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Ernst & Young

Ernst & Young

Provides consulting, assurance, and tax services

Assistant Director

Full-Time
No salary listed
Expert
MBA
London, UK
In Person

The role may also be based in Manchester, Bristol, or Scotland.

About the job

Requirements
  • An understanding of project finance and privately financed infrastructure, including debt and equity structures, risk allocation, procurement models, and investor and lender requirements.
  • An understanding of United Kingdom infrastructure markets, including regulated asset models, regulated asset base structures, public-private partnerships and concessions, and availability-based structures.
  • Ability to lead complex client engagements, manage senior stakeholders, and make sound commercial judgments.
  • Ability to interpret complex financial analysis and challenge modelling outputs to support strategic client decisions.
  • Business development capability, including relationship development and proposal leadership.
  • Strong team leadership, coaching, and project management capability.
  • High-quality written and verbal communication, including board-level reports and senior stakeholder presentations.
  • Ability to thrive in a flexible working environment as part of a diverse and dynamic team.
Responsibilities
  • Lead small and dynamic teams to provide expert financial, commercial, and strategic advice to clients on transactions and financial strategy.
  • Develop and nurture a sector network to support business development activity.
  • Help clients make informed and robust evidence-based decisions through option appraisals.
  • Oversee and challenge complex financial models, including financing structures, affordability, value for money, sensitivity analysis, and scenario analysis.
  • Develop debt and equity competition processes, including lender engagement, assessment criteria, market sounding, term sheet development, and financing documentation.
  • Structure and advise on procurements, including evaluating bids received for projects on behalf of project sponsors and helping sponsors draft bids for infrastructure investment provisions.
  • Present impactful reports to senior client stakeholders to facilitate effective decision making.
  • Drive key business development activities, including EY’s wider growth strategies.
  • Lead and take ownership of origination and sales.
  • Contribute to sector thought leadership and help shape EY’s perspective on financing major transactions.
  • Build and maintain senior client relationships across government and the private sector.
  • Support the development and coaching of junior team members.
Desired Qualifications
  • An advanced professional financial qualification, such as Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy, Chartered Accountant, Associate Chartered Accountant, Chartered Financial Analyst, or Master of Business Administration.
  • Extensive practical experience within the United Kingdom public and infrastructure sectors.

About the company

EY (Ernst & Young) is a global professional services firm that provides consulting, assurance, tax, and transaction advisory services across industries such as energy, healthcare, financial services, and real estate. Its work centers on helping clients solve critical business challenges by offering high-value advisory support in areas like supply chain, cybersecurity, sustainability, and digital transformation; revenue comes from fees for consulting, audit, and advisory services. What sets EY apart is its breadth of services across multiple disciplines, deep industry knowledge, and emphasis on thought leadership and research to inform clients’ strategic decisions. The firm aims to help organizations improve operational efficiency, navigate regulatory environments, and stay ahead of market trends by delivering practical, evidence-based guidance and execution support.

Company Size

10,001+

Company Stage

N/A

Total Funding

N/A

Headquarters

London, United Kingdom

Founded

1991

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Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • EY.ai Agentic for Sales launched March 2, 2026 with Snowflake and Canva.
  • EY uses client-zero deployments, scaling Copilot across 400,000 people by May 2026.
  • EY’s 2026 AI assurance push monetizes client demand for governance, controls, and risk reviews.

What critics are saying

  • Sabah filed RM2.4 billion audit-negligence claims against EY on July 30, 2026.
  • EY set aside £188 million in March 2026 after NMC, Shell, and Made.com scrutiny.
  • Repeated audit failures can destroy trust, trigger client defections, and shrink the franchise permanently.

What makes Ernst & Young unique

  • EY Canvas processes 1.4 trillion journal-entry lines across 160,000 global audits.
  • EY-Microsoft invested US$1b+ in May 2026 to industrialize enterprise AI delivery.
  • EY launched agentic audit AI on April 7, 2026, spanning Assurance and AI assurance.

