Finance Transformation Associate Director in Maidstone

At Grant Thornton we do things differently - looking to the future, driving ambitious growth and pioneering positive change in our industry. Providing audit, tax and advisory services, we empower clients through strategic insight, curiosity, and genuine partnership. And we empower our people with real opportunity, an inclusive culture and work life balance.

Grant Thornton UK's Finance Consulting / CFO Solutions practice helps ambitious businesses transform their finance functions - making them faster, smarter, and more strategically relevant to the organisations they serve. We work with CFOs and Financial Controllers across a range of sectors to re-engineer controllership and financial close processes, deploy automation technologies, and build the capability needed to sustain lasting change.

You will take a leading role in delivering engagements that help clients fundamentally improve how they close their books, consolidate financials, and report with confidence. You will combine deep controllership expertise with hands-on experience of close automation and EPM technology to drive genuine, measurable outcomes - reducing close cycle times, improving accuracy, and freeing up finance teams to focus on higher-value work.

This is not a back-office role. You will be visible with clients at CFO and Financial Controller level, shaping propositions, leading teams, and building Grant Thornton's reputation as the go-to adviser for controllership transformation.

As a Finance Transformation Associate Director in our Finance Consulting team, you will:

• Lead end-to-end controllership transformation programmes: from current-state diagnostic through to future-state operating model design and implementation.
• Own financial close automation workstreams, overseeing solution design, vendor engagement, configuration, testing, user adoption, and change management.
• Advise clients on close technology platform selection, with specific expertise across FloQast, OneStream, and Prophix.
• Redesign financial close and consolidation processes, including close calendar optimisation, task management, account reconciliation, and intercompany automation.
• Develop and implement policy and control frameworks that underpin a faster, more reliable close, reducing manual effort and audit risk simultaneously.
• Drive automation of journal entry, reconciliation, and variance analysis workflows to materially reduce close cycle times.
• Translate complex finance operations and technology challenges into clear, actionable roadmaps that clients can own and execute.
• Manage delivery across multiple concurrent engagements, ensuring quality, timeline, and budget commitments are met.

Build and maintain a strong pipeline through existing client relationships, network referrals, and targeted outbound activity with CFOs and Financial Controllers. Author compelling proposals and lead pitches to CFO and Controller-level stakeholders, articulating a clear and differentiated point of view on financial close transformation. Develop and maintain relationships with close technology vendors, including FloQast, OneStream, and Prophix, as part of GT's Digital Alliances programme.

Contribute to the development of Grant Thornton’s Controllership and financial close service offerings — including methodologies, diagnostic tools, accelerators, and thought leadership. Build and mentor a high-performing team of Managers and Consultants, creating a culture of technical excellence and continuous learning. Represent Grant Thornton at external events, roundtables, and industry forums to build our profile in the controllership transformation market.

The minimum criteria you’ll need is:

• Significant experience in controllership, financial close transformation, or finance management consulting, with a track record of leading complex programmes.
• Hands-on implementation or advisory experience with one or more close automation or EPM platforms: FloQast, OneStream, Prophix, Blackline, or comparable.
• Deep understanding of controllership processes: financial close cycles, account reconciliation, consolidation, intercompany accounting, journal entry management, and statutory reporting.
• Demonstrated ability to design future-state close operating models - covering process, automation, controls, data, and people dimensions.
• Experience working at senior client levels - comfortable building trusted relationships with CFOs and Financial Controllers.
• Track record of identifying and driving out controllership inefficiencies through a combination of process redesign, policy clarification, and technology enablement.
• Professional qualification (ACA, ACCA, CIMA, ICAS or equivalent) strongly preferred.
• Strong commercial acumen, able to scope engagements, manage budgets, and identify revenue opportunities.

It would be great if you had some of the following skills:

• Experience in Private Equity-backed environments, particularly improving close quality and auditability ahead of exit or IPO.
• FloQast implementation or roll-out experience (certification an advantage).
• OneStream or Prophix consolidation and close management configuration experience.
• Familiarity with broader finance technology landscape: ERP (SAP, Oracle, D365), reconciliation automation, and reporting tools.
• Understanding of the intersection between close quality, internal controls, and external audit, and how to turn audit findings into a transformation business case.
• Sector depth in one or more of: Financial Services, Consumer, TMT, Infrastructure, or Public Sector.
• Experience building or scaling a consulting practice area or service line.

The culture at Grant Thornton is what sets us apart, we’re known for our inclusive culture and creating environments where all our people can flourish. Our values are the unwavering principles that shape our daily behaviours and decisions, alongside our drive to do the right thing. We’re looking for people who align with our values and are purposefully driven, actively curious and candid but kind.

In addition to a competitive salary and reward package, you’ll also get:

• Tailored development programmes and access to coaching.
• Flexible bank holidays, allowing you to celebrate the days that are important to you.
• Benefits including pension, life assurance and private medical, additional holiday purchasing and health benefits.
• Access to shopping discounts, gym memberships, financial advice.
• And more.

We have a trust-based way of working, driven by responsible people who have the best interests of our firm and our clients at heart. Our how we work framework gives flexibility in where, how, and when we work to deliver the best results for our clients, whilst helping you keep a balance between work and life.