unity-advisory - Senior Manager - R&D Tax (Technology & Science)
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Requirements
• Significant experience writing and reviewing R&D tax technical narratives, ideally gained in a top-tier, or specialist R&D advisory firm. • A strong scientific or technical background. A degree in a STEM discipline (computer science, engineering, physics, chemistry, life sciences, or similar) is highly desirable, or equivalent depth gained through hands-on R&D advisory experience. • Demonstrated ability to engage credibly with deeply technical stakeholders, distilling complex innovations into clear, structured, and HMRC-compliant narratives aligned to the DSIT Guidelines. • Strong understanding of HMRC’s definition of R&D for tax purposes, the competent professional test, the qualifying conditions, and the distinction between eligible and ineligible activities. • Intellectual curiosity and comfort working across multiple sectors and technologies, from software and data engineering to biotech, cleantech, and advanced engineering. • Excellent project management skills with the ability to manage multiple concurrent engagements and deadlines. • Exceptional written and verbal communication skills. • A genuine enthusiasm for AI and technology, with a willingness to adopt, experiment with, and help build AI-enabled advisory tools. You do not need to be a developer, but you should be excited by what AI can do for R&D technical delivery and keen to be part of shaping it. • Collaborative, entrepreneurial mindset with a genuine appetite to help build a next-generation advisory firm. • Working at Unity Advisory • We offer a hybrid and highly flexible working environment, centred around outcomes and impact. As a Senior Manager at Unity Advisory, you’ll be empowered to take ownership, drive innovation, and shape the future of R&D tax advisory in a firm that values modernity over legacy.
Responsibilities
• Lead technical discovery across client engagements, conducting in-depth interviews with engineers, scientists, product managers, and R&D leaders to surface qualifying activities. • Author and review compelling, HMRC-defensible technical narratives that clearly articulate the scientific or technological advance sought, the uncertainties faced, and why they could not be readily resolved by a competent professional in the field. • Apply the DSIT Guidelines and HMRC’s Guidelines for Compliance (GfC) to accurately assess qualification across a wide range of sectors, including software engineering, AI/ML, life sciences, materials science, electronics, and advanced manufacturing. • Critically evaluate whether client projects genuinely meet the threshold for an advance in overall knowledge or capability in a field of science or technology, rather than routine development or incremental commercial improvement. • Build and maintain deep domain expertise across key sectors, staying current with emerging technologies to credibly engage with technical stakeholders. • Work alongside the Tax & Costing team to ensure technical narratives and qualifying activities are fully aligned with the financial claim and AIF submission. • Support HMRC enquiry defence by preparing and presenting robust technical arguments and attending HMRC meetings as the technical lead. • Develop strong, trust-based relationships with senior technical stakeholders, including CTOs, Heads of Engineering, R&D Directors, and Chief Scientists. • Provide leadership, coaching, and quality assurance to junior team members on technical writing, interview technique, and sector knowledge. • Actively adopt, build, and improve AI-driven tools and workflows for technical discovery, narrative generation, and knowledge capture, in line with Unity’s culture of embedding AI across all workstreams. • Contribute to thought leadership, business development, and go-to-market strategy.
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