Assistant Director, Turnaround and Restructuring Strategy, Manchester

EY’s Turnaround and Restructuring Strategy (TRS) team is one of the leading teams of its kind in the market, working with stressed and challenged businesses.  TRS is part of EY’s Strategy & Transactions business, working with companies and stakeholders at times of change, and often at an exciting pace. TRS covers a number of different sub business units and geographies in the UK and you may have the opportunity to work across different teams in your career with TRS.

Our clients can be companies, boards of directors, government bodies or financial stakeholders like lenders or shareholders.  They might be on the brink of a crisis, or simply looking to build greater resilience into their business.  In TRS we work closely with our clients to deliver the financial and organisational solutions that enable them to adapt and succeed or minimise the downside risks that they are facing.

The work involves understanding the drivers of value in a business and problem solving to manage the priorities of competing stakeholders. People who flourish in TRS want to think broadly about what drives value in a company’s performance and the factors that can drive underperformance or failure. Many of our strong performers have moved from other disciplines (Audit, Tax, Forensics) or wider SaT and have varied experience and knowledge which can be applied to a range of project situations
In TRS we are experiencing an increase in demand for our services, so there is real opportunity to develop and grow your career.

Whilst we do work at pace at times, the team is a welcoming and inclusive place with a good balance of hybrid working and an enjoyable team environment, where you can bring your whole self to work.

Your Key Responsibilities 
As a Restructuring Assistant Director, you'll manage the restructuring engagement by defining the engagement scope, in consultation with the Director / Partner, and executing it in compliance with our policies and protocols.  

You will take responsibility for leading engagements, reporting to the engagement Partner or Director, project managing the rest of the team, coordinating deliverables from teams tasked to deal with discreet aspects of assignments, communicating issues to the Partner / Director and driving the project to completion with limited supervision from the Partner / Director.

We’ll want you to be active in establishing and nurturing relationships – both inside EY with different specialist teams across the firm, and externally – for example with client staff or business intermediaries – as relationship-building and having a positive visibility in the market is an important and valued skill in TRS.

You will also fit in to our positive learning culture from day one.  You will bring your existing skills/knowledge and coach people in these where that is relevant and applicable to our work, and you will be valued for your efforts to coach and counsel team members to help them develop.

Skills and Attributes for Success 

• Financial analysis and scenario modelling to support decision making and awareness of the key drivers of corporate failure or underperformance.
• Commercial acumen –using knowledge and insight gained from client work and apply your understanding of the wider business environment.
• Able to identify key issues on assignments and suggest workable solutions. 
• Experienced in presenting findings clearly in reports and other deliverables to clients. 
• Ability to share technical and other knowledge with the team drawing on previous experience and current learning. 
• Demonstrate professionalism and confidence to deal with a range of stakeholder groups and management teams.
• Good project management skills, with the ability to manage more than one assignment at a time and yet still demonstrate quality and consistency of performance in every task. 
• Adapt well to change and have a flexible and positive approach. 
• Desire to support the people development of TRS – contributing to or leading training courses, recruitment, and team / wellbeing activities.
• Strong appreciation of risk management.
• Good market presence and personal network.

To qualify for the role you must have 

• Track record within a recognised Restructuring or Transactions team for a minimum of 5 years. 
• Experience of leading business reviews / diligence projects and formal corporate insolvencies. 
• Professional accountancy qualification.
• Good personal network and the ability to build strong external relationships within the market and across other services, and can actively participate in business development.
• Appreciation of the risks inherent in advising stressed and distressed businesses and their stakeholders.

Ideally, you’ll also have

• People development experience and can effectively supervise, coach and mentor staff.
• Own network of contacts with work providers.

What we look for
We are looking for candidates who are highly motivated, ambitious, and have a passion to be part of a fast-paced, successful transaction team where we encourage everyone to bring their whole self to work.  Being a collaborative team player is important as well as someone who is happy to work flexibly throughout a period of growth within TRS.

What we offer

• Continuous learning: You’ll develop the mindset and skills to navigate whatever comes next.
• Success as defined by you: We’ll provide the tools and flexibility, so you can make a meaningful impact, your way.
• Transformative leadership: We’ll give you the insights, coaching and confidence to be the leader the world needs.
• Diverse and inclusive culture: You’ll be embraced for who you are and empowered to use your voice to help others find theirs.