SPA Manager/AD

Grant Thornton UK LLP; Warrington; Hybrid; GBP 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading advisory firm in the UK is looking for a Manager to join their Sale and Purchase Agreement Advisory team. The role involves managing client relationships, producing financial analyses, and ensuring risk management on transactions. Candidates must hold a professional qualification and have post-qualification experience, ideally with a background in mergers and acquisitions. This position offers a hybrid working model along with flexible working options to support work-life balance.

Benefits

Flexible working options

Hybrid working model

Qualifications

• Post-qualification experience managing a large portfolio of audit clients.
• Demonstrated understanding of technical issues with potential solutions.
• Experience advising on completion accounts and earn-out accounts.

Responsibilities

• Act as the primary contact for clients in the absence of senior staff.
• Draft letters of engagement and budget estimates for review.
• Produce high-quality financial analysis with minimal oversight.

Skills

Experience with mergers and acquisitions

Financial analysis

Client relationship management

Risk management

Education

Professional qualification (ACA, ICAS, CA, ACCA or CIPFA)

Job description

Role Overview

Our market leading Sale and Purchase Agreement Advisory team at Grant Thornton is hiring at Manager grade to continue our rapid growth! We operate within the wider Deals Advisory and Consulting service line. We are seeking Managers with the technical and commercial skills who enjoy optimising value for clients undertaking acquisitions and disposals. Ideal candidates should have experience working on transactions involving mergers and acquisitions, a thorough understanding of completion mechanisms, enterprise value (EV) to equity value bridges, the financial aspects of a Sale and Purchase Agreement (SPA) and experience in assisting buyers and/or sellers in their preparation or review or dispute of completion accounts and earn-out accounts.

As an SPA Manager/AD you will be capable of handling transactions with minimal involvement of a partner; you must interface with client management, and other professionals; know when to seek advice from other specialists and partners and demonstrate commercial ability. The TAS team within Grant Thornton values its people and offers flexible working options, reduced days, annualised days or term-time working, and a hybrid working model combining office/client and remote time.

Key Responsibilities

• Take a second‑level client relationship position behind associate director/director/partner, and can act as the primary contact in their absence.
• Understand the perspective of different clients on the same job and build trust and respect by responding to client demands and keeping them updated on progress.
• Identify and resolve risk management issues, applying knowledge to manage site issues and involving senior staff and specialists to mitigate risk.
• Accurately draft letters of engagement and ensure take‑on work is completed before associate director/director review and submission.
• Demonstrate understanding of technical issues, offering potential solutions and seeking advice when needed.
• Produce high‑quality financial analysis with minimal input from associate directors.
• Draft fee estimates and budgets for the review by the director/partner.
• Participate in the presenting of conclusions and recommendations to clients, discussing implications and action points.
• Monitor and manage assignment costs versus budgets, including challenging team member time charged to other departments.
• Demonstrate understanding of the firm's products, services and capabilities and actively cross‑sell.
• Show a clear appetite for self‑development through performance reviews and Personal Development Plan (PDP) processes.

Minimum Criteria

Professional qualification (ACA, ICAS, CA, ACCA or CIPFA) with post‑qualification experience, and confidence managing a large portfolio of audit clients.

Desirable Skills

• Experience EV to equity value bridges
• Advising on the financial and accounting aspects of sales and purchase agreements
• Experience advising in relation to the preparation, review or dispute of completion accounts and earn‑out accounts

Benefits and Working Conditions

The role offers a hybrid working model and flexible working options, including reduced days, annualised days or term‑time working. The hybrid approach allows a mix of office/client time and remote working, supporting work‑life balance.