Corporate Accounting Manager

Benchling•San Francisco, CA

1d•$105,315 - $142,485•Hybrid

About The Position

Benchling is seeking a Corporate Accounting Manager to own employee-compensation accounting, including payroll, commissions and bonuses, stock-based compensation and equity, and employee benefits. The role is accountable for accurate and timely closes, strong controls and documentation, and scalable operational improvements. The Manager leads and develops team members who prepare payroll and compensation entries, reviews their work, and partners with Payroll, HR, Legal, Strategic Finance, external auditors, and vendors. The role is expected to own its areas independently and escalate to the Head of Corporate Accounting by exception. The position also leads equity administration and compensation-system projects, improves close processes, develops accounting policies and procedures, and collaborates with AI & Automation to streamline workflows. Benchling uses a flexible hybrid work arrangement that prioritizes in-office collaboration; employees are expected to work on-site three days per week on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday.

Requirements

At least 5 years of related work experience.
Experience at a Big 4 or large regional public accounting firm is required.
At least 1 year of hands-on experience in a people manager or team lead role.
Strong working knowledge of US GAAP as it applies to compensation, including ASC 718 stock-based compensation, commissions and bonuses, and payroll-related accruals.
Hands-on experience with payroll, commission, and bonus accounting, with the ability to own processes end to end.
Strong MS Office Suite skills, including intermediate to advanced Excel (VLOOKUP, IF functions, pivot tables, and similar tools).
Analytical, skeptical, and curious approach, with the ability to identify and report relevant risks and issues for timely resolution.
Strong organizational skills and attention to detail; ability to prioritize deadlines and manage multiple projects in a fast-paced environment.
Self-directed approach to driving issues and projects to resolution, following through, and communicating and documenting outcomes for leadership.
Concise and effective communication with teammates, leaders at various levels, and external contacts; ability to explain accounting topics clearly and logically.
Reliability, strong work ethic, maturity, and professionalism in handling confidential data.

Nice To Haves

Prior experience at a SaaS and/or public company.
CPA license.
Experience with equity administration platforms such as Carta, 409A valuations, and international pension or benefits accounting.
Experience with commission management tools and ASC 340-40 capitalization.
Proficiency using NetSuite with multi-entity and multi-currency environments, and experience with close management tools such as Numeric or FloQast.
AI fluency and comfort using AI tools such as Claude or Gemini to improve productivity, analyze data, and streamline accounting workflows.

Responsibilities

Own payroll accounting and the payroll close process in partnership with Payroll and HR, and improve related processes.
Review commission, bonus, sign-on, and retention accounting, including accruals, prepaid and deferred balances, rollforwards, and applicable ASC 340-40 commission capitalization.
Own stock-based compensation and equity accounting under ASC 718; review entries and equity rollforwards, and draft and maintain equity footnote disclosures and supporting accounting memos.
Review employee benefits and other employee-related accounting, including workers’ compensation, health benefits, leaves, PTO, and 401(k) liabilities.
Own the 409A valuation process and coordinate international pensions.
Lead equity administration and compensation-system projects, such as adoption of a commission ASC 340 waterfall system.
Review payroll and compensation journal entries, balance sheet reconciliations, GL account analyses, and financial statement flux analyses, and communicate activity and drivers.
Apply GAAP and financial statement knowledge to identify and propose accounting treatment for standard and non-standard compensation transactions; work with Technical Accounting on new or material matters.
Design, document, and maintain Sarbanes-Oxley internal controls over payroll, bonuses, stock-based compensation, and benefits.
Manage internal and external inquiries and prepare audit support for owned areas during quarterly and annual financial statement audits.
Improve close task lists, calendars, and team close performance, addressing operational inefficiencies at scale.
Partner with AI & Automation and use AI tools to streamline compensation accounting workflows, document repeatable processes, and make better use of existing systems.
Develop and maintain policies, procedures, and best practices that strengthen controls and team performance.
Lead, coach, mentor, and train team members preparing payroll and compensation entries; set expectations and review standards, delegate, and support career development.
Collaborate with Payroll, HR, Legal, Strategic Finance, external auditors, and vendors to stay informed about business priorities and build effective relationships.
Cross-train with other Corporate Accounting managers to strengthen team coverage and process resilience.
Own assigned areas end to end with independent judgment and escalate to the Head of Corporate Accounting by exception.
Lead or assist with special projects, such as process memos, compliance filings, and systems implementations.
Perform all activities ethically, prudently, and securely, particularly when handling confidential compensation data.