Finance Project Analyst (III)

Aquent is proud to partner with a leading global technology company that stands at the forefront of innovation, continuously shaping the future of how people connect, work, and live. As a key contributor, your hands-on expertise in finance and equity operations will directly enable this impactful organization's full-time employees to focus on strategic initiatives, process improvements, and the integration of cutting-edge AI, significantly impacting the efficiency and scalability of financial operations and allowing the company to continue its pioneering work.

About Our Partner

Join a world-changing technology leader at the cutting edge of innovation, where you will contribute to advancements that redefine how people connect, work, and live. This dynamic organization is committed to pushing technological boundaries and fostering an environment where groundbreaking ideas flourish and come to life.

About the Opportunity

We are seeking a dedicated and execution-focused professional to drive financial precision within an innovative global technology leader. This pivotal role offers you the chance to ensure the precision and integrity of equity accounting and management during a period of significant global expansion and headcount growth. 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 is your opportunity to directly impact the financial health and operational excellence of a world-changing company.

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.

Must-Have 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.

Nice-to-Have 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 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.