VAT Transformation Manager
Salary: Competitive Plus Benefits
Location: London Store Support Centre and Home, London, EC1M 6HA
Contract type: Permanent
Business area: Finance & Business Development
Closing date: 10 May 2026
Requisition ID: 400059358
We’d all like amazing work to do, and real work-life balance. That’s waiting for you at Sainsbury’s. For a FTSE business, we move incredibly fast. When we’re not handling projects, we’re helping all corners of the wider group with what they’re trying to achieve. And around here, you can see the results of your work as soon as you walk into a store, which gives you a real sense of purpose and responsibility. Better still, the team around you will listen to your ideas and opinions, and you’ll have every chance to try something new. The sheer scale and complexity of our set-up means there’s always something else around the corner, and we’ll help and support you every step of the way. We’re trusted to get on with it. So get ready to make things happen here.
About the team
You’ll be joining the Finance Tax team at Sainsbury’s, a critical function that operates at the heart of one of the UK’s largest and most complex retail businesses. The VAT team plays a pivotal role in enabling compliant, efficient and forward‑looking tax operations across the Group, partnering closely with Commercial, Technology and Finance teams. This is a highly visible area of the business, where transformation, innovation and strong governance are essential to supporting sustainable growth and operational excellence.
More about the role
As VAT Transformation Lead, you will help shape and deliver the transformation roadmap for VAT processes across the Group. Working closely with the Head of VAT and Head of Tax Transformation, you’ll support the delivery of programmes and initiatives that impact VAT, from new technology implementations through to continuous improvement of compliance, data quality and controls. Your day‑to‑day work will involve engaging with a wide range of stakeholders, capturing requirements, supporting change delivery and ensuring solutions are implemented effectively and sustainably.
You will also play a key role in monitoring the effectiveness of VAT processes post‑implementation, working with Technology teams to resolve data or control issues, and ensuring controls are embedded into business‑as‑usual operations. This is a role that balances project delivery with operational stewardship, offering exposure to a broad range of systems, processes and transformation activity across Sainsbury’s.
More about you
To be successful in this role, you will bring a demonstratable background in finance operations, accounting or tax, with experience contributing to change or transformation initiatives. You are able to look beyond current processes, think strategically about future improvements, and translate ideas into practical, deliverable outcomes. You will be comfortable working in an environment where priorities evolve, managing multiple workstreams while maintaining momentum and attention to detail.
You’ll be a confident and collaborative communicator, able to engage credibly with senior stakeholders and work effectively across multidisciplinary teams. A proactive, solution‑focused mindset, combined with the ability to assess risk, challenge constructively and sustain implemented change, will underpin your success in this role.
Essential criteria
• Demonstratable experience working within finance operations, accounting or tax in a regulated environment.
• Proven track record of delivering change initiatives from initial design through to implementation and user adoption.
• Evidence of identifying control requirements and supporting the design or implementation of effective controls.
• Demonstratable ability to work with stakeholders across Finance, Technology and Commercial teams to capture and translate requirements.
• Proven capability to manage competing priorities and deliver agreed outcomes within defined timelines.
#LI-SA3
We are committed to being a truly inclusive retailer, so you’ll be welcomed whoever you are and wherever you work. Around here, there’s always the chance to try something new - whether that’s as part of an evolving team or somewhere else across the business - and we take development seriously and promise to support you. We also recognise and celebrate colleagues when they go the extra mile and, where possible, offer flexible working. When you join our team, we’ll also offer you an amazing range of benefits. Here are some of them: Moments that matter are as important to us as they are to you which is why we give up to 26 weeks’ pay for maternity or adoption leave and up to 4 weeks’ pay for paternity leave.
Starting off with colleague discount, you'll be able to get 10% off at Sainsbury's, Argos, TU and Habitat after 4 weeks. This increases to 15% off at Sainsbury’s every Friday and Saturday and 15% off at Argos every pay day. We've also got you covered for your future with our pensions scheme and life cover. You'll also be able to share in our success as you may be eligible for a performance-related bonus of up to 20% of salary, depending on how we perform.
Your wellbeing is important to us too. You'll receive an annual holiday allowance, and you can buy additional holiday. We also offer other benefits that will help your money go further such as season ticket loans, interest free car loan of up to £10k, cycle to work scheme, health cash plans, pay advance (where you can access some of your pay before pay day) as well access to a great range of discounts from hundreds of other retailers. And if you ever need it there is also an Employee Assistance Programme, you will also be eligible for private healthcare too.
Please see www.sainsburys.jobs for a range of our benefits (note, length of service and eligibility criteria may apply).
