Client Relationship Executive - Commercial

Grant Thornton (US); San Francisco (CA); Hybrid; USD 190,000 - 300,000; Full time

Job summary

Grant Thornton seeks a Client Relationship Executive - Commercial (Director) to drive growth through strategic relationship management and active prospecting. You will lead pursuit strategies, shape compelling value propositions, and coordinate cross-service line opportunities with Audit, Tax, and Advisory teams.

Facing Board-level buyers, you’ll translate client needs into scalable, differentiated solutions, building a robust pipeline and guiding multi-year engagements within a matrixed

Qualifications

• 10+ years of progressive experience in business development, Audit / Tax sales, complex solution selling, or enterprise transformation pursuits with C-suite/Board-level buyers.
• Demonstrated success building and expanding executive relationships and driving measurable growth outcomes in a matrixed professional services environment.
• Familiarity with Audit / Tax buying processes and the ability to identify Advisory cross-sell opportunities.
• Strong commercial acumen: qualification discipline, win strategy, pricing, negotiation, and executive storytelling.
• Proven ability to translate complex capabilities into clear value propositions and scalable pursuit narratives; comfort operating at the intersection of strategy and go-to-market.
• Working knowledge of Audit & Tax domains (e.g., Assurance, Attestation, Corporate Tax, Indirect Tax, International Tax, Partnership Tax, and related technology-enabled offerings, with the ability to identify relevant Advisory cross-sell opportunities).
• Experience selling and structuring multi-year Audit & Tax engagements.
• Direct experience in professional services firms, with working knowledge of how partner-led, client-service organizations operate.
• Advanced communication and presentation skills (executive-level decks, whiteboarding, facilitatingdecision sessions).
• Bachelor's degree or equivalent professional experience required; MBA or other advanced degree preferred.

Responsibilities

• Active Prospecting & Business Origination: Conduct active, rigorous daily prospecting across assigned accounts, targets, and markets—originating new business through outbound calls, executive meetings, and relationship development.
• Active Prospecting & Business Origination: Meet sales production targets and goals with discipline and minimal oversight.
• Active Prospecting & Business Origination: Originatenew salesopportunities by consistently and systematically initiating contacts; pursue prospects to secure meetings and win referrals.
• Commercial Growth Leadership & Account Strategy: Lead Commercial account and pursuit strategies for priority clients and prospects, identifying new Audit and Tax opportunities and where Advisory cross-sell can expand client value.
• Commercial Growth Leadership & Account Strategy: Act as the deal/solution architect — shaping how GT brings capabilities together into clear value propositions, solution narratives, and commerciallyviableprogram structures.
• Commercial Growth Leadership & Account Strategy: Partner with RMPs, Audit & Tax Growth Leaders, PMDs, and pursuit teams to align client needs to relevant capabilities.
• Commercial Growth Leadership & Account Strategy: Translate client needs into scalable, differentiated solutions; partner with offering and solution strategy leaders to ensure solutions are executable and repeatable.
• Commercial Growth Leadership & Account Strategy: Lead cross-solution opportunity development by identifying where additional Audit, Tax, or Advisory capabilities may strengthen pursuit strategy.
• Commercial Growth Leadership & Account Strategy: Build deep relationships with relevant executives and buyers across client organizations to create new access and generate qualified commercial pipeline.
• Commercial Growth Leadership & Account Strategy: Drive proposal strategies that emphasize measurable outcomes, defined governance, and practical implementation plans (not just scopes and hours).
• Commercial Growth Leadership & Account Strategy: Position GT's full-service approach - uniting data-driven insights, technology modernization, and shared services/outsourcing to deliver speed, efficiency, and ROI at scale.
• Commercial Growth Leadership & Account Strategy: Champion responsible, practical AI adoption in pursuit narratives, coordinating with AI and risk leaders as needed.
• Commercial Growth Leadership & Account Strategy: Maintain strong executive altitude in client conversations (Board/C-suite), aligning pursuits to growth, risk, profitability, and performance priorities.
• Pursuit Leadership & Win Strategy: Identifywinning strategies by deeply understanding client needs; coach pursuit teams through qualification, solutioning, pricing, and closing.
• Pursuit Leadership & Win Strategy: Participate in Audit and Tax services sales presentations and executive working sessions;facilitatealignment across stakeholders.
• Pursuit Leadership & Win Strategy: Negotiate andparticipatein pricing strategy to ensure GT is competitive while protecting value.
• Market Presence & Executive Connectivity: Project executive presence; build effective relationships with senior Partners and C-Suite executives.
• Market Presence & Executive Connectivity: Identifykey decision makers at client and prospect organizations at the C-Suite and Board levels.
• Market Presence & Executive Connectivity: Cultivate relationships across executive networks, industry forums, and alliances to build GT relevance.
• Market Presence & Executive Connectivity: In partnership with marketing, activate events, campaigns, and thought leadership to build pipeline.

