GTI Sr Director, Advisory

Grant Thornton is seeking an Executive Director, Global Advisory to join the team in Arlington, VA.

Grant Thornton is one of the world’s leading professional services networks with member firms in over 130 countries, 58,000 people and global revenues of $5.7bn. Member firms offer audit, tax, and advisory services to privately owned companies, publicly listed companies, public sector and not for profit organisations, both domestically and internationally. 

Grant Thornton International Ltd (GTIL) is the umbrella legal entity for the Grant Thornton global network of member firms. GTIL sets the strategic direction, convenes member firms, connects global communities, and protects the brand and reputation of the network. GTIL and the member firms will continually improve the sustainability of their operations and strive to make a positive impact on clients, people, markets, and the communities in which we operate, in line with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). 

The Executive director, Global advisory is a senior leader responsible for activating the Global advisory strategy across the Grant Thornton network. The role combines strategic leadership and operational execution to ensure the quality expectations, market demands, and technological needs of the global advisory practice are realized. The Executive director acts as a trusted advisor and change maker to senior global leadership and member firm heads of advisory. Operating with substantial autonomy, the Executive director has significant influence over priorities, resource allocation, and accountability for outcomes.

In partnership with the Global COO, the Executive director drives cross-network collaboration through the sharing of knowledge and best practice and the facilitation of working groups and idea forums for member firm advisory leaders. 

This is a virtual, globally‑scoped role, offering flexibility in location. The Executive director must be able to operate effectively in a remote environment and collaborate across multiple time zones to deliver assigned projects and priorities.

Main responsibilities

Leadership and strategy

• Act as a steward of the Global advisory strategy, translating vision into measurable, scalable initiatives
• Align strategy with quality, capability and technology priorities to ensure long-term success and resilience
• Develop and execute a communications plan tied to the global advisory strategy
• Partner with global and member firm leadership to facilitate multi-stakeholder decision-making
• Develop and manage the annual advisory service line budget, monitoring performance against plan and taking appropriate action to address variances. 
• Oversee global advisory performance tracking and reporting
• Promote a culture of knowledge sharing, respect and mutual success across the global advisory community

Collaboration, capability and stakeholder alignment

• Build and maintain trusted, high‑impact relationships with member firm heads of advisory, supporting their understanding of the global advisory strategy and helping to strengthen cross‑network collaboration.
• Identify, own and actively manage opportunities for GTIL to support member firm advisory priorities, ensuring consistent alignment with global network and advisory strategies
• Develop and drive execution of mechanisms to spotlight advisory capabilities available across the network
• Promote knowledge-sharing and adoption of leading practices
• Connect advisory practitioners from across the network via steering committees, working groups, and leadership forums in response to member firm needs

Quality, policy and risk mitigation

• Oversee, identify and implement opportunities to drive efficiencies for the advisory authorisation processes and ensure alignment with other global service line processes
• Act as the central interface between global teams and member firms on authorisations, including supporting remediation and consistency of outcomes
• Engage with the global quality team to provide feedback into and receive results from advisory GTARs 
• Lead the development and adoption of global advisory standards, methodologies, and tools
• Ensure consistent, clear communication of policy expectations across the network
• Oversee the design, operation, and effectiveness of advisory-related controls within the quality management framework, including ISQM 1

Technology enablement

• Own and maintain the advisory technology roadmap in consultation with global member firm advisory leaders
• Represent advisory interests in vendor governance, procurement, risk, and asse