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:

Manager, Public Sector Consultancy

Public sector | Local government, central government, healthcare

We're growing, and there's rarely been a better time to join us. If you want to help shape what Public Sector Consultancy becomes next, not just watch it happen, this is that moment.

Our Public Sector team works on some of the UK's largest and most high-profile public sector projects and programmes, across local government, central government and healthcare. We help clients make better strategic decisions, improve outcomes, deliver reform and secure value for money, on areas often at the forefront of the political agenda.

We're a multi-disciplinary team of over 100 analysts, accountants, economists, policy and governance experts and strategists. The varied backgrounds of our team, including management consultancy, professional services, industry, and self-employment, allow us to bring fresh thinking to client challenges. We focus on value over volume, building delivery partnerships with our clients and giving clients exceptional service. This gives our team an edge in the market.

 Our senior team has built genuine credibility in this space over many years, so you'll learn from some of the most experienced people in the market while working on complex, high-profile assignments.

We're happy to talk flexible working, including reduced hours so you can balance work and life.

A look into the role

Our managers come from a range of backgrounds: public sector managers, qualified accountants (from within the firm or elsewhere), analysts, management consultants, other professional disciplines such as engineering or digital, and specialists with public sector experience. As a manager within

Public Sector Consulting, you will:

• Help us to make a difference to our public sector clients supporting them to deliver modern public services that are sustainable, people-centred, data-driven and digitally enabled.

• Lead the delivery of high-quality, professionally presented client work and project documentation in line with firm Quality and Risk requirements

• Manage projects day to day: develop and manages delivery plans, resourcing and work allocations, maintain necessary documentation and risk and issue management, monitor performance and budgets, forecast billing, raise invoices and manage debtors

• Build strong relationships with client stakeholders and take on responsibility for some client meetings

• Coach and develop junior colleagues, helping them reach their potential

• Build your network across Grant Thornton, to spot commercial opportunities

• Support business development and thought leadership within the team

• Contribute to complex proposals and progress to leading more straightforward ones

• Demonstrate understanding of Grant Thornton’s wider service offerings to support the firm’s greater integrated working with clients

• Demonstrate ongoing self-development and contribute to team and proposition development

• Champion an inclusive culture and speak up when behaviour falls short

• 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. Professional qualifications are desirable such as ACA, ICAS, CIPFA, CIMA, ACCA, ChMC, Prince2. You will have:

• Public sector experience, or a genuine desire to work in it

• A track record on major transformation assignments

• Strong project management skills, delivering to time, quality and budget

• Good written and verbal communication, with experience presenting to clients or senior stakeholders

• A self-starter who can develop themselves and bring fresh thinking

• An experienced collaborator who can manage several projects at once and bring the best out of those around them.

• A commitment to diversity and inclusion

• undefined

Nice to have

• An ability to understand contractual requirements and commercial issues

• Understanding of public sector governance, operations, performance and finance

• Awareness of current policy issues

• Experience presenting to senior, decision-making stakeholders

You don't need to tick every box on this list. We'd rather have someone with the right mentality, curious, can-do and ready to get stuck in, than a perfect match on paper. We'll help you develop the rest.

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.