Skills

Executive relationship building

Enterprise solution selling

Auditing/Tax sales

Pricing & negotiation

Strategic storytelling

Cross-sell opportunities

Multi-year engagements

Communication skills

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience

MBA preferred

Job description

Job Description

Grant Thornton is seeking a Client Relationship Executive - Commercial (Director) to join the team. Approved office locations can be found below. Grant Thornton is seeking a Commercial Director Client Relationship Executive (CRE) to drive focused growth within Audit and Tax through relationship management, active prospecting, disciplined pipeline development, and strong collaboration across pursuit teams. This leader serves as a client growth strategist and commercial seller, opening new doors for the firm, translating client needs into actionable Audit and Tax pursuits, and identifying Advisory cross-sell opportunities where relevant. identify client needs, create new access to buyers, and advance well-qualified opportunities by aligning client priorities to relevant Audit, Tax, and Advisory capabilities. The Commercial CRE operates at the intersection solution strategy,pursuitleadership, executive relationship management, and cross-service line growth - shaping how capabilities are packaged, positioned, and activated in the market.

Your Day-to-Day May Include:

Active Prospecting & Business Origination (Primary)

• Conduct active, rigorous daily prospecting across assigned accounts, targets, and markets — originating new business through outbound calls, executive meetings, and relationship development
• Meet sales production targets and goals with discipline and minimal oversight
• Originatenew salesopportunities by consistently and systematically initiating contacts; pursue prospects to secure meetings and win referrals

Commercial Growth Leadership & Account Strategy

• Lead Commercial account and pursuit strategies for priority clients and prospects, identifying new Audit and Tax opportunities and where Advisory cross-sell can expand client value.
• Act as the deal/solution architect — shaping how GT brings capabilities together into clear value propositions, solution narratives, and commerciallyviableprogram structures
• Partner with RMPs, Audit & Tax Growth Leaders, PMDs, and pursuit teams to align client needs to relevant capabilities.
• Translate client needs into scalable, differentiated solutions; partner with offering and solution strategy leaders to ensure solutions are executable and repeatable
• Lead cross-solution opportunity development by identifying where additional Audit, Tax, or Advisory capabilities may strengthen pursuit strategy.
• Build deep relationships with relevant executives and buyers across client organizations to create new access and generate qualified commercial pipeline
• Drive proposal strategies that emphasize measurable outcomes, defined governance, and practical implementation plans (not just scopes and hours)
• Position GT's full-service approach - uniting data-driven insights, technology modernization, and shared services/outsourcing to deliver speed, efficiency, and ROI at scale
• Champion responsible, practical AI adoption in pursuit narratives, coordinating with AI and risk leaders as needed
• Maintain strong executive altitude in client conversations (Board/C-suite), aligning pursuits to growth, risk, profitability, and performance priorities

Pursuit Leadership & Win Strategy

• Identifywinning strategies by deeply understanding client needs; coach pursuit teams through qualification, solutioning, pricing, and closing
• Participate in Audit and Tax services sales presentations and executive working sessions;facilitatealignment across stakeholders
• Negotiate andparticipatein pricing strategy to ensure GT is competitive while protecting value

Market Presence & Executive Connectivity

• Project executive presence; build effective relationships with senior Partners and C-Suite executives
• Identifykey decision makers at client and prospect organizations at the C-Suite and Board levels
• Cultivate relationships across executive networks, industry forums, and alliances to build GT relevance
• In partnership with marketing, activate events, campaigns, and thought leadership to build pipeline

You Have the Following Technical Skills and Qualifications:

• 10+ years of progressive experience in business development, Audit / Tax sales, complex solution selling, or enterprise transformation pursuits with C-suite/Board-level buyers
• Demonstrated success building and expanding executive relationships and driving measurable growth outcomes in a matrixed professional services environment
• Familiarity with Audit / Tax buying processes and the ability to identify Advisory cross-sell opportunities
• Strong commercial acumen: qualification discipline, win strategy, pricing, negotiation, and executive storytelling
• Proven ability to translate complex capabilities into clear value propositions and scalable pursuit narratives; comfortoperatingat the intersection of strategy and go-to-market
• Working knowledge of Audit & Tax domains (e.g., Assurance, Attestation, Corporate Tax, Indirect Tax, International Tax, Partnership Tax, and related technology-enabled offerings, with the ability to identify relevant Advisory cross-sell opportunities)
• Experience selling and structuring multi-year Audit & Tax engagements
• Direct experience in professional services firms, with working knowledge of how partner-led, client-service organizations operate
• Advanced communication and presentation skills (executive-level decks, whiteboarding,facilitatingdecision sessions)
• Bachelor's degree or equivalent professional experience required; MBA or other advanced degree preferred.
• Travel up to ~10%, variable by portfolio

