Senior Director, Real Estate Tax Corporate Finance

About FTI Consulting

FTI Consulting is the leading global expert firm for organizations facing crisis and transformation. We work with many of the world's top multinational corporations, law firms, banks and private equity firms to deliver impactful solutions in areas such as dispute resolution, crisis management, risk assessment and performance optimisation.

About Tax Advisory at FTI

Our independent tax practice is part of the Corporate Finance practice and provides corporate business tax advisory services across a broad suite of expertise, serving private equity and infrastructure fund houses, FTSE 100 groups, international funds and major corporations.

About the Role

The FTI real estate tax transactions team provides a holistic client offering and frequently acts as an extension of the client's internal team. You will work closely with clients, develop an understanding of their business plans and strategic objectives, and contribute to key decision making processes.

Typical projects include tax and financial due diligence, advising on transaction documentation (including SPAs), tax structuring for fund and joint venture formations and acquisitions, ongoing advisory projects and vendor assist workstreams. The team predominantly advises on UK projects with international aspects, and manages an increasing number of European transactions.

The team works across real estate asset classes and serves clients such as private equity funds, REITs, family offices and foreign listed investors. In this role you will gain exposure to live transactions, client business plans from inception to completion, and ongoing tax advisory work throughout the investment lifecycle.

What You'll Do

• Lead tax due diligence on corporate real estate acquisitions, including reviewing reports and drafting technical analysis.
• Manage input of junior team members and specialists (VAT, capital allowances, stamp taxes, employment taxes/CIS).
• Lead tax structuring work for acquisitions, refinancing, reorganisations and disposals, researching technical points, managing specialists and drafting clear, robust advice.
• Develop relationships with existing and target clients and connectors (lawyers).
• Support clients on related non tax workstreams such as funds flow analysis, financial due diligence and SPA negotiation.
• Assist clients with tax modelling for underwriting deals and assess preferable holding structures (standard corporate structures, REITs, offshore property unit trusts and exempt elected structures).
• Manage post transaction workstreams such as treaty relief claims, disregarding elections and implementation of real estate specific regimes (REITs, exempt elected structures), and other ad hoc client requests.
• Advise landlords and occupiers on all aspects of real estate lease transactions, including incentives, renewals, dilapidations and surrenders.
• Maintain up to date knowledge of relevant technical developments and contribute to thought leadership material where appropriate.
• Liaise with the tax compliance and reporting team to ensure transaction related and ongoing advice is reflected in the client's annual UK tax returns.
• Participate in and lead calls with clients and key stakeholders (lawyers, administrators).
• Proactively manage risk and engagement administration requirements.
• Delegate work to and support development of junior tax team members.
• Support the real estate team's business development activities.
• Take ownership of project financial management, including WIP management and billing.
• Use AI enabled and other technology tools responsibly to support research and drafting, critically review outputs for technical accuracy and identify where further analysis or challenge is required.

What You'll Need To Succeed

• Significant post qualification experience in providing real estate (or M&A) tax advisory services on UK assets, with international inbound investment experience preferably from a large tax consultancy.
• Strong technical knowledge of real estate specific areas such as REITs, exempt elected structures, JPUTs, and wider corporation tax areas impacting real estate (corporate interest restriction, anti hybrid rules).
• Working knowledge of key considerations for other tax specialisms in a real estate context (SDLT, VAT, CIS, WHT, capital allowances).
• Ability to communicate complex technical issues clearly and practically to both tax and non tax specialists.
• Understanding of commercial drivers for real estate investors/businesses and ability to frame advice in a broader commercial context.
• Strong analytical skills and attention to detail.
• Ability to independently undertake technical analysis and manage subsets of projects.
• Outgoing, personable, and able to integrate with a team and interact with colleagues of all grades.
• Track record of developing and maintaining client relationships.
• Ability to prioritise and manage a varied workload under pressure and delegate to the wider team.
• Proven ability to take ownership of projects and manage client expectations, making independent decisions with senior support.
• Demonstrable skills at building and maintaining relationships with colleagues within and outside tax teams.
• Curious, adaptable approach to new technologies, with the ability to use AI enabled tools responsibly while applying independent technical judgment.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office applications (Excel, Word, PowerPoint).

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree (minimum 2:1) or equivalent ACA, CTA or comparable qualification.
• Type of licence/qualifier:

FTI Consulting is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, colour, national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, protected veteran status, religion, physical or mental disability, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, or any other basis protected by law, ordinance, or regulation.