Alternatively, Grant Thornton

At Grant Thornton we do things differently - looking to the future, driving ambitious growth and pioneering positive change in our industry. Providing audit, tax and advisory services, we empower clients through strategic insight, curiosity, and genuine partnership. And we empower our people with real opportunity, an inclusive culture and work life balance. A true alternative.

With over 5,000 people in the UK, and a presence in 150 global markets, we're on an ambitious journey, from great to exceptional, and we need the best people to help us achieve our potential. And with that comes the opportunity to help redefine what our industry looks like, and what you want from your career.

Job Description:

Technical Manager AI Consultancy  

NEW GROUND WON’T BREAK ITSELF.

Every day our teams help people in businesses and communities to do what is right and achieve their goals.

We’re happy to talk flexible working and consider reduced hours and job shares, we’ll support you to balance your work and life.

A look into the role

Knowing you’re right for us

We’ve set ambitious growth targets for the firm, and we need the right people to help us achieve these. We’re looking for people who will bring ambition and drive to their role. In changing markets, we need to be able to work at pace and be adaptable to change and to be curious, asking questions of ourselves, each other and our clients to ensure we are delivering the services and quality we expect.

As a technical Manager in our AI consultancy team, you will turn AI ideas into working solutions. You will work closely with clients, listening to their problems and agreeing what to build, but you will spend much of your time hands-on: building proofs of concept (early trials of AI ideas), writing code and guiding the next steps towards a live service.

You will also coordinate technical delivery teams from partner companies and other Grant Thornton firms, either embedded in teams or in some cases, leading them. We expect you to use Claude Code, Claude and other AI tools every day to build faster and to a higher standard, and to check carefully everything they produce.

Key responsibilities
Building and running proofs of concept

• Build working proofs of concept quickly, writing code yourself and using AI coding tools such as Claude Code

• Agree with clients what a proof of concept must show and how success will be judged

• Test results honestly, and explain clearly what worked, what did not and what it means

• Demonstrate your work and present findings to client teams in plain English

Going beyond the proof of concept

• Have a clear view of the path to live: the steps from a working trial to a secure, supported service that people use every day

• Build, or guide the building of, solutions to a standard that can grow beyond the trial

• Apply DevSecOps (building security into how software is built, tested and released) in your own work and in the work you review

• Keep cloud running costs visible and under control, following FinOps practice (managing the cost of cloud services)

Working with partner and delivery teams

• Coordinate technical delivery teams from partner companies and other Grant Thornton firms, agreeing clear roles, standards and ways of working

• Review their code, designs and results, and give clear, constructive feedback

• Work as an equal partner or in some cases, lead colleagues in every location and organisation

• Keep work on track for scope, timing, quality and budget, and raise risks early

Working with clients

• Run interviews and workshops with client teams to understand their problems, their data and how ready they are for AI

• Turn what you hear into clear technical options and sensible recommendations

• Explain technical choices simply to non-technical audiences

• Support senior colleagues with proposals, pitches and follow-up conversations

Producing high-quality work with AI tools

• Use Claude Code, Claude, Claude Design, Claude Cowork and other tools to write code, tests, documents, diagrams and client materials

• Check all AI-assisted work carefully for accuracy, security and quality before it reaches a client

• Share good practice, prompts and reusable code with the wider team

Responsible AI and risk

• Make sure solutions follow responsible AI principles, data protection law (including the UK General Data Protection Regulation, or UK GDPR) and sensible checks on how AI models are used and monitored

• Use only firm-approved tools when working with client information, and follow firm and client rules on how data is handled

• Keep code, client data and access details secure at all times

Joining us as a Technical Manager, the minimum criteria you’ll need is a degree in a technical subject, or equivalent professional experience and experience in building technology or AI solutions. It would be great if you had some of the following skills, but don’t worry if you don’t tick every box, we’ll help you develop along the way.

Essential

• Proven experience in building technology or AI solutions, in a consulting, technology or similar client-facing setting

• Hands-on coding skills, for example in Python, and experience building working prototypes quickly

• Regular, practical use of AI coding tools such as Claude Code to write, test and review code

• A good understanding of how large language models (the technology behind tools such as Claude) work, what they can and cannot do, and how to build useful solutions with them, for example by connecting them to a client’s own information

• Working knowledge of at least one major cloud provider (Microsoft Azure, Amazon Web Services or Google Cloud)

• A practical view of what it takes to move from proof of concept to live: testing, security, monitoring, support and cost

• An understanding of DevSecOps and FinOps principles

• Experience working with, or coordinating, technical teams in other organisations or locations

• Strong problem-solving skills, and the ability to explain technical ideas simply to non-technical people

• Good client skills, including listening, asking the right questions and building trust

Desirable

• Hands-on experience with AI-assisted building tools such as Cursor and Lovable

• Experience with AI agents (AI that can carry out tasks with limited supervision) and with connecting them to company systems

• Experience setting up automated testing and release processes

• Familiarity with data platforms and data governance

• Knowledge of AI regulation and responsible AI frameworks

• Experience with clients in financial services, private equity, the public sector or the mid-market
• Experience supporting bids and proposals

Tools
You will be expected to work confidently with Claude Code and other AI coding tools as we bring them into the team, alongside Claude, Claude Design, Claude Cowork and the Microsoft 365 suite. Experience with tools such as Cursor and Lovable is useful. Which tools you can use on client work depends on firm approval and client agreement, and we will guide you on this. Internal candidates will already know much of our toolset. External candidates should show strong experience with comparable tools and a clear appetite to learn ours quickly. Training and support will be provided.

Knowing we’re right for you

The culture at Grant Thornton is what sets us apart, we’re known for our inclusive culture and creating environments where all our people can flourish. The things that set you apart, we value them, and this helps us all to perform at our best.

Our values are the unwavering principles that shape our daily behaviours and decisions, alongside our drive to do the right thing. We’re looking for people who align with our values and are purposefully driven, actively curious and candid but kind. You can learn more about our values in practice here.

It’s not just about our culture and values, in addition to a competitive salary and reward package, us you’ll also get:

- Tailored development programmes and access to coaching

- Flexible bank holidays – allowing you to celebrate the days that are important to you

-Benefits including pension, life assurance and private medical, additional holiday purchasing and health benefits

- Any benefits giving you access to shopping discounts, gym memberships, financial advice

And more. Visit our benefits section to read more.

 How we work

 We have a trust-based way of working, driven by responsible people who have the best interests of our firm and our clients at heart. Our how we work framework gives flexibility in where, how, and when we work to deliver the best results for our clients, whilst helping you keep a balance between work and life. Life is more than work, the things you do, and the people you’re with outside of work matter, that’s why we’re happy to look at flexible working options for all our roles.  That is how it should be.

We’re looking for people who can help drive the business forward, who want to contribute, spark fresh ideas and go beyond expectations. People who want to be able to proudly do what’s right, for the firm, our clients, our people and themselves. It’s how it should be.