General Ledger Manager

Topstep•Chicago, IL

8d•$140,000 - $160,000•Hybrid

About The Position

The GL Manager is a hands-on people leader who owns payroll accounting, prepares equity rollforwards, oversees accounts payable (coding and payouts), and performs monthly flux/variance analysis (including COGS vs. SG&A classification review), while also serving as the reviewer of all work performed by the Senior GL Accountants and, by extension, the GL Accountants who report into them. This role manages a team of three -five (two Senior GL Accountants, an AP Specialist, and the GL Accountants) and is accountable for the accuracy, timeliness, and audit-readiness of the general ledger areas owned by the team. This is a leadership role that combines direct ownership of several close areas with day-to-day coaching, review, and prioritization of the broader accounting team's work. As Topstep's finance organization continues to mature, the specific accounts and processes owned by this role may shift; the GL Manager is expected to flex into new areas (e.g., intercompany, cash/bank accounting, leases, or other balance sheet areas) as priorities evolve and to help define ownership as the team scales.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Accounting or Finance.
6-8 + years of progressive accounting experience, including:
Hands-on experience with month-end close across multiple GL areas;
Experience with payroll accounting, accounts payable, and expense classification (COGS vs. SG&A);
2 + years directly managing or supervising accounting staff; and
Experience reviewing the work of others and providing constructive feedback.
Experience with NetSuite or a similar ERP system required.
Proficiency in Excel (pivot tables, VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP, etc.).
Experience with high-volume, multi-entity, or multi-processor environments preferred.
Strong organizational skills and ability to manage multiple close deadlines and direct reports simultaneously.
Detail-oriented with strong analytical and problem-solving abilities.
Effective communicator with the ability to coach staff and work cross-functionally.
Demonstrated ability to bring structure and process discipline to evolving or ambiguous areas of ownership.

Nice To Haves

CPA or active pursuit of CPA preferred.

Responsibilities

Directly manage and develop the two Senior GL Accountants and the AP Specialist, including workload prioritization, coaching, and performance management.
Provide second-level review and sign-off on work performed by the GL Accountant(s) who report into the Senior GL Accountants, ensuring consistency and quality across the full team.
Set daily and monthly priorities for the team in line with the month-end close calendar established with the Assistant Controller and Controller.
Identify staffing, training, and process gaps within the team and recommend solutions to the Assistant Controller.
Hold the team accountable for timely, accurate, and well-documented deliverables; escalate risks or resourcing constraints proactively.
Own execution of all payroll-related journal entries, including regular payroll, subsidiary expense allocations, fringe benefits, and management fee allocations.
Partner with People/HR and Payroll on GL mapping, coding of new departments/entities, and resolution of payroll data discrepancies.
Reconcile payroll-related balance sheet accounts (e.g., accrued payroll, payroll clearing, benefits) on a monthly basis.
Maintain and continuously improve payroll accounting SOPs, including CSV upload templates for payroll, accruals, and subsidiary expense allocations.
Oversee AP coding accuracy across vendors, departments, and entities, including review of the AP Specialist's day-to-day coding.
Provide guidance and approver training so that vendor coding is applied consistently and correctly at the point of entry.
Oversee payout-related AP activity in partnership with the Senior GL Accountants, including bill creation, payout returns, and related AP reconciliations.
Review and approve AP aging, prepared by the Senior GL Accountant, on a recurring basis and ensure aging ties to the trial balance; drive resolution of long-outstanding items.
Perform monthly period-over-period (and budget-to-actual, as applicable) flux analysis for accounts owned by the team, including payroll, AP-driven expense accounts, and COGS/SG&A lines.
Investigate and document explanations for significant fluctuations; distinguish true business drivers from coding or classification issues.
As part of this analysis, review COGS vs. SG&A classification across the chart of accounts to ensure new vendors, expense types, and cost-sharing arrangements are mapped and coded appropriately.
Summarize flux commentary for the Assistant Controller and Controller ahead of monthly and quarterly reporting deadlines.
Prepare and maintain monthly equity rollforward schedules for Topstep LLC and applicable subsidiaries, capturing contributions, distributions, in-kind transfers, and net income allocations.
Ensure equity rollforwards tie to the trial balance each month and are supported by underlying agreements, board/member approvals, and intercompany documentation.
Partner with Legal, Tax, and outside advisors on the treatment of in-kind contributions, intercompany transfers, and entity restructurings impacting equity.
Provide a quarterly summary of equity activity to the Assistant Controller and Controller for review.
Review and approve balance sheet reconciliations, journal entries, and supporting schedules prepared by the Senior GL Accountants prior to Assistant Controller review.
Ensure every account owned by the team has a clearly identified preparer/reviewer, a documented process, and audit-ready support.
Resolve or escalate aged and complex reconciling items surfaced by the team.
Prepare and/or review audit schedules and support requests related to owned general ledger areas, as requested by the Assistant Controller and Controller.
Maintain documentation standards that are audit-ready at all times across the team's owned areas.
Adhere to internal controls and company accounting policies; identify and flag control gaps to management.
Identify opportunities to improve efficiency, accuracy, and consistency across owned close areas and the broader team's workflow.
Leverage NetSuite and related tools (e.g., CSV import templates, reconciliation tools) effectively; support system improvements as directed by the Assistant Controller and Controller.
Partner with cross-functional teams (People/HR, FP&A, Treasury, Product/Engineering) to ensure payroll, AP, and other data flows accurately into the general ledger.
As Topstep's finance team continues to grow and evolve, the responsibilities of this role may expand or shift over time. Depending on business needs, this may include additional ownership areas such as equity rollforwards, intercompany accounting, cash/bank reconciliations, leases, fixed assets, or other balance sheet areas currently owned elsewhere on the team.
The GL Manager may be asked to take on ad hoc projects or other duties as assigned by the Assistant Controller or Controller. This role requires flexibility and a willingness to support the team's needs as the organizational structure develops.