Process Specialist Associate Director/Director - Consulting

Grant Thornton UK; Belfast; Hybrid; GBP 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading professional services firm in Belfast is seeking an Associate Director / Director to lead strategic digital transformation initiatives. This role requires strong leadership, stakeholder engagement, and a proven ability to drive measurable outcomes. Ideal candidates will possess over 8 years of relevant experience and a collaborative mindset, fostering innovation and continuous improvement. A competitive benefits package and flexible working conditions are offered.

Benefits

Performance-based bonus scheme

Employer pension contributions

Health insurance group scheme discount

Onsite gym

Flexibility in working hours

Qualifications

• 8+ years in process improvement operational strategy for Associate Director.
• 10+ years of experience for Director.
• Proven track record of leading enterprise-level initiatives.

Responsibilities

• Drive enterprise-wide digital transformation and process improvement initiatives.
• Influence and collaborate with senior executives.
• Lead governance forums and manage programme risks.

Skills

Leadership

Analytical skills

Stakeholder engagement

Change management

Communication

Education

Bachelor’s degree in business, Engineering or a related field

Master’s degree or relevant professional certification

Tools

Visio

Lucidchart

Miro

Job description

We are Grant Thornton. We go beyond business as usual, so you can too.

In January 2025, Grant Thornton Advisors LLC and Grant Thornton Ireland officially combined to form a multinational, multidisciplinary platform. This platform affords us with trans‑Atlantic advisory, tax and audit practices. Since then we have welcomed other global firms into our network namely, Grant Thornton UAE, Luxembourg, Cayman Islands, Netherlands, Switzerland & Liechtenstein and Channel Islands. With these additions, the platform is growing at pace and now encompasses roughly 13,500 professionals across nearly 60 offices, spanning across three continents: the Americas, Europe, and the Middle East.

Our most valuable asset is our people and this transformational step, combines the expertise and reach of both firms, creating tremendous growth and development opportunities for each individual at our firm. We operate as one team from multiple locations. This gives each employee the opportunity to work on both national and local projects. Our recent merger with Grant Thornton US affords our staff the opportunity to work on exciting global projects.

We work as trusted advisors and are dedicated to supporting clients across the public and private sector bringing our specialist knowledge and global presence to help businesses succeed. Whether it’s collaborating to build thriving communities, working alongside regulators and financial institutions to build trust, or partnering with a diverse range of businesses, we will address the issues that matter most.

At Grant Thornton Ireland we don’t just predict your future, we build it.

A Career at Grant Thornton

If you are looking for a more fulfilling role in professional services, at Grant Thornton, we do things differently. We value fresh thinking, collaboration and diversity, building an inclusive working environment open to all. We are here to support you in the development of your career, provide flexibility where required and respect and value your experience.

We want you to bring your authentic self to work and be at your best – it’s how it should be.

Transformation Excellence

At Grant Thornton, Transformation Excellence is at the heart of how we deliver lasting impact for our clients. We combine deep sector expertise with agile methodologies to drive meaningful change across organisations. Our teams are empowered to challenge the status quo, foster innovation and embed sustainable solutions that align with strategic goals. Whether it's digital transformation, operational improvement or cultural change, we focus on delivering measurable outcomes and building client capability for long-term success.

Job Description & Summary

As an Associate Director / Director at Grant Thornton, you will play a pivotal role in shaping and delivering strategic digital transformation initiatives across the firm and within public sector client environments. You will lead high-impact programmes of work, drive innovation and foster a culture of continuous improvement. This role demands a visionary leader with a proven ability to influence senior stakeholders, deliver measurable outcomes and navigate complex programme landscapes.

Roles & Responsibilities

• Strategic Leadership: Driving enterprise-wide digital transformation and process improvement initiatives, ensuring alignment with organisational goals and public sector priorities.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Influencing and collaborating with senior executives, steering committees and cross-functional teams to ensure strategic alignment and decision-making.
• Programme Oversight: Leading and facilitating governance forums, managing programme risks, dependencies and benefits and ensuring delivery of sustainable outcomes.
• Benefits Realisation: Designing and implementing frameworks to measure impact, track benefits and ensure value delivery across transformation programmes.
• Culture Building: Coaching teams and clients to embed a mindset of innovation and continuous improvement, particularly within public sector environments.
• Digital Delivery: Overseeing the execution of digital-first projects and programmes, leveraging emerging technologies and agile methodologies to drive transformation.

