Finance Project Analyst (III)

Aquent is partnering with a leading global technology company that is at the forefront of innovation, shaping the future of how people connect, work, and live. This organization is renowned for its dynamic environment and commitment to pushing technological boundaries. As a key contributor, you will play a crucial role in supporting the rapid growth and global expansion of this impactful company. Your hands-on expertise in finance and equity operations will directly enable full-time employees to focus on strategic initiatives, process improvements, and the integration of cutting-edge AI, significantly impacting the efficiency and scalability of our client's financial operations.

About the Role: Driving Financial Accuracy and Operational Excellence

We are seeking a dedicated and execution-focused professional to join our client's finance team. This role is pivotal in ensuring the precision and integrity of equity accounting and management during a period of significant headcount growth and global expansion. You will be instrumental in handling critical operational deliverables and reconciliations, directly contributing to the team's ability to innovate and streamline processes. If you thrive in a fast-paced environment and are passionate about leveraging your accounting expertise to make a tangible difference, this opportunity is for you!

Key Responsibilities:

• Provide essential support for core stock-compensation accounting activities, including tracking and processing equity grants, managing vesting schedules, performing amortization/expensing, handling cancellations and forfeitures, and assisting with 409A / Black-Scholes valuations.
• Execute daily and cycle-based equity management tasks, ensuring the timely processing of monthly vesting and granting cycles, as well as ongoing equity exercises throughout the month.
• Conduct weekly (and daily during peak periods) reconciliations across equity management systems, general ledger records, and payroll tax inputs to proactively identify discrepancies and determine root causes.
• Collaborate closely with central payroll operations to obtain and verify tax withholding calculations, W-2 tax data, and payroll inputs, ensuring accuracy and compliance.
• Uphold the highest standards of data integrity and confidentiality when handling highly sensitive personal compensation, payroll, and equity data.
• Utilize AI tools and modern workflows to enhance the accuracy of reconciliations, improve calculation precision, and streamline overall execution, contributing to significant process efficiencies.

Required Qualifications:

• Strong foundational accounting expertise, typically equivalent to 5-6 years of experience, demonstrating a clear "accounting mindset" with a solid grasp of debits/credits and core financial principles.
• Solid functional understanding of ASC 718 (US GAAP stock compensation accounting), including conceptual knowledge of grants, vesting, amortization, and valuation.
• A hands-on execution mindset, eager to act as an individual contributor and execute operational workflows with precision.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills, enabling effective interface and resolution of data issues with internal partners and payroll teams.
• Proven track record of maintaining strict confidentiality and discretion when handling sensitive compensation data.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Hands-on experience with equity platforms such as Shareworks by Morgan Stanley, Carta, or Equity Edge.
• A combined background featuring experience from a Big Four accounting firm along with experience in Big Tech or industry equity operations.
• Familiarity with payroll tax software (e.g., OtPro) or major ERP systems (e.g., SAP, Oracle, NetSuite).
• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Accounting.
• An active CPA license is preferred but not required.
• Comfort and fluency in using AI assistants (e.g., Gemini) to review dataset accuracy and enhance daily work efficiency.