About the Role:

We are hiring for a rapidly growing, new-age tax & advisory firm looking to strengthen its Direct Tax leadership team. Were looking for an experienced Senior Manager - Direct Tax who combines deep technical expertise with strong client management, team leadership and commercial acumen.

What youll be responsible for:

Tax Advisory, Litigation & Delivery:

- Lead multiple Direct Tax engagements through teams and ensure high-quality delivery within demanding timelines.

- Advise clients on complex Direct Tax matters.

- Lead tax engagements and effectively manage teams handling submissions, assessments and appellate hearings before the CIT(A) and Tribunals.

- Drive tax risk management and assurance processes while ensuring strict adherence to established SOPs.

- Oversee departmental chargeability and utilisation.

- Undertake planning and technical research as required.

- Review complex partnership, HNW individual and related tax returns.

Client & Commercial Management:

- Take ownership of client relationships and ensure consistently high-quality outcomes across engagements.

- Lead fee negotiations and discussions around the scope of work across the client portfolio.

- Undertake relevant Business Intelligence and remain abreast of industry best practices across Direct Tax.

- Maintain awareness of developments in technical transfer pricing solutions and policies.

- Build the firm's market visibility and strengthen client experience through strong, independent relationships.

- Build and maintain effective relationships with tax authorities, business and functional heads, local and international tax teams and external service providers.

Leadership, Business Development & Team Management:

- Develop and mentor the immediate line of managers and build a strong culture of ownership and performance.

- Train managers to identify new business opportunities and cross-selling opportunities across the firm's wider service offering, supported by strong internal and external networking.

- Act as a custodian of quality and delivery across the Direct Tax practice.

- Mentor the team and ensure compliance across all aspects of Direct Taxation.

- Manage, develop, train and mentor professionals across projects.

- Assess team performance across tax engagements and year-end provisions.

- Collaborate with internal teams to provide advice across local and global jurisdictions.

What were looking for:

- A qualified Chartered Accountant with 8+ years of post-qualification experience.

- Deep expertise in Direct Taxation, Indian and International Tax laws and relevant industry best practices.

- Basic knowledge of allied regulations including FEMA and the Black Money Act (BMA).

- Strong financial and/or statistical analytical capability.

- A highly client-focused approach with strong commercial awareness.

- A well-developed industry network and demonstrated ability in business acquisition.

- Strong negotiation and influencing skills.

- Excellent mentoring, leadership, decision-making and interpersonal abilities.

- Strong communication skills with the ability to clearly articulate and cascade the firm's vision and values across teams.

- High professional integrity and strong ethical standards.