Director, Finance Strategy Lead

Grant Thornton•New York, NY

5d•$185,000 - $278,000•Hybrid

About The Position

Grant Thornton is building a world-class Finance & Accounting organization to power decisions, performance, and growth across an increasingly global business. As Director, Finance Strategy Lead, you will be a key member of the CFO organization – reporting directly to the Chief Financial Officer and serving as a trusted strategic and analytical partner on the firm's most significant financial decisions. In this role, you will lead the development of Grant Thornton's enterprise-wide finance strategy – spanning long-range financial planning, capital allocation, and corporate development – helping translate the firm's ambitious growth agenda into a clear, disciplined financial roadmap. You will partner closely with the CFO, ELT, and Board to shape the financial narrative behind the firm's transformation, bringing structure, rigor, and foresight to strategic decision-making as Grant Thornton scales into a truly global professional services platform.

Requirements

15+ years of progressive finance experience spanning corporate finance, FP&A, investment banking, private equity, corporate development, or management consulting, including significant people and organizational leadership.
Proven track record serving as a strategic finance partner to a CFO, CEO, or senior executive team, with direct ownership of enterprise-wide financial strategy.
Substantial experience leading M&A activity, including deal evaluation, valuation, financial due diligence, and post-merger integration – ideally within a high-growth, acquisitive environment.
Demonstrated experience building and leading long-range financial plans, capital allocation frameworks, and multi-year strategic roadmaps.
Extensive experience preparing and delivering Board-level and investor-facing financial materials, including experience working alongside private equity or institutional investors.
Advanced financial modeling, valuation, and analytical capabilities, with fluency across capital markets, M&A, and corporate finance concepts.
Advanced Excel and PowerPoint; experience with enterprise planning, consolidation, and BI tools.
Exceptional executive presence and communication skills, with a demonstrated ability to influence C-suite and Board-level audiences.
Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, or a related field; MBA, CFA, or CPA strongly preferred.
Experience operating within a private equity-backed or newly public environment, with a clear understanding of institutional investor expectations and reporting requirements.

Nice To Haves

Experience within professional services, financial services, or a similarly complex, multi-entity organization.
Familiarity with global or multi-national finance operations, including cross-border M&A and integration.
Experience with enterprise planning platforms (e.g., Anaplan, OneStream, Adaptive Insights) and financial consolidation tools.
Track record of building or scaling a finance strategy, corporate development, or FP&A function from the ground up.
Experience partnering with growth-oriented investment firms or private equity sponsors on portfolio company financial strategy.
Prior experience in an economics, strategy, or corporate development role at a top-tier consulting firm, investment bank, or private equity firm.

Responsibilities

Lead the development and continuous refinement of Grant Thornton's multi-year finance strategy, aligning financial priorities with the firm's broader growth and transformation agenda.
Serve as a direct strategic advisor to the CFO on enterprise-wide priorities, capital allocation, and long-term financial planning.
Translate firm strategy into actionable financial frameworks, targets, and investment priorities across the CFO organization.
Represent Finance in enterprise-wide strategic planning forums, ensuring financial rigor and discipline are embedded in the firm's most significant strategic decisions.
Own the firm's long-range financial plan, translating enterprise strategy into a multi-year roadmap for growth, margin, and capital deployment.
Develop capital allocation and capital structure strategy – balancing organic investment, M&A, and return of capital – to optimize long-term enterprise value creation.
Lead scenario planning and strategic stress-testing to evaluate alternative strategic paths, risks, and trade-offs for CFO and Board consideration.
Develop and deliver strategic financial materials for the CFO, ELT, and Board of Directors – including strategy updates, capital reviews, and investor-related reporting.
Build compelling, data-driven narratives that connect financial performance to the firm's strategic priorities and growth story.
Partner with New Mountain Capital and other key stakeholders on financial reporting, performance updates, and strategic communications.
Build and lead a high-performing finance strategy capability, establishing Grant Thornton's Finance Strategy function as a center of excellence.
Partner with FP&A, Controllership, and Corporate Development to standardize financial strategy processes, tools, and governance.
Mentor and develop finance talent, fostering a culture of rigor, curiosity, and continuous improvement.