Manager - Public Sector Consulting

Alternatively, Grant Thornton

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. A true alternative.

With over 5,000 people in the UK, and a presence in 150 global markets, we're on an ambitious journey, from great to exceptional, and we need the best people to help us achieve our potential. And with that comes the opportunity to help redefine what our industry looks like, and what you want from your career.

Job Description:

Our Public Sector Team have worked on some of the UK's largest and most high-profile public sector clients, infrastructure projects and public policy programmes.

At their core, these assignments focused on creating value across the UK (and internationally) by providing infrastructure and services that deliver economic and social benefits for current and future generations. Every day, our teams help people in businesses and communities to do what is right and achieve their goals. Our purpose is to make a difference by working hand in hand with our public- and private-sector clients on significant public-sector projects and issues.

We are a team that has public service at its heart and is made up of the following sectors:

• Local Government
• Central Government
• Healthcare

Our passionate, experienced team comes from a variety of backgrounds, including management consultancy, professional services, industry, and self-employment. This allows us to bring fresh thinking to client challenges. We focus on value over volume, giving our clients exceptional service and the team an unparalleled edge in the market.

Our consulting team seeks to develop long-term partnerships with our clients in order to help them deliver key government policies, programmes and strategies on the ground. We work with clients across the public sector – as well as those looking to effectively engage with the public sector – to help them to make effective strategic decisions; improve their outcomes; optimise their operating and delivery models; deliver public sector reform; balance short-term financial challenges with medium term investment; and ensure value for money in all that they do.

To do this effectively our multi-disciplinary team comprises analysts, accountants, economists and strategists. We have a senior and experienced team who have established our presence and credibility in this vital area of public service. Because of that, successful candidates will have the opportunity to learn from a senior team that is one of the most experienced in the market.

NEW GROUND WON’T BREAK ITSELF.

In Consulting, we help system transformation and the integration of services across the public sector. We are a single team of over 100 professionals and we support each other across all areas of our business and areas of practice. Our projects and work are varied and complex, and are often at the forefront of the political agenda. If you enjoy working on a wide-reaching range of projects that will help businesses and communities flourish, you’ll fit right in.

Here are some things you can expect from a role within our Consulting Team:

• Making quality second nature. Ensures technical excellence and quality across the team in accordance with the firm’s guidelines
• Develop and implement plans which will position us as a leader in the marketplace – Lead from the front with-regards to develop proposals and delivering client work
• Build, grow and inspire a market-leading team – our success is dependent on our people and we need talent which is highly motivated, embraces continuous learning and resilient.
• Build and develop a diverse team – contribute to achieving this.
• Our success is dependent on our people which should reflect the diverse communities and clients we serve
• Create a team culture based on inclusion and excellence – seek out and appreciate people’s difference, embrace them and strive to minimise unconscious bias so that everyone working in PSA can realise their full potential
• Build your brand – Be known for excellence and clarity in communication both within Grant Thornton and with external stake holders

We’re happy to talk flexible working and consider reduced hours and job shares, we’ll support you to balance your work and life.

A look into the role

Our Managers come from a range of backgrounds. This includes newly qualified accountants, who have transferred within the Firm from Audit or joined from elsewhere, other professional disciplines such as engineering, and/or bring public sector experience or a specialist skill set from one or two previous job roles. As a Manager, you will:

• Demonstrate high quality and professional behaviour in the delivery of your work
• Strive for technical excellence and quality in the delivery of work in accordance with the firm’s guidelines

• Demonstrates excellent project management skills and contributes to delivery
• Produces project documentation and client reports ensuring that these are high quality, professionally presented reports, with input from associate directors
• Good verbal and written communication skills with experience of reporting and presenting to clients or relevant stakeholders.
• Coaching and developing junior colleagues, providing constructive guidance and development and inspire people to reach their potential
• Contribute to the development of complex proposals and gain experience to be able to lead on more straightforward proposals
• Close working with client management and stakeholders on assignments, including sub contractors
• Take more responsibility for specific aspects of client meetings
• Maintains assignment files and identifies key issues early to discuss with manager
• Monitor resource deployment against budgets, produce periodic reporting for clients, assist in forecasting billing for assignments, raise invoices and monitor debtors
• Develop and build a network in your sector/discipline and across Grant Thornton, in particular with our public sector audit colleagues, to identify commercial opportunities
• Develop methods and knowledge within your sector team
• Participate in business development supporting the senior team, observe and learn how to build relationships and begin to do this yourself
• Support and promote thought leadership pieces within your sector
• Start to develop a broader awareness of the sector within PSA through self-learning and development activities
• Contribute to the creation of an inclusive culture throughout PSA and feel confident to call out behaviours that are not inclusive
• Seek out opportunities with existing clients or new clients and contribute to proposals
• Embraces the firm’s core values in relation to diversity and inclusion, behaving in a way that is inclusive at all times
• Identify and support the management of quality and risk in line with the firm’s policies and procedures
• Good verbal and written communication
• Demonstrates a clear appetite for self-development through the performance review and personal development plan process, taking responsibility for developing own technical and personal skills
• Do what is right, not what is easy

Knowing you’re right for us

Joining us as a Manager, the minimum criteria you’ll need is a university qualification or relevant  experience. A professional qualification (e.g. ACA, CIPFA, CIMA, CFA, Prince2) is desirable and you will have:

• Worked within or consulted into the public sector, or have a desire to work with the public sector
• Experience of working on major transformation assignments
• Experience providing advice or analysis to internal or external clients
• Good verbal and written communication
• Good project management skills with a record of delivering projects to time, quality and financial deadlines
• A commitment to diversity and inclusion
• A clear appetite for self-development demonstrated through the performance review and PDP processes
• Self-motivated individual with evidence of innovation and initiative
• Team player and confident in working on a number of projects in parallel.
• Commercial in confidence

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.

• An ability to understand contractual requirements and commercial issues
• Understanding of public sector operations, performance and finance
• Awareness of current policy and issues
• Good inter-personal skills with the ability to build and develop a network of clients
• Experience of presenting to clients or senior, decision-making stakeholders

Knowing we’re right for you

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.

Beyond the job 

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. It’s how it should be.