Work Flexibility: Hybrid VAT Compliance | Process Improvement | Team Leadership Role Overview The Lead VAT Analyst / Associate Manager plays a key role in delivering accurate and timely VAT compliance across a complex, multi-jurisdictional portfolio. The role combines hands-on ownership of VAT reporting, review and risk management with leadership of assigned team members and a strong focus on simplifying, standardizing and strengthening compliance processes. The position acts as an escalation point for compliance matters, supports audits and authority queries, and drives practical process improvements that improve quality, control, transparency and on-time delivery. Key Responsibilities 1. VAT Compliance and Reporting • Oversee a reduced portfolio of indirect tax compliance tasks, ensuring accuracy, timeliness, and adherence to regulatory requirements. • Review VAT returns prepared by assigned team members, confirming completeness, accuracy, appropriate VAT treatment and clear audit evidence. • Perform and review VAT general ledger reconciliations, ensuring aged and unresolved items are investigated, documented, assigned and cleared promptly. 2. Compliance Risk, Controls and Regulatory Monitoring • Identify compliance risks, recurring errors and control gaps, and suggest preventive and detective controls. • Escalate material issues, late-filing risks and uncertain VAT treatments promptly, with a clear assessment of impact and recommended actions. • Support the preparation and maintenance of standard operating procedures, control narratives and countryspecific compliance guidance. 3. Audit and Tax Authority Support • Coordinate accurate and timely responses to VAT audits, tax and statistical authority inquiries, and statutory audit requests, working with internal stakeholders and external advisors as required. • Maintain complete supporting documentation and clear records of requests, responses and follow-up actions, and embed audit findings into corrective actions and compliance process improvements. 4. Process Improvement and Operational Excellence • Lead continuous improvement initiatives that simplify and standardize VAT compliance activities while maintaining appropriate controls and documentation. • Use root-cause analysis to address recurring reconciliation differences, filing adjustments, data-quality issues and missed handoffs. • Share lessons learned and best practices across the team to reduce rework, strengthen first-time accuracy and improve readiness for audits and authority queries. 5. Team Leadership and Collaboration • Provide practical VAT compliance guidance to various stakeholders. • Manage and support assigned team members, including onboarding, workload prioritization, regular check-ins, development planning, coaching and mentorship. • Provide technical and operational guidance, review work and act as an escalation point when deadlines, risks or stakeholder issues require intervention. • Act as a key partner and trusted deputy to the VAT Compliance Manager or Senior VAT Manager, supporting the coordination of team priorities, follow-up of key actions, escalation of compliance risks and continuity of dayto-day operations. INDIRECT TAX | VAT COMPLIANCE Lead VAT Analyst / Associate Manager | Revised Job Description • Promote knowledge sharing, consistent working practices and accountability for accurate, timely and welldocumented compliance. • Collaborate with Finance, shared service centres, Supply Chain, Procurement, external advisors and other relevant stakeholders to resolve VAT compliance issues and deliver process improvements. Qualifications and Experience • Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Taxation, Business or a related field; a professional tax qualification is an advantage. • Minimum of 5 years of VAT compliance experience in a multinational or multi-jurisdictional environment, with demonstrated responsibility for reviewing or leading compliance work. • Strong practical knowledge of VAT returns, Intrastat, EC Sales Lists, VAT reconciliations, audit support and tax authority queries. • Experience analyzing cross-border transactions and supply chain flows from a VAT compliance perspective. • Demonstrated experience identifying and implementing process improvements, strengthening controls and standardizing compliance activities. • Experience supporting, coaching or supervising team members and coordinating work across multiple stakeholders and deadlines. • Comfort working with multiple ERP environments and VAT reporting applications; the emphasis is on understanding data flows, controls and compliance outputs rather than developing technology solutions. Skills and Attributes • VAT compliance expertise: Applies strong technical and practical judgment to filings, reconciliations, transaction reviews and authority queries. • Process improvement mindset: Challenges inefficient or inconsistent practices and converts issues into controlled, measurable and sustainable improvements. • Analytical judgment: Identifies patterns, assesses risk, investigates root causes and prioritizes action based on compliance impact. • Leadership and accountability: Sets clear expectations, follows through on commitments and supports others in delivering high-quality work. • Communication: Explains VAT matters clearly to technical and non-technical stakeholders and escalates risks in a timely, solution-focused manner. • Organization and attention to detail: Manages competing deadlines while maintaining accurate documentation, strong review discipline and audit-ready records. • Collaboration: Builds effective partnerships across functions and promotes knowledge sharing within the VAT compliance team Netherlands Pay Ranges: Netherlands: €65.100 - €121.000 EUR Annual At Stryker, we believe transparency helps candidates make confident decisions about their next career step. Compensation is an important part of that process and we want to be clear about how pay is determined. The compensation information posted for this role may be presented as a salary range or a fixed amount depending on the role. In addition to base salary, this role may be eligible for incentive compensation (such as bonus and/or commissions where applicable), along with Stryker’s comprehensive benefits package. If you’d like to learn more about the salary or the benefits associated with this role, your recruiter will be happy to walk you through the details as you progress through the hiring process. Travel Percentage: 0%