Manager, Demand Operations

Grant Thornton (US); Chicago (IL); Hybrid; USD 112,000 - 168,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work model

Job summary

Grant Thornton is seeking a Manager, Demand Operations to lead inbound lead processes and targeted outbound prospecting. The role focuses on activating priority accounts, accelerating early-stage pipeline, and coordinating with Marketing, CREs, and Sales Excellence to convert interest into qualified, revenue-generating conversations.

The position emphasizes ownership of the early-stage pipeline, data integrity in the CRM, and collaboration across teams to optimize outreach, sequencing, and

Qualifications

• Candidates have 5–7+ years in demand generation, inside sales, or related B2B roles.
• Experience managing inbound lead processes and targeted outbound prospecting.
• Strong written communication for concise inbound follow-up and outbound outreach.
• Strong verbal communication for discovery conversations across industries.
• Experience using CRM systems, sales engagement platforms, and sales intelligence tools.

Responsibilities

• Lead Management & Pipeline Enablement: manage inbound lead process from intake to progression of opportunities.
• Coordinate engagement with leaders and stakeholders to ensure timely lead acceptance and follow-through.
• Drive rapid client engagement by scheduling meetings and preparing briefing materials.
• Maintain pipeline momentum until opportunities are transitioned to sales or delivery.
• Maintain CRM data integrity and monitor SLA adherence for lead management.
• Monitor and improve lead-management performance and escalation when needed.

Skills

Demand generation

Inside sales

Account-based marketing

CRM systems

Sales engagement tools

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Marketing or related field

Tools

CRM platforms

Sales engagement platforms

Sales intelligence tools

Job description

Job Description

Grant Thornton is seeking a Manager, Demand Operations to join the team. Approved office locations can be found below.

Role Summary

The Manager, Demand Operations is responsible for managing inbound lead processes, executing targeted outbound prospecting, activating priority accounts, and accelerating early-stage pipeline. This role oversees the progression of demand from initial intake and qualification through personalized outreach, meeting generation, and successful transition to sales or delivery teams.

The Manager uses buyer signals, industry triggers, persona-aligned messaging, account research, and sales intelligence tools to identify high-potential prospects, prioritize accounts, re-engage dormant relationships, and penetrate whitespace opportunities. Working closely with leaders, CREs, Marketing, and Sales Excellence, the role ensures coordinated engagement and converts inbound interest and targeted outbound activity into qualified, revenue-generating conversations.

Key Responsibilities

Lead Management & Pipeline Enablement

• Manage the inbound lead process end to end, including intake, qualification, prioritization, assignment, and progression of qualified opportunities through established service-level expectations.
• Coordinate engagement with leaders, CREs, subject matter experts, and other stakeholders, ensuring timely lead acceptance, preparation, participation, and follow-through.
• Drive rapid client engagement by facilitating outreach, scheduling meetings, preparing briefing materials, coordinating stakeholders, and monitoring progress against target response and meeting timelines.
• Maintain ownership of early-stage pipeline momentum until opportunities are successfully transitioned to sales or delivery teams.
• Maintain process governance and pipeline integrity by ensuring CRM records, opportunity data, activity tracking, action items, and status updates are complete, accurate, and current.
• Monitor adherence to lead-management SLAs, identify stalled opportunities, and elevate to issues that could delay client engagement or pipeline progression.

Targeted Outbound & Prospect Activation

• Plan and execute structured outbound prospecting sequences to re-engage dormant accounts, activate colder prospects, and penetrate whitespace segments.
• Develop personalized outreach using buyer-signal insights, industry triggers, persona-aligned messaging, engagement history, and account-level research.
• Use sales intelligence, intent, and CRM platforms to identify target contacts, prioritize accounts, and optimize outreach timing.
• Craft and execute professional outreach across approved channels, including personalized email and LinkedIn messaging.
• Test and refine targeting, sequencing, and outbound messaging based on response patterns, conversion trends, and campaign performance data.
• Coordinate outbound activity with priority solutions, industries, accounts, and broader demand-generation programs.

Meeting Generation & Sales Motion Enablement

• Convert qualified inbound and outbound engagement into introductory calls, discovery sessions, and solution-oriented meetings with relevant decision-makers and influencers.
• Provide subject matter experts and engagement leaders with clear, structured pre-call briefs that include buyer context, pain points, engagement history, qualification insights, and recommended next steps.
• Coordinate meeting logistics and stakeholder participation to support effective and timely client conversations.
• Track meeting outcomes, document action items, and ensure downstream follow-up occurs within established SLAs.
• Facilitate clear, timely handoffs by providing sales or delivery teams with the qualification insights and engagement information needed to advance opportunities.
• Work closely with Sales and Sales Excellence to apply qualification criteria, use approved messaging, and enable coordinated sales motions.

Data Integrity, Measurement & Continuous Improvement

• Maintain complete and accurate contact, account, lead, and opportunity information within the CRM, including touchpoints, dispositions, qualification notes, buyer insights, and next steps.
• Monitor inbound response times, outbound activity, sequence performance, connection rates, meeting generation, pipeline progression, and conversion outcomes.
• Identify patterns and gaps in lead quality, account alignment, prospect engagement, routing, and conversion.
• Use performance data and test-and-learn approaches to improve targeting, messaging, workflows, and lead-to-meeting conversion.
• Partner with Sales Excellence and Revenue Operations to strengthen qualification practices, optimize workflows and dashboards, and improve campaign-to-sales feedback loops.
• Other duties as assigned.

Success Measures

• Timely intake, qualification, assignment, and progression of inbound leads.
• Qualified meetings generated through inbound and targeted outbound activity.
• Effective activation of priority accounts, dormant relationships, and whitespace opportunities.
• Conversion of demand activity and prospect engagement into qualified pipeline.
• Speed and quality of lead follow-up, meeting execution, and sales handoff.
• Early-stage pipeline progression and adherence to established SLAs.
• Accuracy and completeness of CRM, activity, and opportunity data.
• Continuous improvement in outreach, meeting-generation, and conversion performance.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Marketing or another relevant field, or equivalent experience.
• Minimum 5–7+ years of experience in demand generation, inside sales, business development, sales development, or a related B2B role.
• Demonstrated experience managing inbound lead processes and executing targeted outbound prospecting and account-activation motions.
• Strong written communication skills, including the ability to develop concise, personalized outreach for inbound follow-up and outbound prospecting.
• Strong verbal communication skills, with the ability to articulate value propositions and support discovery conversations across industries and buyer personas.
• Experience using CRM systems, sales engagement platforms, and sales intelligence tools.
• Strong project management, organization, and cross-functional collaboration skills.
• Ability to manage multiple inbound and outbound motions concurrently while maintaining disciplined follow-through.
• Analytical mindset with the ability to interpret buyer signals, performance metrics, and conversion patterns and translate them into action.

Preferred Qualifications

• Professional services or solution-based marketing and sales experience.
• Experience supporting account-based, priority-account, or whitespace activation programs.
• Familiarity with marketing automation, lead-scoring models, qualification frameworks, and pipeline reporting.
• Experience working across Marketing, Sales Excellence, Revenue Operations, and client-facing teams.

The base salary range for this position is between $112,000 and $168,000. 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

• 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

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. For an overview of our benefit offerings, please visit: https://www.grantthornton.com/careers/rewards-and-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.