Business Rates Manager

The Arch Company | London (Hybrid)

The Arch Company is one of the UK’s largest owners of commercial property, managing a unique portfolio of railway arches and associated properties across the country.

Our properties provide space for thousands of businesses across a diverse range of sectors, from independent retailers and creative businesses to logistics, automotive and industrial occupiers.

We're passionate about creating places where businesses can thrive. Through proactive investment, expert asset management and a long-term approach, we're helping thousands of SMEs grow, invest and succeed in some of the UK's most distinctive commercial spaces.

Application Deadline: 1 January 2027

Department: Finance

Location: London

Business Rates Manager

The Role

We're looking for an experienced Business Rates Manager to take ownership of business rates across our unique and diverse portfolio.

This is far more than an administrative role. You'll be responsible for overseeing a significant rates liability, identifying opportunities to reduce costs, challenging valuations where appropriate and ensuring our portfolio is managed as efficiently as possible.

Your work will have a direct impact on both The Arch Company and the hundreds of SMEs that operate from our properties. By ensuring liabilities are accurate, reliefs are maximised and costs are managed effectively, you'll help create the right conditions for businesses across our portfolio to succeed.

This is a rare opportunity to become the recognised business rates expert within a large property company and shape how rates are managed across an estate that spans thousands of properties nationwide.

Key Accountabilities

• Take overall responsibility for the management of business rates across the portfolio.
• Manage the relationship with external business rates consultants, valuers and other professional advisors.
• Manage and monitor business rates liabilities, ensuring accuracy and compliance.
• Review rates assessments, bills and valuations and identify opportunities for savings and mitigation.
• Liaise with local authorities and the VOA on rating matters.
• Review and challenge assessments where appropriate, including appeals and reductions in rateable value.
• Monitor changes to business rates legislation, government policy and valuation methodology and assess their impact on the business.
• Provide expert business rates advice internally.
• Review the business rates implications of vacant properties, occupation changes, refurbishments and redevelopment.
• Maintain accurate business rates records and ensure relevant property and rating data is up to date.
• Monitor expenditure and identify opportunities to improve the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of the rates function.
• Prepare regular reports, forecasts and analysis for senior stakeholders.
• Support annual budgeting and forecasting for business rates expenditure.
• Identify risks and opportunities within the portfolio and proactively recommend and deliver solutions.
• Ensure appropriate governance and controls are in place around business rates management.
• Work collaboratively with Finance, Property Management, Asset Management, Leasing and other internal teams.

Skills, Knowledge and Experience

About You

We're looking for someone with strong technical knowledge of UK business rates and experience managing rates across a commercial property portfolio.

You’ll have:

• Significant experience in business rateswithin a commercial property environment.
• Strong understanding of the UK business rates system, including rateable values, multipliers, reliefs, appeals and billing.
• Experience working with the Valuation Office Agency and local authorities.
• Experience managing external consultants and professional advisors.
• Experience managing business rates appeals and negotiations.
• Experience of working through changes to the UK business rates regime.
• Strong analytical and numerical skills, with the ability to interrogate large datasets and identify anomalies or opportunities.
• Experience working with property, finance and asset management teams.
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to explain complex rates issues clearly to non-specialists.
• Strong organisational skills and the ability to manage multiple priorities across a large portfolio.
• A proactive approach, with the confidence to challenge existing processes and identify opportunities for improvement.
• Strong attention to detail and a high level of commercial awareness.

Desirable

• Experience working within a large commercial property portfolio.
• Relevant professional qualification or membership
• Experience with property management or business rates software and large property datasets.

What You’ll Bring

Technical expertise

You understand business rates and can act as the internal subject-matter expert.

Commercial thinking

You can identify opportunities to reduce costs and understand the wider commercial implications of rating decisions.

Influence

You're comfortable working with senior stakeholders, external advisors, councils and the VOA.

Ownership

You take responsibility for the rates position across the portfolio rather than simply managing individual cases.

Analytical thinking

You can work with large amounts of property and financial data and turn it into meaningful insight.

Collaboration

You enjoy working across property, finance and wider business teams.

Why Join The Arch Company?

This is an opportunity to join a distinctive UK real estate business with a highly diverse property portfolio.

You will have exposure across the organisation and the opportunity to make a tangible commercial impact through effective management of the business rates position.

The role offers the opportunity to work alongside experienced property, asset management and finance professionals while developing your expertise within a unique commercial property environment.

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