Central Talent & Capacity Resource Manager Advisory

Grant Thornton UK; Greater London; On-site; GBP 80,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Grant Thornton UK is seeking a Resource Planning Manager within Advisory to lead the strategic resourcing for the business unit across offices nationwide. You will forecast needs, optimise utilisation, and work with senior leaders to align resources with the firm’s pipeline and plan.

You will manage budgets, mentor junior staff, and collaborate with IS, Training, Recruitment and Finance to deliver data-driven MI and risk management for client accounts.

Qualifications

• Five years in resource management within professional services.
• Experience in Advisory or Consultancy Services with stakeholder engagement at all levels.
• Ability to drive resource strategy and manage budgets.

Responsibilities

• Manage a large pool of resources across offices nationally and across business units.
• Forecast future resourcing needs based on pipeline and business plan.
• Collaborate with and challenge stakeholders across levels from trainees to senior leadership.
• Engage with cross-functional teams (IS, Training & Development, Recruitment, Finance).
• Use a resource management system to deploy resources effectively.
• Provide MI insights and data-driven support for strategic direction.
• Build relationships with engagement partners and directors to manage resourcing risk.
• Coach and develop junior team members and share best practices.
• Balance utilisation with development, wellbeing and career progression.
• Demonstrate strong analytical and communication skills.

Skills

Stakeholder management

People management

Analytical thinking

Data analysis

Resource planning

MI reporting

AI tools usage

Tools

Resource management system

MI reporting tools

AI tools

Job description

Job Description

As a Resource Planning Manager in Advisory, within our team, you will:

• Be working in a professional service environment, to support practice colleagues who are client facing, with resourcing solutions.
• Drive resource strategy for your business unit and manage a large pool of resources split across offices nationally and across different business operating units.
• Forecast future resourcing needs based on the firm's pipeline and business plan, so the right people are in the right place at the right time.
• Have a proven ability to work with, collaborate with and challenge stakeholders at all levels of the business, from trainees to senior leadership, on a day-to-day basis.
• Have the ability to engage with and work collaboratively with other customer service lead teams such as IS, Training and Development, Recruitment and Finance.
• Have experience of using a resource management system to manage resourcing effectively across the business.
• Provide MI insights (leveraging AI tools) and deliver meaningful data to our stakeholders to support them in making data driven decisions while supporting your strategic direction.
• Build strong working relationships with engagement partners and directors to manage resourcing risk on key client accounts.
• Have people management responsibility, coaching and developing junior team members and sharing knowledge of best resourcing practice and efficient ways of working.
• Balance business utilisation needs with the development, wellbeing and career progression of the people you resource.
• Demonstrate excellent analytical and communication skills.

Minimum criteria

At least five years’ relevant experience in resource management, ideally within a professional services environment and Advisory or Consultancy Services in particular, with a proven ability to work with stakeholders at all levels, drive resource strategy for your business unit, manage both reactive and proactive resourcing, manage budgets, and lead and develop people.

Additional qualifications and skills

• Works as part of the Central Talent & Capacity Team to ensure effective resource deployment to meet quality and utilisation goals aligned to the firm’s business plan.
• Positive attitude and able to use your own initiative to drive continuous improvements of processes and resourcing principles.
• Lead with a solution driven mindset and be proactive in your approach.
• Proven track record of working as a team and on your own.
• Experience of managing multiple tasks and processes in a fast-paced, high-volume environment.
• Excellent communication skills, developed through regular interaction with senior management and key business stakeholders with the ability to challenge and lead difficult conversations.
• Ability to work to deadlines, SLAs without compromising integrity and accuracy of data.
• Responsible for managing the deployment of specialists locally and across business streams.
• Strives to maximise utilisation and optimise employment spend nationally.
• Manages the optimisation of supply and demand across geographies, reporting regularly to management.
• Manages budgets for the business unit, balancing cost efficiency with service delivery.
• Manages and develops team members, providing coaching and feedback to build resourcing capability.
• Provides clarity and challenge around resource allocation, escalating to senior leadership only where required.
• Works effectively with a range of stakeholders across the business and work in an operational and strategic capacity.
• Takes ownership and responsibility of data accuracy.
• Experience of working with AI tools to enhance data, user experience and insight.
• Carrying out a range of administrative and MI reporting tasks to support the team.
• Acts with integrity and in line with organizational values.

Beyond the job

Life is more than work. We offer flexible working options for all roles and aim to support work‑life balance. Opportunities for secondments, fundraising for local charities, or investing in entrepreneurs worldwide allow you to give back to society.