Forensics Solutions Activation Leader Associate Director

EY; Johannesburg; Hybrid; ZAR 1,684,000 - 2,620,000; Full time

Job summary

EY seeks a commercially minded leader to drive growth and adoption of digital forensic solutions across Europe with expansion into APAC. The role focuses on market activation, go-to-market strategies, and translating AI-enabled capabilities into client value.

A strong, multi-market leadership presence is essential to partnering with country and regional teams. The Associate Director will guide teams toward modern, technology-led delivery, expanding revenue and client penetration while

Qualifications

• Proven ability to drive change and adoption across distributed, matrixed teams.
• Strong client network and market-facing relationships that can be leveraged.
• Excellent stakeholder management and executive-level communication skills.
• Sufficient fluency in forensic technology and AI to translate capability into client value.

Responsibilities

• Drive the European growth strategy for digitally enabled forensic solutions and extend to APAC.
• Identify market opportunities and client needs across countries and build market plans.
• Partner with regional leaders to shape go-to-market approaches and priority pursuits.
• Develop market materials and playbooks to accelerate revenue and client penetration.
• Lead the shift to technology-enabled delivery and facilitate cross-region collaboration.

Skills

Commercialisation

Change management

Stakeholder management

Executive communication

Forensics awareness

AI fluency

Job description

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Location

European hubs (flexible)

Level

Associate Director

Employment type

Permanent, full time

Role Summary

We are seeking a commercially minded, market-facing leader to drive the growth and adoption of our portfolio of digitally enabled and AI-enhanced forensic solutions across Europe, with extension into APAC. Our Integrity & Compliance solution is a flagship offering within this portfolio and will feature prominently — but the role spans the wider set of technology-led forensic solutions we need to commercialise.

The central purpose of the role is market activation: helping country and regional Forensics teams move from traditional, manual delivery to modern, technology-led ways of serving clients — and, in doing so, unlocking new revenue. The successful candidate will partner with local leaders to build go-to-market approaches, shape and win opportunities, and accelerate the adoption of new solutions in their markets.

This is a commercial and go-to-market role first. The successful candidate does not need deep, hands‑on technical expertise, but must be fluent enough in forensic technology and AI to speak about it credibly, translate capability into client value, and help territories both commercialise and deliver these solutions.

Strategic Market Development

• Drive the execution of the European (and, by extension, APAC) growth strategy for our digitally enabled forensic solutions, aligned to global priorities and regional targets.
• Identify market opportunities, emerging regulatory trends and client needs to expand the solution portfolio across countries.
• Partner with Regional and Country Forensics leaders to build market plans, go-to-market approaches and priority pursuits.
• Develop practical playbooks, propositions, case studies and market materials that help countries accelerate revenue and client penetration.
• Track market performance and pipeline to focus effort where growth potential is greatest.

Driving Adoption & Commercial Enablement

• Lead the shift from manual, traditional delivery to technology-led delivery — acting as the catalyst for behaviour change across local teams.
• Equip country leaders and teams to confidently position, sell and scale technology-enabled forensic solutions.
• Act as a trusted commercial advisor to country leaders establishing or expanding these offerings.
• Facilitate knowledge sharing and leading practices across Europe and APAC to build commercial momentum and consistency.
• Help local leaders understand — at the right level — how technology, analytics and AI translate into client value and competitive advantage.

Client Engagement & Commercial Leadership

• Support strategic pursuits and priority opportunities across the forensic solution portfolio, including Integrity & Compliance, investigations, monitoring, forensic data analytics, eDiscovery, third-party and regulatory risk, and AI-enabled solutions.
• Help countries shape complex proposals and solution approaches for priority opportunities.
• Identify cross-border opportunities and bring global capability to bear to win and deliver client work.
• Drive pipeline development and revenue growth across priority markets.

Market Presence & Thought Leadership

• Represent the firm at client forums, industry events and internal leadership meetings.
• Champion the firm's perspective on technology-enabled, AI-enhanced forensic solutions.
• Develop market insights and commercial materials that support business development and portfolio growth.
• Deliver compelling presentations and demos for country leaders, practitioners and clients.

Stakeholder Management

• Build strong relationships with Regional and Country Forensics leaders to advance growth objectives.
• Influence senior stakeholders across geographies to back adoption and growth initiatives.
• Foster cross-region collaboration to share resources, opportunities and leading practices.

Qualifications

Required

• Demonstrated success in commercialising services and driving revenue growth within a professional services environment — ideally new or technology-enabled offerings.
• Proven ability to drive change and adoption across distributed, matrixed teams.
• Strong client network and market-facing relationships that can be leveraged.
• Excellent stakeholder management, influencing and executive-level communication skills.
• Sufficient fluency in forensic technology and AI to speak credibly and connect capability to client value — deep hands‑on technical expertise is not required.
• 10-15 years' experience within Forensics, Compliance, Regulatory Risk, Financial Crime, Investigations or related Forensic & Integrity services.

Preferred

• Experience across European and APAC markets.
• Knowledge of Integrity & Compliance disciplines (ABC, third-party risk, monitoring, investigations, ethics programmes).
• Awareness of advanced analytics and AI applications relevant to forensics and regulatory risk.
• Multilingual capabilities (English plus another major European language).

Success Metrics

• Revenue growth and pipeline expansion across the forensic solution portfolio in Europe and APAC.
• Measurable shift from manual/traditional to technology-led delivery in priority markets measured through adoption of technology.
• Increased capability and participation of country teams in selling and delivering technology-enabled solutions.
• Growth in cross-border and multi-country engagements.
• Market-facing assets and thought leadership that support commercial growth.

Working Model

• Hybrid across European hubs; travel 30-50% for client meetings, country activation and leadership forums.

Reports to [confirm exact global reporting line]; close collaboration with Global, Regional and Country Forensics leadership.

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