation.
• Support tax due diligence foracquisitions and new entity setups, ensuring seamless integration intoexisting frameworks.
• Work closely with legal and financecounterparts to optimize the regional tax structure, identifyingefficiency opportunities and mitigating risks.
• Deliver regular updates, insights,and recommendations to senior stakeholders, including the Regional FinanceDirector.

Systems & Process Optimization

• Collaborate with finance teams toensure that systems (including NetSuite and NSPB) are fully aligned withtax governance and reporting requirements.
• Oversee the correct setup of newentities within financial systems, ensuring accurate tax data frominception.
• Lead tax automation initiatives toenhance accuracy, reduce manual processes, and improve scalability.
• Develop and continuously enhancefinance integration workstreams for new entities, driving consistency andprocess excellence.

What we're looking for Qualifications

• Professional qualification: ACA,ACCA, or CIMA.
• Strong technical expertise in IFRSand UAE/Middle East tax regulations.
• Proficiency with smart ERPsolutions, particularly NetSuite, NSPB, and advanced Excel skills.

Experience

• 10+ years of experience in financialreporting, audit, and tax compliance.
• Proven ability to managemulti-entity reporting and external audits in complex environments.
• Experience within the educationsector or a large multinational organisation is preferred.
• Excellent communication, analytical,and stakeholder management skills.

This is an exciting opportunity to influence and elevate taxgovernance across a growing regional footprint. You will be a key strategicpartner to senior finance leadership, driving compliance, efficiency, andinnovation in a fast-paced, international environment.

Cognita is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff, volunteers, and other third parties to share this commitment. Safer recruitment practices and pre-employment background checks will be undertaken before any appointment is confirmed.