Skills and Experience

Education and Certifications

• Bachelor’s degree in business, Engineering or a related field; Master’s degree or relevant professional certification (e.g., Lean Six Sigma, PMP) strongly preferred.
• Associate Director: 8+ years in process improvement operational strategy, or management consulting, with a proven track record of leading enterprise-level initiatives.
• Director: 10+ years of experience*
• Advanced proficiency in process design and mapping tools (e.g., Visio, Lucidchart, Miro), with experience integrating process frameworks into digital transformation programs.

Skills and Competencies

• Extensive experience in a consulting or professional services environment, with the ability to navigate complex stakeholder landscapes and deliver strategic value.
• Strong leadership in data-driven decision-making, with advanced analytical and problem-solving capabilities.
• Demonstrated ability to influence and collaborate across senior leadership, project teams and external clients.
• Exceptional communication and executive presence, with the ability to translate complex concepts into actionable strategies and foster alignment across diverse teams.
• Proven success in change management, governance, and performance improvement at scale.
• Demonstrated experience delivering transformation programmes in dedicated sectors such as Public Sector, Financial Services or Life Sciences, with an understanding of sector-specific challenges, regulatory environments and stakeholder landscapes.

Life at Grant Thornton

Reward and benefits:

Our reward and benefits are designed to create an environment where our people can flourish. We are committed to building a culture where our people have access to the necessary benefits to help promote a healthy lifestyle and thrive.

We offer an excellent range of rewards and benefits to suit your lifestyle:

• Performance based bonus scheme
• Employer Pension Contributions
• Career progression with an annual promotion cycle (dependent on eligibility)
• Professional subscriptions paid
• Health insurance group scheme discount
• Annual flu vaccination
• Onsite gym (Dublin)
• Employee assistance programme
• Fresh fruit in each office daily
• Bike to Work scheme
• Pay day breakfast
• Be Well initiative
• Travel ticket schemes
• Funded sports and social events
• Life assurance scheme
• Employee discounts

Find out more about the benefits at Grant Thornton here: Our Benefits | Grant Thornton

Flexible working environment

At Grant Thornton we promote a flexible working environment and are currently support a hybrid working model. We also offer employees the opportunity to avail of a compressed working week the Friday before each Bank Holiday and every week from June – August inclusive. This allows employees the opportunity to finish at 3pm on a Friday, subject to client approval.

Equity, Diversity and Inclusion

At Grant Thornton, we provide equitable opportunities for all our colleagues. We are a responsible, sustainable business where Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) are at the forefront of our workplace culture agenda. Today, we continue to build and develop on our existing EDI structure and strategy to meet our workplace culture needs. People are at the heart of our business and teams built with varied backgrounds, racial differences, cultures, sexual orientations, religious orientations, ages, gender identities, abilities and family types present diverse viewpoints which need to be heard and valued.

We are all at our best when we are able to be ourselves and we view integrity and authenticity as integral values to bring to our day-to-day work-life at the Firm. We are excited to see the personality and perspectives you will bring to our team because we know we will all benefit from them. Diversity of thought, background and experience enables better decision-making, improves the quality of our delivery and helps us to meet the needs of our clients. Our Firm is built on people and their ideas, so we want to hear all the new perspectives and fresh thinking you have to offer. You form the bedrock of our Firm’s best-practice principles, and we will champion you as leaders from day one.

Recognition

We want to create a culture of recognition and celebrate success, by saying thank you to people who surpass our expectations and recognising the right values and behaviours. Our Shout Out recognition scheme is our way of highlighting and promoting achievements. Whether you simply want to say thank you, celebrate a special occasion or give an award for doing something exceptional, you can do all of this and more through the scheme. We also offer a defined contribution pension and life assurance.

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