About the Role
Head of Tax – Fanatics International
Fanatics Commerce is the global leader in licensed sports merchandise, operating a vertically integrated platform that designs, manufactures, and delivers officially licensed apparel, jerseys, headwear, and collectibles for major leagues, teams, and events worldwide. With more than 900 e-commerce sites and a global omnichannel presence across digital, in-venue, and retail, Fanatics Commerce reaches fans in over 180 countries and powers official fan experiences for many of the world's most iconic sports properties.
As Fanatics scales its global platform, the Head of Tax – Fanatics International will play a critical role in owning group-wide tax strategy, compliance, and risk governance across Fanatics International's Commerce, Collectibles (Topps), and Betting and Gaming divisions. This is a senior leadership role with group-wide responsibility for tax strategy, compliance, and risk governance across the Fanatics International group — spanning three business verticals (Commerce, Collectibles (Topps), and Betting and Gaming) and multiple legal entities operating across the UK, Europe, and international markets.
VAT and indirect tax sit at the heart of this role; Fanatics International operates complex, high-volume supply chains across more than 30 VAT registrations globally, covering marketplace models, dropshipping arrangements, Importer of Record structures, and digital goods supplied to consumers across the UK, EU, and wider international markets.
How You Will Drive Impact
Team & Leadership Impact (Build Championship Teams)
Cross-Functional Leadership:
•Partner with the CFO of International Commerce, President of International, Finance leadership, Legal, FP&A, and IT to embed tax considerations into commercial decision-making, ERP configuration, and financial reporting across all three Fanatics International business divisions
•Manage and coordinate external adviser relationships — including Big 4 and specialist firms — ensuring timely, accurate, and risk-managed filings across all relevant jurisdictions while maintaining alignment with internal stakeholders
•Act as the primary HMRC point of contact for the group, leading the compliance relationship across disputes, product classification claims, Bespoke Retail Scheme management, and audit activity
People Leadership:
•Lead, develop, and grow a high-performing tax team, providing mentorship and clear direction across Commerce, Collectibles (Topps), and Betting and Gaming
•Build a scalable tax function with robust governance frameworks, policies, and procedures covering intercompany pricing, VAT compliance, and cross-border structuring
•Drive a culture of technical rigour, continuous improvement, and commercially focused advisory across the tax team
Fan & Customer Impact (Obsessed with Fans)
•Lead the Group's approach to electronically supplied services (ESS) and digital goods VAT/GST across global consumer markets, ensuring accurate and compliant tax treatment that supports seamless fan-facing commerce experiences in every applicable jurisdiction
•Provide strategic oversight of VAT compliance across 20+ registrations spanning the UK, EU, and wider international markets, including management of third-party compliance agents, ensuring fans across more than 180 countries are served through compliant and efficient supply chains
•Advise on structural and commercial projects including new market launches, M&A, and digital goods tax treatment across UK, EU, and rest of world
•Maintain strategic oversight of tax engine configuration and ERP-embedded indirect tax logic — including OneSource, Avalara, and Microsoft Dynamics 365 — ensuring accurate VAT determination at the point of transaction so fan purchases are processed correctly at scale
Innovation & Problem Solving (Limitless Entrepreneurial Spirit)
•Lead ERP and system configuration projects in collaboration with IT and finance operations, translating complex indirect tax requirements into scalable, auditable system logic
•Drive VAT structuring for complex cross-border arrangements including dropshipping, Importer of Record models, marketplace structures, and intercompany recharges
•Lead all international tax technical analysis including treaty analysis, withholding tax assessments, and cross-border restructuring advisory
•Develop and implement the Group's approach to emerging digital reporting obligations, including e-invoicing compliance across EU jurisdictions
Ownership & Execution (Determined & Relentless Mindset)
•Own the Group's indirect tax position end-to-end — setting VAT strategy, overseeing compliance execution, and maintaining technical standards across all UK and international registrations
•Own and drive the international tax strategy across all three Fanatics International business divisions, maintaining and presenting the Group's international tax risk register to the CFO and President of International on a regular basis
•Lead the international tax control framework across all UK entities, including Senior Accounting Officer certification controls, ensuring Board sign-off is fully evidenced and defensible
•Own the Group's Criminal Finances Act (Corporate Criminal Offence) compliance programme, including risk assessment, policy ownership, and awareness across the finance population, and lead group relief and loss utilisation planning to maximise tax efficiency across UK entities
AI & Digital Capability
This role is expected to:
•Apply AI and technology to improve efficiency, quality, and outcomes
•Use data and digital tools to inform decisions and enhance performance
•Demonstrate curiosity and adaptability in adopting new technologies and ways of working
•Contribute to a culture of innovation and continuous improvement
Requirements
•Deep, hands-on expertise in UK and international VAT and indirect tax, with demonstrated technical ownership of a complex, multi-jurisdictional indirect tax position across multiple registrations and jurisdictions — including UK VAT, EU VAT (OSS/IOSS), and wider international indirect taxes such as GST, digital services taxes, and electronically supplied services
•Strong understanding of VAT in the context of e-commerce supply chains, including marketplace models, dropshipping, Importer of Record arrangements, and digital goods supplied directly to consumers across global markets
•Proven experience of HMRC relationship management in an indirect tax context, including handling audits, disputes, ruling applications, and Bespoke Retail Scheme management
•Broader tax expertise across UK corporation tax, transfer pricing, and international tax frameworks — sufficient to lead the Group's wider compliance obligations and provide credible board-level advisory across Fanatics International's three business divisions
•Experience building or significantly scaling a tax function, including team development, governance framework design, and implementation of SAO and/or Corporate Criminal Offence compliance programmes
•Experience with tax technology and ERP-embedded VAT logic, including OneSource, Avalara, or Microsoft Dynamics 365, with the ability to lead system configuration projects in collaboration with IT and finance operations
•Background in e-commerce, retail, digital goods, or sports and entertainment sectors, where indirect tax complexity and cross-border supply chain structure are central to the role
•Education: ACA, CTA, or equivalent professional qualification, with significant post-qualification experience in a senior in-house tax role within a complex, multi-entity international group
Work Location
Hybrid: The primary place of performance of this role is the Company's office located in Manchester, subject to the Company's current hybrid work policy. This role currently requires in-office presence 3 days per week.
