Value Creation Associate - Summer 2027

Why become a Value Creation Associate at Grant Thornton | Stax Transactions?

Grant Thornton | Stax Transactions helps private equity and growth-focused companies identify and execute opportunities to improve business performance. As a Value Creation Associate, you will support high-impact engagements focused on revenue growth, EBITDA expansion, commercial excellence, pricing, go-to-market strategy, performance improvement, operational improvement and integration and separations.

Recognized as a top workplace, Grant Thornton | Stax Transactions has been named to the 2025 Vault Consulting 50 Best Firms, Management Consulted's Top Ranked Consulting Firms 2025, and Consulting Magazine's 2025 Best Firms to Work For.

As a member of the Value Creation team, you will assist clients by applying structured problem-solving, research, data analysis, financial modeling, and strategic thinking to a variety of client engagements. Our professionals work with private equity sponsors and portfolio company leaders to help identify growth opportunities, improve commercial and operational performance, quantify financial and synergy impact across the deal lifecycle and support actionable implementation plans.

You will gain exposure to client-facing strategy consulting work while developing core consulting skills in market research, business analysis, financial modeling, presentation development, and project execution. Through hands-on experience and mentorship, you will build the analytical, communication, and critical-thinking skills needed to help solve complex business problems and support measurable client outcomes.

Your day-to-day may include:

• Supporting client engagements focused on revenue growth, pricing optimization, sales effectiveness, commercial strategy, go-to-market strategy, and operational performance improvement.
• Supporting operational due diligence, cost optimization, synergy assessment, and integration and carve-out engagements.
• For integration and separations, supporting day-to-day mechanics of a workstream - building and maintaining Excel schedules, tracking data requests, source-checking analyses, and quality-controlling deliverables before partner review.
• Gathering, organizing, and analyzing financial, operational, customer, market, and sales-related data.
• Supporting primary research efforts, including interview preparation, phone interview synthesis, survey analysis, and web-based research.
• Using data visualization and AI-enabled analysis tools to accelerate research, synthesize large datasets, and sharpen client insights.
• Assisting in the development of financial models and analyses to estimate revenue, EBITDA, and operational impact.
• Supporting the development of client-ready presentations, workpapers, analyses, and deliverables.
• Assisting with the development of actionable recommendations, implementation plans, and performance improvement roadmaps.
• Attending client working sessions and interviews, capturing notes and synthesizing takeaways for the team.
• Learning Grant Thornton | Stax Transactions methodologies, tools, and approaches for value creation and strategy consulting.
• Developing project management, communication, analytical, and leadership skills through client service experiences.
• Receiving hands-on mentoring, career coaching, and professional development opportunities.

You have the following technical skills or qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Economics, Finance, Accounting, Data Analytics, Strategy, Marketing, Management, or a related field preferred.
• Minimum overall GPA of 3.0/4.0.
• Must be authorized to work in the U.S. without the need for employment-based visa sponsorship now or in the future. No visa sponsorship is available for this position.
• Interest in strategy consulting, private equity, value creation, commercial excellence, pricing, growth strategy, financial analysis, M&A and transaction support, and operational improvement.
• Strong structured problem-solving and analytical capabilities.
• Ability to conduct research, synthesize findings, and translate analysis into clear insights.
• Foundational financial modeling and Excel skills, with interest in developing the ability to quantify revenue, EBITDA, and operational impact.
• Strong PowerPoint skills and ability to support the development of client-ready presentations.
• Familiarity with data visualization tools and comfort using AI-enabled tools to accelerate research and analysis.
• Excellent analytical, written and verbal communication, and interpersonal skills.
• Detail-oriented and organized, with the ability to manage multiple priorities effectively in a fast-paced, team-based environment.
• High initiative, intellectual curiosity, and a collaborative mindset that welcomes different perspectives and continuous learning.

The base salary for this position in the firm's Chicago, Illinois office is $105,000 per year.

At Grant Thornton, we believe in making business more personal and building trust into every result - for our clients and you. Here, we go beyond your expectations of a career in professional services by offering a career path with more: more opportunity, more flexibility, and more support. It's what makes us different, and we think being different makes us better.

In the U.S., Grant Thornton delivers professional services through two specialized entities: Grant Thornton LLP, a licensed, certified public accounting (CPA) firm that provides audit and assurance services ― and Grant Thornton Advisors LLC (not a licensed CPA firm), which exclusively provides non-attest offerings, including tax and advisory services.

In 2025, Grant Thornton formed a multinational, multidisciplinary platform with Grant Thornton Ireland. The platform offers a premier Trans-Atlantic advisory and tax practice, as well as independent American and Irish audit practices. With $2.7 billion in revenues and more than 50 offices spanning the U.S., Ireland and other territories, the platform delivers a singular client experience that includes enhanced solutions and capabilities, backed by powerful technologies and a roster of 12,000 quality-driven professionals enjoying exceptional career-growth opportunities and a distinctive cross-border culture.

Grant Thornton is part of the Grant Thornton International Limited network, which provides access to its member firms in more than 150 global markets.