Go-to-Market Planning & Operations Associate Director, EMEA - Dublin

Go-to-Market Planning & Operations Associate Director, EMEA

Grant Thornton Advisors is expanding across more than 20 markets. As the organisation grows, we are establishing a regional marketing function for EMEA, connecting regional priorities with market plans, investment and global marketing capabilities.

The Go-to-Market Planning & Operations Associate Director, EMEA will be a senior adviser and operational partner to the Head of EMEA Marketing. You will lead regional planning, run the operating rhythm and govern marketing investment across EMEA, providing the analysis and recommendations that shape decisions on priorities, investment, capacity and delivery.

A significant part of the role will be setting up and running the programme that establishes how EMEA marketing operates as a region. You will work across market, regional and global teams to clarify responsibilities and decision-making, bring greater discipline to how budgets and resources are deployed and make it easier for markets to access global marketing capabilities.

The role suits someone with a background in business operations, go-to-market operations or programme management. A marketing background is not required.

Key responsibilities

Regional planning and priorities

• Lead annual and quarterly EMEA marketing planning, bringing global priorities, regional opportunities and market plans into one regional plan.
• Set the criteria for weighing competing demands and recommend where EMEA should invest, deprioritise or change course.
• Represent EMEA requirements in global planning and investment discussions.

Investment, capacity and risk

• Maintain a consolidated view of marketing investment, resources, capacity and delivery risk across EMEA and use it to support regional decisions.
• Design the approach to funding cross-market marketing activity, working with Global Marketing Operations and market marketing leaders.
• Oversee how marketing investment is approved and tracked across EMEA, applying agreed standards consistently.
• Identify where priorities and available capacity are misaligned and recommend what should stop, move or be resourced differently.

EMEA marketing operating model

• Set up and run the programme office that establishes EMEA marketing as a regional function.
• Help design and implement the EMEA marketing operating model, defining how regional, market and global teams work together and where decisions sit.
• Improve how EMEA markets access and prioritise global marketing capabilities and shared services.
• Work with market marketing leaders to embed the model, track how well it works and recommend changes as the function grows.

Leadership decision support

• Establish the regional planning and review cadence needed to make timely decisions and maintain accountability across EMEA marketing.
• Advise the Head of EMEA Marketing on priorities, trade-offs and delivery risk.
• Act for the Head of EMEA Marketing on agreed operational matters, resolving issues within your remit and escalating decisions where required.

Required experience

• Degree in business, finance, economics, or a related discipline, or equivalent professional experience.
• Typically eight or more years' experience in business operations, go-to-market operations, programme management, chief of staff roles or strategy consulting.
• Experience setting up a programme office, planning cycle or operating rhythm across several countries or business units.
• Experience designing or implementing an operating model across global, regional and local teams.
• Experience running budget governance across business units with separate budgets, including funding and moving spend between them.
• Experience advising senior leaders independently, with the standing to challenge them and the judgement to know when to act or escalate.
• Strong analytical skills and the ability to turn complex information into clear recommendations for senior decision-makers.
• Fluent English is required. Another European language would be useful.
• European travel will be required on occasion

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