Head of Tax Product & Innovation

Head of Tax Product & Innovation

Location: Johannesburg, South Africa (In-Office)

About Enable

Enable is building a portfolio of technology-enabled businesses focused on financial services, benefits administration, and digital innovation. As we continue expanding internationally, we are seeking a Head of Tax Product & Innovation to lead the development and evolution of our tax technology products while supporting innovation and future global expansion.

This is an exciting opportunity for a commercially minded tax professional who enjoys working at the intersection of tax, technology, product development, automation, and innovation. You will work closely with the Chief Technology Officer (CTO), Product, Engineering, and Operations teams to research new markets, design innovative tax solutions, and help build products that support Enable's long-term growth.

As Enable expands into new jurisdictions—including markets such as the United Kingdom, Australia, the United States, Canada, and beyond—you will play a key role in researching tax legislation, translating complex requirements into scalable technology solutions, and helping shape the future of our tax platform.

This role offers significant opportunity for growth and is ideal for someone who is passionate about innovation, enjoys solving complex problems, and wants to develop into a strategic product leader as the business continues to scale.

Key Responsibilities

Tax Product Strategy & Innovation

• Lead the development and continuous improvement of Enable's tax technology products.
• Support the creation and execution of the product roadmap aligned to business growth and international expansion.
• Identify opportunities to develop new tax products, digital solutions, and product enhancements.
• Research emerging technologies, AI, automation, and industry trends to identify opportunities for innovation.
• Translate tax legislation into practical product functionality and scalable business solutions.
• Contribute to product strategy, prioritisation, and long-term product planning.
• Support governance, product standards, and best practices throughout the product lifecycle.
• Make informed recommendations on tax functionality, product requirements, and compliance considerations.

Tax Research & New Jurisdictions

• Research tax legislation, payroll, employment, reporting, and compliance requirements across existing and future jurisdictions.
• Support Enable's expansion into new markets by assessing legislative and operational requirements.
• Translate complex tax legislation into product requirements, business rules, and functional specifications.
• Work with Product and Engineering teams to design scalable tax solutions that can be adapted across multiple jurisdictions.
• Assist in developing localisation strategies for new countries.
• Monitor legislative changes and recommend product enhancements to ensure ongoing compliance.
• Support the evaluation of future expansion opportunities by providing tax and regulatory insights.

Product Development & Innovation

• Partner with Product, Engineering, QA, and Operations teams throughout the product development lifecycle.
• Help design, validate, and launch innovative tax technology products and features.
• Define business requirements, user stories, functional specifications, and acceptance criteria.
• Translate tax legislation into workflows, calculations, tax logic, and automation rules.
• Participate in product testing, quality assurance, and release planning.
• Help identify opportunities to simplify complex tax processes through technology.
• Support business units in developing new products and technology-enabled solutions.
• Contribute ideas that improve product capability, scalability, and user experience.

Technology, Data & Automation

• Work closely with the CTO and Engineering teams to develop scalable tax technology solutions.
• Help design automation initiatives that improve operational efficiency and reduce manual processes.
• Support the development of data-driven solutions that improve tax products and decision-making.
• Identify opportunities to leverage AI and emerging technologies across tax products.
• Contribute to scalable platform design that supports future expansion into additional jurisdictions.
• Collaborate with developers on APIs, integrations, workflows, and technical implementation of tax logic.

Research & Market Development

• Continuously research emerging tax legislation, technology trends, and market developments.
• Monitor international tax developments across current and prospective markets.
• Identify opportunities for new products, services, and technology solutions.
• Support the business in evaluating future jurisdictions and expansion opportunities.
• Share research findings and recommendations with Product, Technology, and Executive Leadership teams.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Build strong working relationships across Technology, Product, Engineering, Operations, Compliance, and Finance.
• Work collaboratively with Software Engineers to ensure tax requirements are accurately translated into technical solutions.
• Support cross-functional projects that drive innovation and business growth.
• Mentor and share tax knowledge with colleagues where appropriate.
• Promote collaboration, continuous improvement, and innovation across the business.

What Success Looks Like

First 90 Days

• Develop a strong understanding of Enable's products, technology platform, and business objectives.
• Build relationships with Product, Engineering, Operations, and Executive Leadership.
• Review existing tax functionality and identify opportunities for improvement.
• Understand future market expansion priorities and begin researching new jurisdictions.
• Identify opportunities to improve automation, product capability, and operational efficiency.

First 12 Months

• Successfully deliver new product features and enhancements.
• Support the launch of tax functionality for new jurisdictions, including markets such as the United Kingdom, Australia, the United States, and other future expansion markets.
• Develop scalable product capabilities that support future international growth.
• Introduce automation and technology improvements that improve efficiency and product quality.
• Strengthen collaboration between Tax, Product, and Engineering teams.
• Contribute to the development of innovative tax products that support Enable's long-term growth strategy.

Qualifications & Experience

Required

• Bachelor's Degree in Taxation, Accounting, Finance, Commerce, Information Systems, or a related discipline.
• Master Tax Practitioner (SA) designation is highly preferred.
• Chartered Accountant (CA(SA)) qualification will be advantageous.
• Completed tax articles at a recognised tax or accounting firm is preferred.
• Minimum 5+ years' experience in tax, tax technology, tax product management, tax advisory, or tax transformation.
• Strong understanding of tax legislation and the ability to interpret and apply legislative requirements.
• Experience conducting tax research and analysing legislative changes.
• Experience working with Product or Software Development teams.
• Ability to translate complex business and tax requirements into functional product specifications.
• Experience supporting technology-enabled projects or digital transformation initiatives.
• Strong analytical, commercial, and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management abilities.

Preferred

• Experience with tax technology platforms, SaaS products, or digital solutions.
• Experience working with APIs, integrations, automation, or business systems.
• Exposure to Agile product development methodologies.
• Experience implementing automation or AI-enabled solutions.
• Experience across South African tax legislation together wi