Risk Management & Independence Senior Associate

Grant Thornton is seeking a Risk Management & Independence Senior Associate to join the team. Approved office locations can be found below. 

ICS - Risk Management & Independence Senior Associate

To enhance our international capabilities and to continue to serve our clients that have international operations, Grant Thornton LLP (GT) is seeking a Senior Associate in the Independence Group to liaise with its partners and professionals throughout the Grant Thornton International (GTI) member firm network. The Independence Consulting Senior Associate will play a significant role in assisting our partners, principals, managing directors (PPMDs) and professionals in evaluating new opportunities (audit or other) or existing relationships for a client (or prospect) or an affiliate of one that is subject to independence requirements, including firm monitored private equity firms and portfolio companies. The Senior Associate will also play a role in GT’s adoption and development of global independence quality control requirements adopted by GTI, including independence related policies or processes established by GT.

Collectively, the US Independence Group is responsible for monitoring the activities of the various independence standard setters and regulatory bodies, including the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, Securities Exchange Commission, Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, International Federation of Accountants, Government Accountability Office, and Department of Labor.

This role will apply need to apply a broad knowledge of professional standards to assist engagement teams in evaluating or monitoring independence and assisting others in the Independence with the development of GT independence policies and quality control processes. The Senior Associate should be comfortable working in a team environment within Independence or other GT groups (e.g., Private Equity, etc.) and to also be able to work independently. The Senior Associate must manage competing priorities in a rapidly growing, fast-paced, interactive, results-based team environment.

The Independence Group is responsible for liaising with quality control representatives from client serving lines and with independence or risk management representatives from other GTI member firms to discuss the ramifications of professional services, business relationships and other matters on our firm’s independence and ethical responsibilities. The Senior Associate will play a significant role in assisting our PPMDs and professionals in advising or performing relationship checks (audit or non-audit) by using the Relationship Checking System (RCS) and assist with processing independence confirmation requests throughout the GTI network.

Furthermore, the Independence Group is responsible for publication of independence policies and processes throughout the firm as well as development of training courses and independence related resources to enhance our professionals understanding of applicable new requirements due to changes made by regulators or firm policy. This Senior Associate will assist in developing and maintaining independence related publications, and involvement in developing and presenting independence related training. The Senior Associate will also be involved in internal consultations to assist engagement teams with their independence related questions as it relates to nonaudit services or business relationships (or other areas), therefore, the Senior Associate will need to understand and apply the more restrictive of the independence rules to a particular fact situation to enable firm PPMDs and professionals to make appropriate business decisions.

The successful candidate must have strong interpersonal skills and able to effectively communicate to the firm’s broad practitioners in diverse disciplines, such as assurance, tax, advisory services, litigation support services, risk and recovery, and other practices.

 Job Responsibilities

• Consult with PPMDs and professionals on the application of independence standards to a particular fact situation (e.g., scope of services, business relationships, employment, personal compliance).
• Perform various Relationship Checking activities (e.g., processing relationship checks at various stages assisting teams with evaluating relationships reported, etc.) by using RCS.
• Assist in monitoring independence for larger private equity firms for which the firm is maintaining SEC independence.
• Assist in training independence team in INDUS on the application of AICPA independence standards relating to nonaudit services or business relationship for existing and prospective private audit clients to assist engagement teams in clearing private audit client checks, including monitoring and supervising the INDUS team related to this initiative.
• Assist in personal complianc