Compensation

The total compensation package for this role includes base salary and bonus. The base salary range for this position is between $190,000 and $300,000. Placement within the pay range is at Grant Thornton’s discretion, and it is based on multiple factors, including but not limited to, job-related knowledge/skills, experience, business needs, progression within the role, geographic location, and internal equity. At Grant Thornton, compensation decisions are dependent upon the facts and circumstances of each position and candidate.

About Us

At Grant Thornton, we believe in making business more personal and building trust into every result – for our clients and you. Here, we go beyond your expectations of a career in professional services by offering a career path with more: more opportunity, more flexibility, and more support. It's what makes us different, and we think being different makes us better. In the U.S., Grant Thornton delivers professional services through two specialized entities: Grant Thornton LLP, a licensed, certified public accounting (CPA) firm that provides audit and assurance services - and Grant Thornton Advisors LLC (not a licensed CPA firm), which exclusively provides non-attest offerings, including tax and advisory services. In 2025, Grant Thornton formed a multinational, multidisciplinary platform with Grant Thornton Ireland. The platform offers a premier Trans-Atlantic advisory and tax practice, as well as independent American and Irish audit practices. With $2.7 billion in revenues and more than 50 offices spanning the U.S., Ireland and other territories, the platform delivers a singular client experience that includes enhanced solutions and capabilities, backed by powerful technologies and a roster of 12,000 quality-driven professionals enjoying exceptional career-growth opportunities and a distinctive cross-border culture. Grant Thornton is part of the Grant Thornton International Limited network, which provides access to its member firms in more than 150 global markets.

About The Team

The team you’re about to join is ready to help you thrive. Here’s how:

• Whether it's your work location, weekly schedule, or flex time off, we empower you with the options to work the way that it best serves your clients and your life. Consistent with the firm's hybrid work model, this position will require in-person attendance at least three days per week, either at a GT office or client site.
• Here, you are supported to prioritize your overall well-being through work-life integration options that work best for you and those in your household.
• We understand that your needs, responsibilities and experiences are different — and we think that’s a good thing. That’s why we support you with personalized and comprehensive benefits that recognize and empower all the identities, roles and aspirations that make you, well, you. See how at www.gt.com/careers
• When it comes to inclusion, we are committed to doing more than checking boxes. Explore all the ways we’re taking action for diversity, equity & inclusion at www.gt.com/careers

Benefits

• Benefits for internship positions: Grant Thornton interns are eligible to participate in the firm’s medical, dental and vision insurance programs and the firm’s employee assistance program. Interns also receive a minimum of 72 hours of paid sick leave and are paid for firm holidays that fall within their internship period.
• Benefits for seasonal employee positions: Grant Thornton seasonal employees are eligible to participate in the firm’s medical, dental and vision insurance programs and the firm’s employee assistance program. Seasonal employees may also be eligible to participate in the firm’s 401(k) savings plan and employee retirement plan in accordance with applicable plan terms and eligibility requirements. Seasonal employees receive a minimum of 72 hours of paid sick leave.

Grant Thornton employees may be eligible for a discretionary, annual bonus based on individual and firm performance, subject to the terms, conditions and eligibility criteria of the applicable bonus plan or program. Interns and seasonal employees are not eligible for bonus compensation.

Additional Details

It is the policy of Grant Thornton to promote equal employment opportunities. All personnel decisions (including, but not limited to, recruiting, hiring, training, working conditions, promotion, transfer, compensation, benefits, evaluations, and termination) are made without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, marital or civil union status, pregnancy or pregnancy-related condition, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, citizenship status, veteran status, disability, handicap, genetic predisposition or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law. Consistent with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and applicable state and local laws, it is the policy of Grant Thornton to provide reasonable accommodation when requested by a qualified applicant or employee with a disability, unless such accommodation would cause an undue hardship. The policy regarding requests for reasonable accommodation applies to all aspects of employment, including the application process. To make an accommodation request, please contact [e-mail]. For Los Angeles Applicants only: We will consider for employment all qualified Applicants, including those with Criminal Histories, in a manner consistent with the requirements of applicable state and local laws, including the City of Los Angeles’ Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance. For Massachusetts Applicants only: It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability. Grant Thornton does not require or administer lie detector tests as a condition of employment or continued employment.