Associate director, M&A (Global role – in a virtual working environment)

Job Description

About Grant Thornton

Grant Thornton is one of the world’s leading professional services networks with member firms in 150 markets, 80,000 people and global revenues of $8.5bn. Member firms offer audit, tax, and advisory services to privately owned companies, publicly listed companies, public sector and not for profit organisations, both domestically and internationally.

Grant Thornton International Ltd (GTIL) is the umbrella legal entity for the Grant Thornton global network of member firms. GTIL sets the strategic direction, convenes member firms, connects global communities, and protects the brand and reputation of the network. GTIL and the member firms will continually improve the sustainability of their operations and strive to make a positive impact on clients, people, markets, and the communities in which we operate, in line with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

At GTIL, we encourage applications from individuals of all backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. We believe talent is everywhere. We actively source and encourage applications from all around the globe to encourage new ways of working and tackling complex challenges together.

Role purpose

The Associate Director will work directly with member firms to support the development of their M&A strategies for local markets, aligned to the network strategy. The role also safeguards GTIL and the network by mitigating risks arising from member firm M&A activity and ensuring compliance with GTIL policies.

Main Responsibilities

Strategic capabilities

• Work with regional GTIL teams and member firms to identify and assess opportunities in regional markets, particularly those of strategic importance to the network.
• Support the Head of Growth and the Head of Legal in evaluating international M&A opportunities and other ad hoc legal projects.
• Collaborate with GTIL service line teams and member firms to identify opportunities to close capability gaps.
• Review the competitive landscape, analyse trends, and provide timely insights to the Global Executive team to support decision‑making.
• Share best practices with member firms on ownership succession planning, including treatment of founding partner goodwill and valuation of professional services practices.
• Provide regular reporting on M&A activity.

Quality and risk management

• Ensure member firms understand their obligations regarding the reporting of M&A transactions to GTIL and adherence to associated processes.
• Coordinate with relevant GTIL teams, supported by the M&A team, to ensure all reported transactions are assessed in line with policy and procedures.

Culture

• Work with the GTIL People & Culture team to ensure member firms understand the importance of cultural due diligence and allocate appropriate resources to post‑merger integration.
• Promote robust ownership and leadership succession planning across member firms and encourage adoption of best practices from the network.

Location

Ideally Canada or UK.

Person Specification

• Ability to work well under pressure, particularly during periods with multiple time‑critical projects.
• Strong strategic problem‑solving skills, especially when working across international markets with diverse challenges.
• Ability to maintain a broad strategic view and ensure projects align with global priorities.
• Strong team behaviours, with the ability to collaborate effectively across multiple teams and bring stakeholders along the project journey.
• Strong influencing skills to align teams and individuals around key initiatives

Experience - essential

• Qualified lawyer with strong experience in M&A
• Extensive experience in deal management, including liaison with clients, financial institutions and legal counsel; managing sale and purchase mandates; MBO/MBI assignments; delivering new initiatives in commercial environments; conducting detailed financial reviews and due diligence; preparing business plans; and financial modelling and valuation.
• Strong project‑management capability, with experience managing multiple concurrent projects.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to align project and programme communication to strategic objectives.
• Experience engaging and influencing senior‑level stakeholders.
• Strong relationship‑building skills and cultural awareness, with the ability to work effectively across disciplines and geographies.
• Agile mindset with the ability to adapt to change and contribute innovative, globally‑oriented thinking.
• Strong understanding of legal and risk requirements, combined with commercial awareness to balance competing priorities while protecting the network.

Experience - desirable

• Experience working in the professional services industry.
• Experience working internationally.

Benefits

At Grant Thornton International, you’ll join a global team working in a virtual‑first environment. What does this means for us? It means that work is no longer a place; it’s what we do. And it means you’ll have the flexibility to choose where you work within your country of employment, supported by the digital tools and equipment you need. The most important thing about the way we work though, is our CARE values – collaboration, agility, respect and excellence. As a result, our inclusive culture is one of our greatest strengths.

We provide learning and development opportunities aligned to your role and growth goals and you invest in yourself and career by making the most of them.

To support a good remote working environment, we provide a combination of one-off allowances and a monthly home office allowance. Alongside this, we offer a comprehensive range of core benefits including pension, health insurance, wellbeing programmes and more, although specific benefits may vary depending on the country of employment and local regulations.

By submitting your application, you consent to Grant Thornton International collecting and processing your personal data for recruitment purposes in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Your data will be used solely for evaluating your application and will not be shared with third parties without your consent. You can review our Data protection policy | Grant Thornton International for more details.