Private Client Tax Director

Ideas | People | Trust

We’re BDO. An accountancy and business advisory firm, providing the advice and solutions entrepreneurial organisations need to navigate today’s changing world.

We work with the companies that are Britain’s economic engine – ambitious, entrepreneurially-spirited and high‑growth businesses that fuel the economy - and directly advise the owners and management teams that lead them.

We’ll broaden your horizons

Working hard and working together, our Tax team thrives on keeping busy. Friendly, driven and diverse, they service our clients across the country and around the world. By providing expertise in many different specialist areas of tax, they collaborate across BDO to deliver wider business solutions. From meeting clients’ evolving business needs to managing changes to legislation, there are always fresh challenges to face in the Tax team. If you’re after a career that will keep you on your toes, we’ll give you the autonomy to drive your career forward.

We’ll help you succeed

Leading organisations trust us because of the quality of our advice. That quality grows from a thorough understanding of their business, and that understanding comes from working closely with them and building long-lasting relationships.

You’ll be someone who is both comfortable working proactively and managing your own tasks, as well as confident collaborating with others and communicating regularly with senior managers, directors, and BDO’s partners to help businesses effectively. You’ll be encouraged to identify and draw attention to opportunities for enhancing our delivery and providing additional services to organisations we work with.

Role Overview

This role will provide strategic tax advisory and compliance services to a broad portfolio of private clients. As a Director, you will act as a trusted adviser and key point of contact for clients, delivering commercially focused solutions on complex tax matters while maintaining the highest standards of client service.

Working closely with Partners, you will provide significant support across client relationships, technical matters, business development and the wider leadership of the Private Client team.

You will play a leading role in growing the practice, identifying and developing new opportunities, strengthening existing client relationships and enhancing the firm's market presence.

You will also provide technical leadership on complex tax issues and be responsible for developing, mentoring and motivating a high-performing team.

Responsibilities

• Act as a key point of contact for clients, building trusted long-term relationships alongside Partners.
• Take overall responsibility for the delivery of client engagements, ensuring technical excellence, commercial awareness and outstanding client service.
• Lead on complex private client tax matters, providing practical and commercially focused advice.
• Act as a technical specialist within the practice, supporting Partners and the wider team on complex advisory issues.
• Manage a portfolio of clients, ensuring effective control of WIP, billings, recoverability and cash collection.
• Review work prepared by team members, ensuring quality, compliance and risk standards are maintained.
• Liaise with HMRC and other professional advisers where required.
• Identify technical, commercial and risk matters and work with Partners to develop appropriate solutions.
• Ensure assignments are completed within agreed budgets and timescales while maintaining service excellence.
• Actively identify opportunities to expand services and add value to clients.

Leadership and Management

• Provide significant support to Partners on client matters, practice leadership and strategic initiatives.
• Play an active role in the leadership and development of the Private Client team.
• Lead, coach, develop and motivate Managers, Senior Managers and junior team members.
• Support recruitment, retention and succession planning activities.
• Deliver technical training and share knowledge across the team.
• Conduct performance reviews and provide regular feedback and mentoring.
• Promote a collaborative, high-performing and client-focused culture.

Sales and Business Development

• Lead business development activity to support the continued growth of the Private Client practice.
• Identify and convert opportunities from both existing and prospective clients.
• Develop and maintain strong networks with professional advisers, intermediaries and referral sources.
• Lead or support proposals, pitches and presentations for new business opportunities.
• Promote cross-selling opportunities and champion the firm's wider service offering.

Communication and Representation

• Develop and maintain relationships with clients and stakeholders at a senior level.
• Act as a trusted adviser on technical and commercial matters.
• Collaborate with specialists across the firm to deliver integrated client solutions.
• Represent the firm externally through networking, presentations and business development activities.
• Consult with Partners and colleagues on complex technical and risk matters.

Requirements

• Degree educated and CTA, ACA or equivalent professionally qualified.
• Significant post-qualified experience within Private Client Tax.
• Strong technical expertise with experience advising on complex tax matters.
• Proven ability to manage and develop key client relationships.
• Demonstrable track record of supporting Partners and contributing to business growth.
• Strong commercial awareness and business development capability.
• Proven ability to lead, coach and develop high-performing teams.
• Excellent communication, relationship management and stakeholder engagement skills.
• Ability to drive improvements, champion change and lead complex projects and client engagements.

You’ll be able to be yourself; we’ll recognise and value you for who you are and celebrate and reward your contributions to the business. We’re committed to agile working, and we offer every colleague the opportunity to work in ways that suit you, your teams, and the task at hand.

At BDO, we’ll help you achieve your personal goals and career ambitions, and we have programmes, resources, and frameworks that provide clarity and structure around career development.

We’re in it together

Mutual support and respect is one of BDO’s core values and we’re proud of our distinctive, people-centred culture. From informal success conversations to formal mentoring and coaching, we’ll support you at every stage in your career, whatever your personal and professional needs.

Our agile working framework helps us stay connected, bringing teams together where and when it counts so they can share ideas and help one another. At BDO, you’ll always have access to the people and resources you need to do your best work.

We know that collaboration is the key to creating value for the companies we work with and satisfying experiences for our colleagues, so we’ve invested in state-of-the-art collaboration spaces in our offices. BDO’s people represent a wealth of knowledge and expertise, and we’ll encourage you to build your network, work alongside others, and share your skills and experiences. With a range of multidisciplinary events and dedicated resources, you’ll never stop learning at BDO.

We’re looking forward to the future

At BDO, we help entrepreneurial businesses to succeed, fuelling the UK economy. Our success is powered by our people, which is why we’re always finding new ways to invest in you. Across the UK thousands of unique minds continue to come together to help companies we work with to achieve their ambitions

We’ve got a clear purpose, and we’re confident in our future, because we’re adapting and evolving to build on our strengths, ensuring we continue to find the right combination of global reach, integrity and expertise. We shape the future together with openness and clarity, because we believe in empowering people to think creatively about how we can do things better.