Assistant Manager / Manager - Innovation & Growth Advisory

KPMG New Zealand is part of the international KPMG network and one of the world’s leading professional services organisations. We provide audit, tax and advisory services to individuals, SMEs, multi-nationals and government agencies.

At KPMG, we believe in fuelling prosperity for all New Zealanders. This purpose drives everything we do, from our client work to internal practises, all guided by our shared values of Integrity, Courage, Excellence, Together, for Better.

The opportunity:

• We are looking for an Assistant Manager or Manager to join KPMG’s Innovation & Growth Advisory division. Our division has seen rapid evolution and significant growth over the past few years and is looking for a technically minded, big picture thinker to join the team.
• We support businesses from large publicly listed companies, to small start-ups, in navigating the complex and ever-changing field of government funding for their innovative and technologically demanding projects.
• The main source of government funding we assist companies to access is the R&D Tax Incentive (RDTI)
• The RDTI is intended to create greater access for businesses to government funding for the purpose of supporting their innovation and technology developments by looking at R&D through a more commercial lens.
• Be part of a young, dynamic team which is constantly looking to expand our offerings and find new meaningful ways to help our broad client base within the innovation and tech space.

Day to day you will:

• Facilitate technical discussions with staff ranging from scientists and engineers to CTO’s, about the innovative projects companies are undertaking in New Zealand from a range of different industries.
• Use your technical knowledge and inquisitiveness to drive meaningful conversations and lead engagements with clients about their R&D work carried out in fields such as seismic engineering, AI and Machine Learning, automation, agritech, food and beverage technologies, and manufacturing.
• Manage multiple workflows to help scope and prepare applications, including providing guidance to junior staff members involved on client work.
• Help large businesses understand the innovation happening throughout their organisations, which is often opaque due to their size and complexity.
• Work with SMEs to streamline how they manage their access to funding, since this is often not the sole the responsibility of any one individual.
• Help Start-Up companies understand the matrix of government funding options available as immediate access to cash often needs to be prioritised.
• Work with government in developing and implementing policies to achieve national goals of raising New Zealand’s overall investment in innovation and growing the innovation and tech scene.
• Alongside providing advice relating to the R&D Tax Incentive, our team’s long-term strategy is to provide support generally with other similar forms of funding and alternative tools to help businesses innovate and grow. This supports KPMG’s overall goal of fuelling New Zealand’s prosperity.

What you will bring to our team:

• A keen interest and natural curiosity for the innovation and tech space within New Zealand and further abroad.
• At least 5 years-experience in a technical role, within a software, information systems, science or engineering industry (Experience consulting or dealing with external stakeholders desirable).
• Experience with preparing or submitting R&D tax incentive or other government grant/funding applications
• Bachelor’s degree, or equivalent, in a technical field such as science, software, or engineering. Software engineering or information systems background is desirable but not necessary.
• Good communications skills and confidence in presenting to an audience which can range from technical experts to CEOs, finance managers, and government officials.