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Benefits

Professional Development Budget

Flexible Work Hours

Remote Work Options

Company News

Yahoo Finance
Aug 31st, 2026
EY commits $100M to bonuses rewarding human skills alongside AI adoption

Ernst & Young's US division is allocating $100 million this fiscal year to bonus payments rewarding employees who demonstrate adaptability, innovation, and judgement. Individual spot awards reach $500, whilst employees or teams making significant contributions can receive between $10,000 and $25,000, five times the previous programme's ceiling. The initiative also covers AI experimentation. "What we recognise signals what we value," said Ginnie Carlier, chief talent and culture officer for EY Americas. The bonuses form part of a broader strategy to reshape employee development across all career levels. Other professional services firms are pursuing similar approaches. KPMG restructured its audit internship this summer to emphasise critical thinking, whilst PwC US introduced training combining AI proficiency with human qualities like empathy. EY reported AI-related revenue grew 30% year-over-year in 2025.

Consultancy.eu
Aug 28th, 2026
EY-Parthenon acquires Dutch digital strategy consultancy SparkOptimus

EY-Parthenon has acquired SparkOptimus, a Dutch digital strategy consultancy founded in 2010. The Amsterdam-based firm employs around 50 consultants and specialises in AI transformation, digital business model redesign and technology-driven transformation. SparkOptimus founders Alexandra Jankovich and Tom Voskes, both former McKinsey consultants, said joining EY-Parthenon will create significant value for clients and staff whilst providing access to broader capabilities. The acquisition marks EY-Parthenon's first European deal since 2021. EY-Parthenon, established in 2014, is EY's strategy consulting and transactions advisory business with around 25,000 professionals globally. Mark Reich, Partner at EY-Parthenon Netherlands, said SparkOptimus' expertise will complement existing capabilities in the Dutch market. The deal closes on 1 September 2026. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Yahoo Finance
Aug 18th, 2026
KPMG and EY win $579M UK civil servants training contract despite consultancy spending pledge

The UK Government has awarded a contract worth up to £456 million to KPMG and EY to train civil servants, the Financial Times reported, citing government procurement tracker Tussell. Under the arrangement, the firms will train officials across various skills areas, including AI, between 2026 and 2028. KPMG's share is capped at £319 million, representing almost a quarter of its total UK advisory net sales from last year. EY's portion is worth £137 million, equivalent to around 13% of its UK consulting revenue. The deal is the largest single contract awarded to Big Four companies since Tussell started tracking records in 2012. The previous record was a £322 million deal between the Foreign Office and PricewaterhouseCoopers in 2012.

Business Insider
Jul 30th, 2026
EY's 'invisible' AI router cuts token costs by 60% by directing queries to cheaper models

EY has introduced an "invisible" AI router to manage internal AI spending, helping cut token consumption by up to 60% since its April rollout. The router sits behind specialised AI tools and directs employee queries to the most appropriate model for each task, rather than defaulting to the most powerful option. Token costs have become a growing concern as AI providers increasingly charge based on usage. EY's AI Pulse survey found that 82% of senior leaders at companies investing in AI were worried about token usage. The router has been deployed on department-specific platforms, including tax and risk functions, though not on the general Microsoft Copilot chatbot available to all staff. EY has also implemented token budgets based on employees' roles and departments. The firm's global consulting AI leader Dan Diasio said companies should focus AI investment on areas with the deepest impact rather than spreading resources thinly.

Yahoo Finance
Jul 29th, 2026
FRC fines EY $1.5M over Made.com audit failures before 2022 collapse

The UK's Financial Reporting Council has fined EY nearly £1.2m and audit partner Julie Carlyle £49,000 for failings in their 2021 audit of Made.com. Both received severe reprimands for breaching international auditing standards regarding going concern and deferred tax assets. The FRC said the auditors relied on management forecasts without sufficient challenge or adequate testing. Made.com, an online furniture retailer that listed on the London Stock Exchange in June 2021, entered administration in November 2022 after reporting a £35.3m loss. EY later disclaimed its opinion on Made.com's 2022 interim statements due to material uncertainty about the company's ability to continue operating.