Transaction Advisory Services, Sale and Purchase Agreement Manager/AD

The UK member firms of Grant Thornton are part of a global network of independent audit, tax and advisory firms, made up of some 76,000 in over 150 countries. We are a team of independent thinkers who put quality, inclusion and integrity first. All around the world we bring a different experience to our clients. A better experience. One that delivers the expertise they need in a way that goes beyond. Personal, proactive, and agile. That’s Grant Thornton.

Our market leading Sale and Purchase Agreement Advisory team at Grant Thornton is hiring at Manager grade to continue our rapid growth! We operate within the wider Deals Advisory and Consulting service line. We are seeking Managers with the technical and commercial skills who enjoy optimising value for clients undertaking acquisitions and disposals. Ideal candidates should have experience working on transactions involving mergers and acquisitions, a thorough understanding of completion mechanisms, enterprise value (EV) to equity value bridges, the financial aspects of a Sale and Purchase Agreement (SPA) and experience in assisting buyers and/or sellers in their preparation or review or dispute of completion accounts and earn-out accounts.

An SPA Manager/AD must be capable of handling transactions with minimal involvement of a partner; must interface with client management, and other professionals; know when to seek advice from other specialists and partners and demonstrate commercial ability. The TAS team within Grant Thornton is an increasingly flexible and diverse team, which truly values its people. To enable our people to be the best they can be, we are happy to discuss a number of flexible working options, such as reduced days, annualised days or term time working. We appreciate the different perspectives a diverse team brings, and we want to continue to provide more agility and choice to our people. As with all of our roles, a hybrid working model will apply, enabling a mix of office/client time and remote working.

As a SPA Manager/AD within our team, you will:

• Take a second-level client relationship position behind associate director/director/partner, and can act as the primary contact in their absence.
• Understand the perspective of different clients on the same job and build trust and respect by responding to client demands and keeping them updated on progress.
• Identify and resolve risk management issues, applying knowledge to manage site issues and involving senior staff and specialists to mitigate risk.
• Accurately draft letters of engagement and ensure take-on work is completed before associate director/director review and submission.
• Demonstrate understanding of technical issues, offering potential solutions and seeking advice when needed.
• Produce high-quality financial analysis with minimal input from associate directors.
• Draft fee estimates and budgets for the review by the director/partner.
• Participate in the presenting of conclusions and recommendations to clients, discussing implications and action points.
• Monitor and manage assignment costs versus budgets, including challenging team member time charged to other departments.
• Demonstrate understanding of the firm’s products, services and capabilities and actively cross-sell.
• Show a clear appetite for self-development through performance reviews and Personal Development Plan (PDP) processes.

Joining us as a SPA Manager/AD, the minimum criteria you’ll need is a professional qualification (ACA, ICAS, CA, ACCA or CIPFA) with post qualification experience, and to be confident managing a large portfolio of audit clients. It would be great if you had some of the following skills, but don’t worry if you don’t tick every box, we’ll help you develop along the way:

• Experience EV to equity value bridges
• Advising on the financial and accounting aspects of sales and purchase agreements experience
• Experience advising in relation to the preparation or review or dispute of completion accounts and earn-out accounts

Embracing uniqueness, the culture at Grant Thornton thrives on the contributions of all our people, we never settle for what is easy, we look beyond to deliver the right thing, for everyone. Building an inclusive culture, where we value difference and respect our colleagues helps our people to perform at the best of their ability and realise their potential. Our open and accessible culture means you’ll interact with leaders who are interested in you and everything you bring to our firm. The things that set you apart, we value them. That’s why we give you the freedom to bring your whole self to work and pursue your passions inside and outside of work.

Life is more than work. The things you do, and the people you’re with outside of work matter, that’s why we’re happy to look at flexible working options for all our roles, and we’ll always do our best to keep your work and life in balance. The impact you can make here will go far beyond your day job. From secondments, to fundraising for local charities, or investing in entrepreneurs in the developing world, you’ll be giving back to society. It’s that drive to do the right thing that runs through our every move, grounded in our firm’s values – purposefully driven, actively curious and candid but kind. We’re looking for people who want to contribute, spark fresh ideas and go beyond expectations. People who want to be able to proudly do what’s right, for the firm, our clients, our people and themselves.