General Manager | MTN Careers

MTNs purpose is to enable the benefits of a modern connected life to everyone. The MTN Group Strategy is anchored in building the largest and most valuable platform business with a clear focus on Africa.

This rests on a scale connectivity and infrastructure business – mobile and fixed access networks in the consumer, enterprise and wholesale segments.

Within the changing tax, financial, regulatory and governance environment the GM: Transfer Pricing is responsible for must therefore ensure successful delivery in the context of:

• Diversifying telco-to-techo landscape
• Constant dynamics and local challenges in the economic, regulatory and legal environments and evolving industry ecosystems
• Evolving tax practises and standards across multiple jurisdictions
• Achieving top quartile operating efficiency and effectiveness through scale and common policies and processes
• Driving growth through business intelligence and standardization to maximize business impact
• Multi geographic landscape and cultural context
• Management of demanding customer and supplier expectations
• Enhancing MTN reputational position as a leading secure, reliable and safe network and system provider at OpCo level
• To assist the MTN Board and EXCO in protecting the assets, reputation and sustainability of the organisation for MTN to accomplish its objectives

We at MTN are a purpose and value-led organisation. At MTN, we believe that understanding our people’s needs and aspirations is key to creating experiences that delight you at work, everyday. We are committed to fostering an environment where every member of our Y’ello Family is heard, understood and empowered to live an inspired life.

Our values keep us grounded and moving in the right direction. Most importantly, they keep us honest. It is not something we claim to be. It is in our DNA.

As an organisation, we consider it our mission to create an exciting and rewarding place to work, where our people can be themselves, thrive in positivity and ignite their full potential. A workplace that boosts creativity and innovation, improves productivity, and ultimately drives meaningful results. A workplace that is built on relationships and achieving a purpose that is bigger than us. This is what we want you to experience with us!

Our commitments go beyond an organisational promise. It is in our leadership and managerial ethos to meaningfully partner with our employees, customers and stakeholders with a vision to realise our shared goals.

Live Y’ello

• Lead with Care
• Can-do with Integrity
• Collaborate with Agility
• Serve with Respect
•  Act with Inclusion

The General Manager Group Transfer Pricing is responsible to achieve the following objectives:

Strategy Implementation and Advisory

• Drive the enterprise-wide Transfer Pricing Strategy, Mandate and Policy. Responsible for maintaining, reviewing and cascading the Group Policy to ensure alignment with regional transfer pricing law and legislations.
• Develop and provide input to maintain and update market specific transfer pricing policy and guardrails.
• Evaluate cross-border transactions as they impact the respective markets and recommend appropriate transfer pricing and tax applications.
• Provide functional support and advisory services to business leaders on Transfer Pricing matters.
• Advise and oversee tax optimization and value-added strategies based on regulatory and legislative changes, market studies and business operations dynamics for operating companies/entities.
• Design and implement consistent methodology to monitor Inter- Company Profit and segmenting P/L to satisfy arm’s length transfer price requirement as per tax regulations pursuant to various tax jurisdictions.

Operational Delivery

• Proactively monitor impact assessments and subsequent tax plan adjustments based on factors including, micro-macro environmental variables, business market conditions, regional / country specific tax regulation and international tax laws.
• Interface with external auditors and tax accounting teams on tax provisions and financial statement matters, including disclosures as it relates to MTN Group Entities.
• Support Group with recommendations and proactive strategies to manage future transfer pricing tax positions, monitor the regulatory landscape to pre-empt changes.
• Develop transfer pricing capabilities, align and oversee local operations with leading transfer pricing tax practices and Group mandates.
• Drive the transfer pricing knowledge management process for the Opco and provide oversight on technical and operational trainings, based on service delivery / tax environment changes.
• Consult and advise Opcos on transfer pricing tax related issues which includes assisting Opco tax teams in evaluating complex transfer pricing technical matters.
• Provide various reporting and dashboards relating to Transfer Pricing, Risk Management and Disclosures to MTN Group Committees, Audit Teams, and Regulators.
• Provide training to business leaders, local Opco Tax teams and other relevant functional team members based on amendments on transfer pricing tax laws, regulations and positions.
• Drive tax accuracy and compliance goals for the discipline and establish the data driven processes needed to achieve operational & engineering excellence.

