Job vacancy: Researcher for the Tax Justice Network

We’re hiring! Details below and download your job information pack here.

Key facts:

Application closing date: Thursday 15 February 2018
Start date: March/April 2018
Reports to: Director, Financial Secrecy
Contract: Fixed-term contract (18 months, ending October 2019)
Hours: 75% to 100% FTE (28 to 37.5 hours per week)
Salary: €32.500 to €37.500 (pro rata)
Location: Home-based (anywhere in the world)

Background

This role will support TJN’s work as part of the EU-funded COFFERS project (Combating Fiscal Fraud and Empowering Regulators). This project seeks to redress deficiencies in fiscal systems as policy innovation at national, regional and international levels undergoes a period of accelerated development. The consortium identifies deficiencies and opportunities for upgrading in tax law, tax policy development, tax administration and enforcement at the EU level and across Member States. TJN’s role in this project is to survey and evaluate anti-evasion and anti-avoidance rules in each Member State, to generate a comprehensive comparative analysis of administrative and enforcement capacity, and to generate an extended financial secrecy index including bilateral secrecy indicators that identify key points of fiscal regime vulnerability.

Objectives

The role will focus on collecting and analysing data from legal databases, original legal (gap) analyses and surveys, and on collecting data on administrative capacity through desk-based research and the creation, dissemination and analysis of a survey circulated to company registries across Europe. The collected data and associated analyses will underpin the Corporate Tax Haven Index, the Bi-lateral Financial Secrecy Index and the Financial Secrecy Index. It will also support the delivery of working papers presented at conferences, and may lead to submission to academic peer reviewed journals.

Responsibilities

• Undertaking research and analysis that TJN has committed to deliver under the COFFERS project, in particular administrative capacity and company regulation, financial secrecy and corporate tax rules
• Preparing and carrying out surveys, academic analyses and other activities linked to the indices above
• Liaising with external partners on research and analyses, and communicating this work to others
• Attending and organising meetings and conferences related to research and analysis priorities
• Performing other duties as necessary in support of TJN’s contribution to the COFFERS project

Person specification

Skills and experience

• Post-graduate degree in a relevant discipline such as law, finance or international relations
• Specific experience of studying the topic areas outlined above (relevant publications are an advantage)
• Strong quantitative and analytical skills
• Excellent writing skills, with a flair for communicating research clearly, thoughtfully and without jargon
• Strong IT skills and a sound knowledge of Microsoft Office, particularly MS Excel and ideally MS Access
• Ability to deliver work of the highest standards under pressure and to deadlines

Attributes

• Strong sense of teamwork and collaboration, with a positive and proactive approach to tasks
• Ability to apply good judgment consistently and make responsible decisions, including in managing risk
• Excellent time management, forward planning and prioritisation
• Willingness to maintain the highest degree of confidentiality regarding all aspects of work at all times
• Commitment to own professional development
• Passion for tax justice and international development issues

How to apply

Please upload a CV and answer a series of questions (addressing the skills listed in the person specification as well as your motivation) using our online application form by Thursday 15 February at 23.59 GMT. You do not need to address the attributes; these will be explored at interview.