Head of Policy | Tax & Legal

Description:

• Help clients and Deloitte get ahead of tax and legal policy change by connecting emerging issues to commercial decisions, market perspective and action.
• Thrive in an innovative, collaborative people culture
• Mentoring, coaching and leadership programs to help you make an impact that matters

This is a rare Australia-based leadership opportunity to guide how Deloitte Tax & Legal anticipates policy change, responds to reform and helps clients prepare for what comes next.

The opportunity

Tax and legal policy influences investment decisions, operating models, and public trust. Our clients need to understand what is changing, but they also need support to anticipate what may happen next and determine how they should respond.

As Head of Policy, you will lead our outside-in policy and regulatory intelligence capability. You will scan the external environment, identify emerging themes, connect the right experts and translate complex developments into clear implications for our clients and the firm.

You will help establish a coherent external voice and ensure Deloitte’s engagement with policymakers and regulators is informed, constructive, evidence-based and grounded in the public interest.

What The Role Is And Is Not

You will not be expected to be the senior technical expert on every tax or legal issue. Tax & Legal partners and managing directors will remain the technical specialists and accountable client advisers. Your value will come from seeing connections across issues, asking the right questions, establishing priorities and helping specialists translate their expertise into:

• a clear and coordinated policy agenda
• differentiated market perspectives
• practical client insights
• timely and constructive external engagement.

What will your typical day look like?

There will rarely be a completely typical day and that is part of the appeal. You will move between developments outside the firm, their implications for clients and the actions required across the practice. On any given day, you may:

• review emerging developments across government, Treasury, the Australian Taxation Office, regulators and international bodies and determine which issues require attention
• brief the Tax & Legal Managing Partner, Executive and client leaders on what is changing, why it matters and where action is needed
• bring together tax and legal partners, economists, sector leaders and other specialists to assess the implications of a proposed reform
• translate complex policy and regulatory developments into clear, practical and commercially relevant insights
• work with technical teams, Communications and Marketing to develop policy alerts, points of view, white papers, roundtables and client briefings
• coordinate submissions and consultation responses, ensuring the appropriate technical, legal, risk, independence and brand reviews are completed
• contribute to priority pursuits and C-suite conversations where an outside-in policy perspective can help clients prepare for emerging change
• engage constructively with government, Treasury, the Australian Taxation Office, the Tax Practitioners Board, professional bodies and other policy stakeholders
• strengthen the systems, networks and processes through which policy intelligence and institutional knowledge are shared across the practice.

About The Team

The Tax Insights & Policy team sits within Tax & Legal because its value comes from being closely connected to our technical specialists, client teams and the market. It exists to anticipate, interpret and influence developments across the tax and legal policy landscape for Deloitte and its clients. he Head of Policy will report to the Managing Partner – Tax & Legal and maintain a formal connection to the Central Policy team.

You will work closely with:

• Quality & Risk
• Deloitte Access Economics
• Government Affairs
• Legal
• Communications and Marketing
• sector and industry leaders
• policy and technical specialists across the firm.

You will operate as a small, connected hub, supported by a broader virtual network. We will bring together the right expertise for each issue rather than expect one individual or team to hold every answer. We value thoughtful challenge, shared ownership, sound judgement and clear, human communication.

Enough About Us, Let’s Talk About You

You are a senior leader who combines tax policy credibility with curiosity, commercial judgement and a strong ability to bring people together. You may have developed your tax career in policy, government, regulation, professional services, industry or a related environment.

You will bring most of the following:

• senior leadership experience in tax policy, public policy, government, regulation, professional services, industry or a related field
• a strong understanding of Australian tax policy institutions, processes and stakeholders, together with an awareness of relevant international developments
• the credibility to engage senior policymakers, regulators, business leaders, partners and technical specialists
• the ability to anticipate emerging issues, connect themes and translate competing information into a clear point of view and course of action
• strong written and verbal communication skills, with the judgement to make complex matters understandable without losing important nuance
• experience developing policy submissions, consultation responses, thought leadership or public policy positions
• sound judgement in complex, sensitive or contested environments, including a strong understanding of confidentiality, independence and reputation
• a collaborative and inclusive leadership style, with the ability to listen, invite challenge, share credit and enable others to perform at their best
• experience leading and developing high-performing teams and networks
• a relevant tertiary qualification.

Qualifications in tax, law, economics, public policy or a related discipline would be valuable. However, the breadth, relevance and impact of your experience will be equally important.

Why Deloitte?

At Deloitte, we focus our energy on interesting and impactful work. We’re always learning, innovating and setting the standard; making a positive difference to our clients and our society. We put coaching at the heart of what we do, helping our people grow their careers in any direction – whether it be up, moving into something new, or even moving across the world.

We embrace diversity, equity and inclusion.  We have a diverse collection of people from different backgrounds, with different experiences, gender identities, abilities and thinking styles. What binds us together is a shared commitment to value everyone’s perspective and to cultivate inclusion; so that our work environment is a safe space we can all belong.

We value in-person connection with our clients and our colleagues. We offer several ways for you to work flexibly so that you can serve your clients, stay connected with your team, and manage your personal priorities.

We help you live and work well.  To support your personal and professional life, we offer a range of perks and benefits, including retail discounts, wellbeing leave, paid volunteering days, twelve flexible working options, market-leading parental leave and return to work support package.

Next Steps

Sound like the sort of role for you? Apply now, we’d love to hear from you!

By applying for this job, you’ll be assessed against the Deloitte Talent Standards. We’ve designed these standards so that you can grow in your career, and we can provide our clients with a consistent and exceptional Deloitte employee experience globally. The preferred candidate will be subject to background screening by Deloitte or by their external third-party provider.