AI Consulting Leader

Doane Grant Thornton LLP; Toronto; Hybrid; CAD 170,000 - 250,000; Full time

Job summary

Doane Grant Thornton LLP is seeking an AI Consulting Leader to create and scale a market-leading AI practice across Assurance, Audit, Tax and Advisory. You will partner with internal stakeholders to build offerings, govern AI adoption, and drive business transformation with responsible AI practices.

The role focuses on defining the vision, strategy, and scalable delivery models, while building a sustainable pipeline and client impact across industries.

Qualifications

• Demonstrated expertise in AI, digital transformation, and governance.
• Proven ability to lead growth-oriented consulting practices or business units.
• Strong ability to engage with C-suite and senior leaders to shape strategy.

Responsibilities

• Build market-leading AI consulting capabilities with scalable offerings and methodologies.
• Define offerings, create market demand, and drive revenue growth for AI services.
• Lead client transformation initiatives from strategy to execution and ensure responsible AI adoption.

Skills

AI & Digital Transformation

Executive Stakeholder Engagement

Growth Strategy

Cross-functional Leadership

Business Development

Job description

Doane Grant Thornton

Imagine being part of a team where human connection underlies everything we do - a place where great people come together to help our clients, colleagues and communities thrive. That's Doane Grant Thornton.

Guided by our core values, we empower our people to make a difference. We encourage the growth and development of rewarding careers- one that you can reflect upon with a sense of pride. Or, as we like to say, living our purple. We're a large and growing professional services firm that still feels like a community. That's most important to us. Recognized as one of Canada's best workplaces for our nineteenth consecutive year, we're building a thriving organization driven by purpose.

Our Values

At Doane Grant Thornton we hold a strong commitment to collaboration, leadership, excellence, agility, respect, and responsibility.

This is not a role you inherit. It is a business you build.

As our AI Consulting Leader, you will have the rare opportunity to create and scale a brand-new consulting capability from the ground up, positioning AI as a transformative growth engine across our Assurance, Audit, Tax and Advisory businesses. Reporting to the National Client and Markets Leader, with a dotted line relationship to the Chief Operating Officer, you will partner closely with internal stakeholders to establish a market-leading AI consulting practice focused on helping our clients unlock business value through responsible, practical, and trusted AI adoption.

This is an opportunity to create the next phase of growth for an entrepreneurial builder who thrives in ambiguity, sees possibility where others see complexity, and is energized by creating something that does not yet exist. You see AI not simply as technology, but as a catalyst for business transformation.

You will identify what our clients need most as they navigate the AI revolution, from governance, risk management, and data readiness to operating model transformation, responsible AI frameworks, workforce adaptation, and scalable implementation strategies. You will establish our market presence, create service offerings, develop methodologies, generate demand, and build a sustainable consulting practice that becomes a cornerstone of our future growth.

How is this Opportunity Different?

You will work with one of Canada's Best Workplaces to create and scale a market-leading AI consulting practice that helps clients realize business value through the responsible and practical use of Artificial Intelligence.

Most leadership roles come with a team, a structure, and a roadmap. This one comes with a blank canvas.

In collaboration with Practice Leaders, you will have the opportunity to define the vision, shape the strategy, design the offerings, and build the practice.

You will be empowered to challenge conventional consulting models and re-imagine how AI can fundamentally reshape how organizations create value, manage risk, serve customers, and enable their people.

More than implementing technology, you will help clients navigate the broader business, workforce, and governance implications of AI while establishing the Firm as a trusted advisor in an evolving market.

The successful leader will think beyond today's use cases and help clients answer some of their most important questions:

• How should organizations govern AI responsibly?
• What operating models are required to succeed in an AI-enabled future?
• How can leaders balance innovation with risk and accountability?
• How should organizations redesign work, roles, and processes in the age of AI?
• How can AI enhance professional services while preserving ethics and quality?

This is an opportunity to build a legacy by defining a new consulting practice and influencing how organizations create long-term value from AI.

What You will Be Responsible For:

Build the Market: Positioning the firm as a trusted AI advisor while expanding market opportunities and strategic alliances.

AI Market Insight: You will leverage AI market insights, industry trends, and leading practices to identify client opportunities and position the Firm as a trusted AI advisor.

Client Insight: You will help define AI growth strategies by understanding evolving client needs, emerging technologies, regulatory developments, and high-value use cases across industries.

Create the Practice: Build market leading AI consulting capabilities with scalable offerings, frameworks, operating models, services, tools, and approaches that can be consistently delivered and expanded as the business grows.

Client Transformation and Adoption: You will lead AI transformation from strategy through implementation, helping clients accelerate adoption, build capability, and embed lasting change through strategic partnerships, workforce transformation, and responsible AI practices.

Qualifications

• 15+ years of experience in consulting, advisory, business transformation, technology, innovation, or a related professional services environment, with proven experience in leading growth-oriented practices or business units.
• Demonstrated success developing and launching new service offerings, creating growth focused go-to-market strategies, and establishing scalable revenue streams across digital strategy, innovation, and technology solution portfolios
• Strong expertise in AI and digital transformation, including AI strategy, governance, risk management, data readiness, operating models, and workforce transformation.
• Experienced in operating as a hands-on strategic leader and individual contributor, influencing outcomes through cross-functional collaboration, executive stakeholder engagement, and matrix team environment.
• Strong commercial orientation with a track record of generating pipeline, securing strategic engagements, cultivating strategic alliances, and driving business growth.
• Trusted Advisor to C-suite executives and senior leaders on complex business, technology, and transformation initiatives.
• Exceptional leadership, relationship-building, and influencing skills, with an entrepreneurial mindset and a passion for creating new capabilities, delivering client impact, and driving responsible AI adoption.

Are You Ready to Discover Your Purple?

We recognize that exploring an opportunity at this level requires discretion. All conversations and expressions of interest will be handled with the highest level of confidentiality and respect for your current commitments.

Doane Grant Thornton is committed to employment equity, human rights and respectful workplace principles throughout the life cycle of employment, including at the recruitment and hiring stages. We welcome applications from members of all equity deserving groups, including persons with disabilities, women, racialized and/or Indigenous applicants. Should you require accommodation in relation to the recruitment process, please notify us by emailing and we will work with you to meet your accommodation needs.