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.
MORE THAN YOU EXPECTED
Grant Thornton UK LLP is part of a global network of independent audit, tax and advisory firms, made up of some 58,000 people in over 135 countries. We're a team of independent thinkers who put quality, inclusion and integrity first. All around the world we bring a different experience to our clients. A better experience. One that delivers the expertise they need in a way that goes beyond. Personal, proactive, and agile. That's Grant Thornton.
NEWGROUND WON’T BREAK ITSELF.
Everyday our teams help people in businesses and communities to do what is right and achieve their goals.
The Support Desk Executive provides in depth, knowledge led support to the business on people processes and contractual changes. Sitting above the administration tier, the role applies sound judgement to policy, contractual and process questionsunderpinned by knowledge ofGrant ThorntonUK LLPstructures, systems and ways of working. It acts as a trusted point of guidance for people managers, employees and helps maintain accuracy and consistency across people data and transactions.
We’rehappy to talk flexible working and consider reduced hoursand job shares,we’ll support you to balance your work and life.
Alook intothe role
Asa Support Desk Executivewithinourteam, you will:
Advisory and guidance
Act as a knowledgeable first point of contact for people managers, employees and stakeholders, resolving people queries directly where possible and applying judgement rather than simply signposting. This means understanding not just what a policy says, but how it applies to a particular situation.
Policy interpretation and application-Read across the firm's people policies and apply them to real situations, including the grey areas where more than one policy is in play or the answer is not immediately obvious.
One touchpoint guidance -Resolve queries fully at first contact wherever possible, reducing the need to hand off or escalate and givingPeoplemanagers andour peoplea clear, complete answer.
Contractual guidance- Advise on the practical effect of contractual terms for example notice periods, working patterns and changes to terms and explain what can and cannot be changed and how.
People manager guidance-Support people managers,helping them understand processes and their responsibilities, and guiding them through tasks they complete themselves.
Holiday, leaver and pay queries-Handle queries on holiday entitlement and balances, the leaver processand pay related questions, recognising where a query has a contractual or compliance dimension that needs care.
Moments that matter- Provide informed support across the firm's employee experience and wellbeing touchpoints, applying the same accuracy and consistency expected elsewhere in the role.
Systems, data and process
Apply technical knowledge of the firm's people systems to keep data accurate, investigate where transactions have gone wrong, and help the wider team work more effectively. This part of the role calls for an understanding of how the systems fit together, not just how to complete individual tasks.
Understand how data connects-Recognise how people data flows through systems and the impact when something changes.
Investigate and fix issues-Identify and resolve transactions that haven’t worked as expected, getting to the root cause.
Take an endtoend view-Understand how processes fit together so you can diagnose issues in contextrather than in isolation
Reporting and integrations- Produce and interpret reporting, and understand how data integrates between systems, including the impact when something changes upstream.
Optimisation and the feedback loop-Identifyopportunities to improve and simplify processes and feed these back through the process feedback loop so the team continually improves.
Knowing you’reright for us
Joiningus asa Support Desk Executive,theminimumcriteriayou’ll needis
Strongworking knowledge of HR policy, contractual terms and people processes
Experience advising managers and employees on people queries
Confident user of Workday, with the ability to investigate and correct transactions
Highattention to detail and a focus on data quality
Clear written and verbal communication
Ability to manage a varied workload and prioritise effectively
Itwould be great if you had some of the following skills, but don’t worryifyou don’t tick every box,we’ll help you develop along the way.
CIPD qualification, or working towards one
Experience of reporting, integrations or process improvement
Experience working across a multi-location or shared services team
Knowing we’re right for you
Embracing uniqueness, the culture at Grant Thornton thrives on the contributions of all our people, we never settle for what is easy, we look beyond to deliver the right thing, for everyone. Building an inclusive culture, where we value difference and respect our colleagueshelps our people to perform at the best of their ability and realise their potential.
Our open and accessible culture means you’ll interact with leaders who are interested in you and everything you bring to our firm. The things that set you apart, we value them. That’s why we give you the freedomto bring your whole self to workand pursue your passions inside and outside of work.
We’re also committed to supporting you through different life stages, with a range of family friendly and wider leave policies. You can find full details of our reward, benefits and leave policies on our website: Reward and benefits.
Beyond the job
Life is more than work.The things you do, and the people you’re with outside of work matter, that’swhy we’rehappy to look at flexible working options for all our roles, and we’ll always do our best to keep your work and life in balance
The impact you can make here will go far beyond your day job. From secondments, to fundraising for local charities, or investing in entrepreneurs in the developing world, you’ll be giving back to societyIt’s that drive to do the right thing that runs through our every move, grounded in our firm’s values – purposefully driven, actively curious and candid but kind.
We’re looking for people 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.
#LI-ME1
When choosing an advisor, you could accept the usual compromises.
Alternatively, you can find people that aren’t afraid to break with the norms to provide a more rewarding experience. With people that leave you feeling smart, not smarting.
The UK member firms of Grant Thornton are part of a global network that employs over 76,000 people in 150 countries. We combine global scale with local insight and understanding to give you the assurance, tax, and advisory services you need to realise your ambitions.
We go beyond business as usual, so you can too. We make business more personal by investing in building relationships. Whether you’re growing in one market or many, you consistently get a great service you can trust. We work at a pace that matters – yours – bringing both flexibility and rigour. We celebrate fresh thinking and diverse perspectives to bring you proactive insights and positive progress.
Ready to go beyond? Visit our website for insight on what we can offer you.
© 2025 Grant Thornton UK LLP and Grant Thornton UK Advisory & Tax LLP. All rights reserved.
‘Grant Thornton’ refers to the brand under which the Grant Thornton member firms provide assurance, tax and advisory services to their clients and/or refers to one or more member firms, as the context requires. Grant Thornton UK LLP and Grant Thornton Advisory & Tax LLP are member firms of Grant Thornton International Ltd (GTIL). GTIL and the member firms are not a worldwide partnership. GTIL and each member firm is a separate legal entity. Services are delivered by the member firms. GTIL does not provide services to clients. GTIL and its member firms are not agents of, and do not obligate, one another and are not liable for one another’s acts or omissions. This publication has been prepared only as a guide. No responsibility is accepted by us for loss occasioned to any person acting or refraining from acting as a result of any material in this publication.
