Value Creation Director

Grant Thornton•Philadelphia, PA

About The Position

The Value Creation Director leads high-impact engagements for private equity, strategic, and financial clients across industries including manufacturing, retail, business services, healthcare, and software and technology. The role helps establish and advance the value creation practice’s proposition in alignment with the group’s global growth strategy, working closely with Partners leading value creation efforts. The Director shapes strategy and brings a client-centric approach to developing tangible, strategic value creation recommendations. The position contributes to the practice’s operational offering by advancing methodology, diagnostic tools, benchmark libraries, analytical standards, thought leadership, and integration of value creation insights into broader deal advisory engagements. It also contributes to practice growth strategy, including capability development, hiring priorities, and investment areas. The Director assesses operating models, cost structure durability, value creation opportunities, capital requirements, and working capital. The role also supports carve-out operational readiness and bolt-on acquisition integration, delivers findings within deal timelines, and coordinates with deal teams and QoE, commercial, and IT workstreams. The Director oversees engagements and teams, develops client relationships, supports business development, and mentors consultants and managers. Travel to client sites is estimated at 25–50%.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in business, finance, engineering, supply chain, operations, or a related field.
10 or more years of total experience.
At least 5 years in a management consulting environment, with progression to project and commercial leadership.
Industry-recognized professional certification.
Private equity exposure, including familiarity with standard portfolio operations practices and value creation playbooks.
Transaction experience on the buy side and/or sell side, preferably focused on supply chain, manufacturing, procurement, or operations improvement delivery.
Demonstrated experience managing, coaching, and developing consulting staff.
Comfort operating in a low-data, fast-turn environment with direct exposure to deal partners and portfolio company executives.
Willingness to travel to client sites, estimated at 25–50%.

Nice To Haves

MBA or advanced degree.
Relevant industry experience.

Responsibilities

Help build and advance the practice’s operational offering, including methodology, diagnostic tooling, benchmark libraries, and analytical standards.
Develop thought leadership that establishes credibility with sponsors and differentiates the practice’s operational perspective.
Embed Value Creation insights into broader deal advisory engagements.
Contribute to the practice’s growth strategy, including capability gaps, hiring priorities, and investment areas.
Analyze and assess cost structure durability, particularly in manufacturing and business services value chains.
Assess whether a target’s operating model can support the sponsor’s thesis, including growth, cost structure durability, and operational risks.
Quantify EBITDA value creation opportunities, including savings and rationalization opportunities, with sizing, phasing, one-time costs to achieve, and confidence bands.
Evaluate capital requirements and working capital opportunities, including deferred maintenance, capacity constraints, automation readiness, inventory turns, DSO, DPO, and cash conversion cycle.
Advise on carve-out operational readiness, including standalone cost estimation, TSA scoping, and separation of shared manufacturing, sourcing, and distribution infrastructure.
Support bolt-on acquisition integration, including sourcing synergy capture, footprint consolidation, and back-office integration.
Deliver findings within deal timelines, present to deal teams and operating partners, and coordinate with QoE, commercial, and IT workstreams.
Oversee engagements and provide delivery leadership and hands-on project management.
Guide project teams to meet client expectations and deliver timely, measurable value creation.
Align project outcomes with practice objectives and support team development goals.
Mentor and develop consultants and managers in diligence methodology, client presence, and analytical rigor.
Develop client relationships and convert diligence engagements into post-close and portfolio-wide work.
Lead and support pitch activity, including scoping, proposals, budgets, and work plans.
Participate in fund-level and management meetings with prospective clients.
Collaborate across the firm to bring advisory capabilities to sponsor clients.
Meet or exceed targeted billing hours (utilization).
Perform other duties as assigned.