Tax Audit, Controversy and Negotiation

• Direct and lead the Transfer pricing Audits, Controversy, Negotiation with authorities for the covered opcos and group entities ensuring adequate defence documentation is in place to support the positions taken.
• Oversee and evaluate all matters relating to transfer pricing controversy and negotiations for the covered opcos and group entities for transfer pricing.
• Set the audit defence strategy and ensure proper implementation transfer pricing matters in foreign jurisdictions.
• Approve transfer pricing audit settlement for covered opcos and group entities.

Tax Risk Management and Governance

• Establish a culture of strong tax discipline, with effective internal transfer pricing controls across the Group and Opcos.
• Minimise tax risk for the Group companies by pro-actively implementing a transfer pricing tax risk management strategy and policy that drives tax planning and reporting on current and potential tax risk.
• Proactively monitor for Transfer Pricing risks, and recommended mitigation strategies in line with the overall business strategy. Monitor and track Group Tax Risk Register for identified risks.
• Oversee transfer pricing audit defence for transfer pricing matters (including foreign jurisdictions) as they pertain the Group by engaging with external and internal stakeholders.
• provide updates on Transfer Pricing risks identified, mitigation plans and possible risk impact on MTN Group.
• Collaborate with Opco tax team members to seamlessly integrate transfer pricing compliance with tax reporting and tax planning activities.
• Identify and potential cases for transfer pricing litigation as part of tax assessment and support external lawyers in preparing the requisite response.

Strategic Initiatives and Special Projects Advisory

• Provide strategic transfer pricing direction and advice for strategic initiatives and special projects.
• Support various strategic business initiatives with respect to the tax structuring of new entities businesses, ensuring the application of transfer pricing tax practices.
• Parter with external advisers and counsel on deal advisory including transaction structuring, evaluation of transfer pricing implications, compliance, assessments as it impacts Group Tax risk positions and exposures.
• Manage specialized Transfer pricing technology, integration and automation initiatives as they pertain to group Tax Computations and Reporting projects.
• Model the tax impact of strategic initiatives and anticipated transactions, including tax planning strategies, transfer pricing requirements, audit settlements and any other tax related implications.
• Transform MTN’s partnerships and relationships with external audit firms, revenue services and other key partners into value-creating, strategic relationships with mutual value exchange.

Staff & Leadership Management

• Manage tax team members: providing leadership, mentorship, growth and development paths.
• Set clear objectives and goals for the team and enable the team to deliver and use operating mechanisms to continually assess progress and improve.
• Develop a culture of strong collaboration and effective team working.
• Encourage knowledge transfer through the implementation of a knowledge transfer plans and drive continuous improvement philosophy.
• Promote an ‘MTN centric’ and ‘partnership approach’ to develop strong relationships with other working groups and ensure adherence to Group governance.

Key Deliverables

• Transfer Pricing Strategy and Objectives
• Transfer Pricing Structuring
• Transfer Pricing Positions
• Transfer Pricing Controversy Tracker
• Reporting and Dashboards

Role Dependencies

• Understanding of transfer pricing and international tax laws
• Interpretation and understanding of Tax positioning
• Understanding of business operations and entity holdings

Education:

• Minimum 4-year degree in Finance or Law or equivalent
• CA (SA), CIMA
• Articles from a top 5 audit firm or law firm
• Advanced Diploma in Transfer Pricing
• Master’s Degree in Tax Law advantageous

Experience:

• 10-12 years’ professional experience with focus on emerging markets telecoms sector with minimum senior management role experience of 5 years
• International Tax operations experience especially in a multi-national
• Leadership experience in Transfer Pricing
• Experience in leading change / transformation in tax
• Experience in Tax leading practices and trends
• Proven success with strategic thinking and effective decision making
• Experience in developing peers and teams

Capabilities:

• Strategy Formulators, Decisive Problem Solver, Innovative Value Creator
• Culture and Change Champion, Inspiring People Leader, Relationship Builder
• Results Achieve, Operationally Astute

Functional Competencies:

• Transfer Pricing
• Regional and International Tax Laws
• Tax Accounting & Audit
• Tax Planning Reporting & Analytics
• Tax Optimisation
• Mergers and acquisition

Skills: 

• Strategic and Analytical Thinking
• Judgement and Decision-Making
• Tolerance of Ambiguity
• Market Knowledge and Contextual Understanding
• Data Analysis and Visualisation
• Business and Financial Acumen

Behavioural Qualities:

• Influencing and Impact
• Change and Conflict Management
• Building Strategic Relationships / Networking