Value Creation Director

Grant Thornton • Chicago, IL

3d • $223,514 - $289,171 • Hybrid

About The Position

The Value Creation Director will lead high-impact engagements for private equity, strategic, and financial clients across industries including manufacturing, retail, business services, healthcare, and software/technology. The role helps establish and advance Grant Thornton | Stax Transactions Practice’s value proposition and operational offering, aligning with the group’s global growth strategy and working closely with Partners leading value creation efforts. The Director develops client-centric recommendations that create tangible strategic value and contributes to the practice’s methodology, diagnostic tools, benchmarks, analytical standards, and thought leadership.

The Director assesses operating models, cost structures, value creation opportunities, capital requirements, working capital, carve-out readiness, and acquisition integration needs during transactions. They deliver findings under deal timelines and coordinate with deal teams, operating partners, and related workstreams. The role also oversees engagements, leads and develops teams, builds client relationships, supports business development, and helps convert diligence work into post-close and portfolio-wide engagements. The position follows the firm’s hybrid work model and requires in-person attendance at least three days per week at a Grant Thornton office or client site. Estimated travel is 25–50%.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in business, finance, engineering, supply chain, operations, or a related field.
• 10+ years of total experience, including at least 5 years in management consulting with progression to project and commercial leadership.
• Industry-recognized professional certification.
• Private equity exposure, including familiarity with portfolio operations and value creation playbooks.
• Buy-side and/or sell-side transaction experience, preferably focused on supply chain, manufacturing, procurement, or operations improvement delivery rather than exclusively corporate or market strategy.
• Demonstrated experience managing, coaching, and developing consulting staff.
• Ability to operate 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%.
• In-person attendance at least three days per week at a Grant Thornton office or client site, consistent with the firm’s hybrid work model.

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 opportunities.
• Analyze and assess cost structure durability, particularly in manufacturing and business services value chains, and identify improvement opportunities.
• Assess whether a target’s operating model can support the sponsor’s thesis, including growth capacity, cost structure durability, and operational risks.
• Quantify EBITDA-bridge value creation opportunities, including sourcing and direct material savings, footprint and network rationalization, labor productivity, indirect and G&A rationalization, and freight and logistics, with sizing, phasing, one-time costs, 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 estimates, 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 under deal timelines; present to deal teams and operating partners; and coordinate with QoE, commercial, and IT workstreams so operational findings reconcile with financial findings.
• 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 broader practice objectives and support team development goals.
• Mentor and develop consultants and managers in diligence methodology, client presence, and analytical rigor.
• Deliver client results and develop relationships to convert diligence engagements into post-close and portfolio-wide work.
• Lead and support pitches, including scoping, proposals, budgets, and work plans, and 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.

Benefits

• Personalized and comprehensive benefits; specific offerings are described on the company’s benefits website.
• Employees may be eligible for a discretionary annual bonus based on individual and firm performance, subject to applicable plan terms, conditions, and eligibility criteria.
• Work-life integration options and flexibility in work location, weekly schedule, and flex time off, consistent with client needs and the firm’s hybrid work model.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director