Overview
As a SPA Associate Director you guide complex acquisitions and disposals for corporates, PE houses and investors, focusing on the financial aspects of SPAs and completion mechanisms. You own client relationships at strategic levels, coordinate cross-functional input, and deliver robust, bankable analyses. You drive value protection, mentor junior staff, and lead on negotiations and price adjustments. This role offers meaningful impact in a high-growth SPA advisory practice within Grant Thornton’s inclusive, development-focused culture.
Pay / Benefits
- Tailored development programmes and coaching
- Flexible bank holidays
- Pension, life assurance and private medical
- Anytime benefits (discounts, gym memberships, financial advice)
- Health benefits
- Additional holiday purchasing and other benefits
Responsibilities
- Manage client relationships at board level and oversee engagement delivery
- Lead on completion mechanism matters (net debt, working capital, price adjustments) and ensure robust analysis
- Coordinate internal experts for risk management and deliver high-quality financial analyses
- Oversee drafting of engagement letters, fee estimates, budgets and client communications
- Present conclusions and recommendations to clients and discuss implications
- Lead and coach junior team members across multiple engagements
- Identify and pursue business development opportunities and cross-selling
- Review final drafts of outputs and support negotiations on SPAs (warranties, indemnities)
- Set expectations and manage client briefs, changes and overruns
- Lead, motivate and coach managers with performance feedback and development
- Prepare fee estimates and manage budgets for assignments
Key requirements
- 3–5 years' transaction and/or SPA advisory experience
- Post-qualification professional qualification (ACA, ICAS, CA, ACCA or CIPFA)
- Experience in transactions/deals and financial aspects of SPAs
- Strong understanding of completion mechanisms and net debt/working capital adjustments
- Ability to present complex financial analysis clearly to clients and stakeholders
- Experience managing a portfolio of SPA advisory engagements
- Business development experience and client relationship skills
- Experience developing junior team members across multiple engagements
- strong communication skills
- leadership and coaching
- business development mindset
- expertise in completion mechanisms (locked box, completion accounts)
- net debt and working capital adjustments
- negotiation of warranties and indemnities in SPAs
SPA Advisory, Associate Director in Reading employer: Grant Thornton
Grant Thornton is an exceptional employer, offering a vibrant work culture that prioritises collaboration and innovation. With a strong focus on employee growth, you will have the opportunity to mentor junior staff while working with a diverse portfolio of large corporate clients in a globally connected environment. The flexible working options further enhance the work-life balance, making it a rewarding place to build your career in tax advisory.
