Aramco Asia is a group of Asian wholly owned subsidiaries of Saudi Aramco Asia Company, and they share a key mission in serving Saudi Aramco’s corporate strategic initiatives in the Asia-Pacific region.
Asia-Pacific (“APAC”) Regional Tax Counsel acts as the focal point for all regional tax legal issues, including those associated with acquisitions, dispositions, joint ventures, restructurings, controversy, and operational matters. For purposes of this role, APAC refers to Asia, except for Russia and the Middle East, and Australia and Oceania. Provides SAO Law Management and regional Management with high-level professional knowledge and expert advice in tax law to help manage enterprise risk. Oversees tax legal research and analysis of tax legal issues, including monitoring laws and regulations, gathering information, rendering tax legal advice, and overseeing the preparation of legal memoranda and legal instruments for SAO Law Management and regional Management. May attend court hearings and arbitration sessions to represent SAO’s interests in all kinds of sensitive cases.
SCOPE:
- Reports directly to the Aramco Asia Chief Counsel (or, when that role is not filled, the Aramco Asia Corporate Secretary) and reports functionally to SAO’s Director & Managing Counsel, Tax Law Department in Saudi Arabia.
- Oversees the collection and evaluation of evidence in complex and sensitive proceedings before courts and quasi-judicial or investigatory bodies.
- Provides highly specialized and unique knowledge and expertise and assists in identifying and managing tax legal risks for the SAO enterprise.
- Oversees gathering of factual evidence re pending or potential international tax legal matters of high complexity and pertinence to global and regional operations.
- Oversees and commissions tax legal research and analysis.
- Oversees the review and preparation of draft tax legal opinions and advice in connection with complex issues related to corporate rights and obligations, contracts and agreements, and statutory requirements, and reports critical tax legal matters to SAO Law Management and regional Management.
- Oversees regional tax risk management efforts and coordinates closely with SAO’s Director & Managing Counsel, Tax Law Department on enterprise-wide risk management, including assessing the impact of tax law developments and developing mitigation strategies, obtaining advance pricing agreements and other tax rulings, and helping to shape SAO’s global transfer pricing policy.
- Directly or indirectly oversees all tax counsel in the region.
- Directly or indirectly manages tax matters and tax teams at all affiliates in the region.
PRINCIPAL CONTACTS:
Internal
SAO’s Director & Managing Counsel, Tax Law Department, external advisors, and other stakeholders
External
Outside Tax Counsel
PRINCIPAL DUTIES:
- Reviews outside counsel draft submissions.
- Reviews and prepares draft responses to government or court respondence.
- Assists in handling sensitive correspondence and tax legal matters.
- Participates in the tax governance of all affiliates in the region, including helping to design, implement, and test tax controls.
- Recruits, trains, and develops regional tax counsel team to keep pace with SAO’s growing global footprint and the changing international tax environment, including providing guidance on secondments or rotations.
- Works with SAO Law Management on succession planning for key affiliate tax positions.
- Manages significant budget for external tax legal services, with budget divided between regional tax matters and enterprise tax matters.
- Liaises with government agencies on behalf of the SAO enterprise in relation to sensitive tax legal matters.
- Interacts with outside tax counsel.
- Attends regular meetings with SAO’s Director & Managing Counsel, Tax Law Department, external advisors, and other stakeholders.
- Travels periodically to Saudi Arabia to meet with SAO’s Director & Managing Counsel, Tax Law Department, members of Law Management, and other stakeholders.
MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:
Education Requirement
- Juris Doctor or equivalent non-U.S. law degree with qualification to practice law in at least one jurisdiction.
- Master of Laws (LL.M) in tax is preferred.
Experience
- Minimum 15 years experience with a large law firm, Big 4 accounting firm, or in-house tax function at a large multinational enterprise.
Other required experience, technical skills, and competencies:
- Broad experience with acquisitions, dispositions, joint ventures, internal restructurings, and controversy, particularly in the cross-border context.
- Experience managing a team of tax professionals.
- Capacity to exercise sound, independent judgment in the advanced tax legal field.
