Senior Manager - Equity Compensation

Duties & Responsibilities:

Lincoln’s Senior Manager, Equity Compensation is responsible for overseeing the accounting for the firm’s global equity plans, ensuring timely and accurate financial reporting. This role partners closely with Payroll, HR, Tax, Legal, and external auditors to ensure accurate tracking and accounting under applicable standards (e.g., ASC 718), timely close processes, and strong internal controls. This role requires analytical skills, attention to detail, and strong leadership skills to support the company's financial and strategic goals while maintaining accurate financial reporting.

Key responsibilities include:

• Equity Compensation Accounting & Administration
  • Own end-to-end accounting for equity-based compensation (e.g., stock options, RSUs, PSUs, and other potential equity compensation programs), including grant-date fair value calculations and expense recognition.
  • Manage accounting for plan modifications, cancellations, forfeitures, accelerations, and settlements.
  • Partner with HR and Legal to ensure proper documentation, approval workflows, and compliance with plan terms.
  • Serve as the subject matter expert for employees and internal stakeholders on the administration and mechanics of equity awards.
  • Ensure a seamless employee experience across the equity award lifecycle (grant, award acceptance, vesting, exercise/settlements, withholdings, and departures/forfeiture).
  • Coordinate with third-party equity administrators (e.g., Equiniti, Morgan Stanley Shareworks, e*Trade) and ensure data integrity between systems.
• Financial Close & Reporting
  • Lead monthly/quarterly close activities related to equity compensation and shareholders’ equity, including journal entries, reconciliations, and variance analysis.
  • Prepare and review equity disclosures for financial statements, including roll-forwards, weighted-average assumptions, and equity compensation footnotes.
  • Support SEC reporting requirements including Form 10-Q/10-K tie-outs and equity disclosures.
  • Maintain capitalization table and support equity roll-forward schedules.
  • Support the preparation of equity-related materials for the Board of Directors, Compensation Committee, and management, as requested, including grant activity, share usage, dilution, plan utilization, equity expense and other relevant analyses.
• Tax, Payroll, and Regulatory Support
  • Partner with Payroll and Tax teams on equity withholding, payroll tax impacts, and statutory reporting.
  • Support tax-related accounting such as excess tax benefits/shortfalls (as applicable under the relevant standards).
  • Assist with compliance and reporting related to employee equity programs across jurisdictions.
• Controls, Audit & Process Improvement
  • Maintain and enhance internal controls over equity processes, including access controls, change management, and reconciliation procedures.
  • Serve as primary point of contact for external auditors for equity-related requests and audit support.
  • Drive process improvements, automation, and documentation of equity accounting workflows and policies.
• Cross-Functional Leadership
  • Provide guidance to stakeholders on equity accounting implications of new plans, grants, and transactions.
  • Train and mentor accounting staff or cross-functional partners on equity accounting processes and best practices.
  • Support M&A, restructuring, or financing events as they relate to equity and share-based payments.

Qualifications:

This role is ideal for experienced accounting professionals with a strong background in financial management and leadership interested in a fast-paced environment requiring adaptability and attention to detail. The Senior Manager, Equity Compensation plays a critical role in driving the organization’s financial success and operational efficiency.

Professional and Cultural Characteristics:

• Exceptional organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Strong leadership and team management abilities.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, able to present financial data to non-financial users
• Analytical mindset with problem-solving capabilities.
• Ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Ability to meet company-wide in-office work policy of four days per week.

Experience & Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting required.
• CPA (Certified Public Accountant) or CEP (Certified Equity Professional) preferred.
• Minimum 7 years of increasing relevant experience, with 1-2 years in a managerial / supervisory role.
• Experience with financial reporting, equity accounting, and compliance with U.S. GAAP.
• Familiarity with external audit processes and internal controls.
• Solid proficiency in equity and general accounting software (ie: Shareworks, NetSuite, Blackline).
• Expertise in Microsoft Office Suite, especially Excel (e.g., pivot tables, complex formulas, financial modeling).
• Familiarity with financial planning tools and business intelligence software.

Additional Information:

Lincoln International is not currently hiring individuals for this position who now or in the future require sponsorship for employment visa status.

The salary for this role is $165,000-$185,000 on an annual basis. This salary is only applicable for jobs to be performed in Chicago.

This job is also eligible for bonus pay.

We offer a comprehensive package of benefits to eligible employees.

You can apply for this role through LinkedIn or Lincoln’s Company Page, or through Lincoln’s Internal Jobs Board if you are a current employee.

Note: No amount of pay is considered to be wages or compensation until such amount is earned, vested, and determinable. The amount and availability of any bonus, commission, or any other form of compensation that are allocable to a particular employee remains in the Company's sole discretion unless and until paid and may be modified at the Company’s sole discretion, consistent with the law.