Thanks for stopping by our careers page!
We’re looking for talented and smart Tax Enthusiasts who like to work in a Startuppy setting for ‘Good Guy Clients’. The type of folks that would ‘make the cut’ at the Big Firms, but prefer to get a bit more up close and personal with and for the client.
Some background: we started Archipel in 2018 with the aim to be ‘the Trailblazing Tax Boutique in the Netherlands’. A quick unpack:
- Trailblazing: we focus on ahead-of-the-curve clients and stay on top of our trade to offer them ‘the latest in tax’. So: we actively encourage taking up teaching and journaling positions, and focus our efforts on clients who do something that we can be proud of by proxy.
- Tax: we are and will remain a tax-only firm, meaning that we work in close unity with other service providers ‘in the chain’, but always retain our natural independence;
- Boutique: we sell niche and tailored advice and do not aim to be the go-to compliance discounter – we’re here for the relationship as well as lifetime events and tax adaptions and can take care of that start to finish;
- In the Netherlands: we are international tax advisors, but Dutch-graduated. For international projects, we work with Friendly Firms and our Network CLA Global – but you wouldn’t see us opening a Belgian office anytime soon!
The Philosophy: team-based projects, peer-reviewed deliverables, shop-in-shop opportunities.
Tax as a field consists of made-up rules and logic; not always internally consistent and frequently changing. Therefore, Mastery takes time and discipline, not just intelligence.
We believe that Passion for Tax drives the Time you can and will spend on it. And Passion is sparked by feeling Impact, which is more likely when you can work with Autonomy. And that is the part of the cycle that we can most feasibly influence.
To that end, we run our back-office on our home-built single app ‘MyArchipel’, which allows you to manage clients, KYC, pojects, time logs, filing and invoicing in one single environment. This means that you can source and manage ‘your’ clients cradle-to-cradle, that you can transparently see your impact, and that admin time is minimal.
To emphasize that we encourage you to put your Tax Theoretics into practice, we work without a seniority threshold for being a ‘client owner’ – if you have the best click, you should manage the account. And: we work with commercial targets from the early career steps on, and with the liberties you need to achieve them. So: you’ll be ‘out the door’, living the profession not just thinking it.
Back at HQ, however, we have each others backs and work to stay on top of Tax, feeding our academic curiosity and drive. We encourage you to take up Teaching and Journaling positions, Master Tax through Expert Sessions, and we require that you keep pace with our Permanent Education requirements as set the Dutch Bar Association of Tax Advisors. To tie it all together, we have a profit sharing which means we all benefit when we support each other as best we can; we’re not in competition with each other, we’re a team that’s here to earn our slice of the market!
So long story short: we want to have the brightest Tax enthusiasts in our team. Then, we are off your back but on your side!
Let’s Talk Career Path and Money:
To make the Shop-in-Shop idea work, we need work based on radical transparency. All colleagues can see in real-time who our clients are, what projects we are doing for them, and how our firm is faring.
To emphasize that culture of transparency, we are also open about our career path and the targets and money involved. As you gain more experience and climb the ranks, we will work on a bigger book of business and a more visible position as a tax practicioner. And it is up to you how you want to build those.
An important element to our DNA is our Virtual Stock Plan; 15% of the firm’s Dividend is first allotted to the Virtual Shares, and distributed as a bonus to the Virtual Shareholders. This ties our interests together; we all benefit when work is distributed equally, the expert best positioned for a case handles it and the client is happy, as that leads to highest efficiency and recovery rates and that fills our shared cookie jar.
And let’s talk other perks:
Strategic talk aside, a big objective of ours is also to simply have fun while we’re at it. After all: an academically challenging and comfortable job is a blessing in itself so you owe it to yourself to set up the conditions for enjoyment. Of course, it’s an illusion to think that we can build a job that never feels like work, but we can definitely take steps to make it really enjoyable!
- Minimize Admin: our MyArchipel app minimizes the paperwork, that we all didn’t mean to sign up for. It’s not non-existent, but its very, very doable – even on mobile;
- Unlimited Holidays: we’re all adults. Feel a little spent? Take some time off. Feel really good? Don’t get pushed out by expiring holidays. You decide, we trust you.
- Dogs Welcome: goes without saying. Dogs are the best. Take yours to the office.
- Home for Dinner Culture: deadlines must be met and what needs to be done, shall be done. But you’ll eat at home – we’re not here for facetime or looking cool and busy from the street by keeping the lights on;
- Growth Mindset: overall, it’s just a thrill to be a part of a growing business. Every client that choses us, does so based on us and not our letterhead. Come experience the thrill, it’s energizing.
What is Archipel’s Plan?
To be The Trailblazing Tax Boutique in the Netherlands, we will continue our focus on ‘ahead of the curve’ clients while we look to increase the capacity offering for our clients, our areas of expertise, and our ‘brains in a room’.
The way we see it, we’re a growing firm and only halfway there. Our team currently comprises 20 to 25 people, and we are looking to double that. That means we are actively on the lookout for new colleagues – but only the right ones 🙂
We love ‘home grown players’ so we are always interested to get in touch with Tax Law or Tax Economics students or fresh graduates. We offer good Working Student [Tax Trainee] and Tax Analyst positions.
We also seek experienced hires who think Archipel could be their spot. For inspiration, we’ve published some ‘active’ job openings but these are by no means limitative and we like to talk to anyone who has a vision as an Archipeller. The higher up the ladder you want to enter, the more business we need to talk. We appreciate bold plans and respect the controlled, and are equally thrilled about ‘Rain Makers’ and ‘Tax Technical Powerhouses’. Got an idea or want to learn about our Boutique? Get in touch!
Our Offices
We consider having a nice place to work an important element to what makes the job fun. That’s why we choose to have our offices in the neighborhoods where things happen, and on premises that are, well, nice. These are our three locations:
- The Hague: the City where it all started. Our offices are located on the 13th floor of the Monarch Tower in the Hague’s Beatrix Quarter. With views over the city all the way to the sea, this place offers the most spectacular sunsets.
- Maastricht: the Good Life city, right on the Three-Country-point. Our offices are located in the Colonel Building towering over Central Station. On the 9th floor, this place offers eagle-eye views of the famed rolling hills of Southern Limburg.
- Amsterdam: the Capital, always happening. Our offices are located in Oud West, right off the Van Baerlestraat and bordering the Vondelpark. With the most charming streets of Amsterdam right around, this is inner city cobble stone stuff!
