Manager, Equity Compensation - GUS

Grainger Businesses • Lake Forest, IL

1d • Hybrid

About The Position

The Manager, Equity Compensation oversees the administration, execution, and governance of Grainger's global equity compensation programs, ensuring accurate, timely, and compliant processing of awards. The role manages day-to-day operations including grants, releases, exercises, cancellations, and adjustments, while maintaining audit readiness and strong internal controls. The Manager serves as the primary liaison with the stock plan administrator, oversees integrations with Payroll and HRIS, delivers reporting and analytics through dashboards, and drives process improvements and automation initiatives. Additionally, the position supports participant communication and education, partners across functions to ensure policy compliance, and provides leadership and coaching to team members.

Requirements

• Bachelor's Degree in Finance, Accounting, Business, or a related field required
• 5+ years in equity compensation administration in a public company, equity plan provider, or major advisory firm required
• Deep understanding of RSU, PSU, stock option plan mechanics and associated tax, payroll, and regulatory requirements.
• Experience with one or more stock plan systems; strong capability in navigating complex data structures.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills with the ability to partner across functions and influence without direct authority.
• Demonstrated initiative in improving processes, enhancing controls, and elevating the participant experience.

Nice To Haves

• Certified Equity Professional (CEP) preferred

Responsibilities

• Leads day-to-day equity plan administration by overseeing awards, releases, exercises, cancellations, and adjustments to ensure accuracy, compliance, and timeliness in all transactions.
• Manages vendor partnership and service delivery by acting as the primary liaison with the stock plan administrator, monitoring SLAs, resolving issues, coordinating testing cycles, and driving capability enhancements to maintain program integrity.
• Oversees integrations between vendor, Payroll, and HRIS by validating tax, employee, and award data, identifying discrepancies, and implementing corrective actions to ensure data completeness and accuracy.
• Supports participant communication and education by collaborating with Executive Compensation and Communications to create clear FAQs, executive materials, enrollment guides, and timely program updates that enhance participant understanding.
• Maintains audit readiness and controls by partnering with Controllership and SOX to support testing and documentation, strengthen internal controls, and ensure adherence to policies and regulatory requirements.
• Delivers reporting and analytics by developing dashboards that track plan activity, share pool usage, dividend accruals, and proxy-related metrics, providing actionable insights for leadership and external reporting.
• Leads process improvement and automation initiatives by optimizing workflows, reconciliations, and system integrations to increase efficiency, transparency, and scalability.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, vision, and life insurance plans with coverage starting on day one of employment
• 6 free sessions each year with a licensed therapist to support your emotional wellbeing.
• 18 paid time off (PTO) days annually for full-time employees
• 6 company holidays per year.
• 6% company contribution to a 401(k) Retirement Savings Plan each pay period, no employee contribution required.
• Employee discounts
• tuition reimbursement
• student loan refinancing
• free access to financial counseling, education, and tools.
• Maternity support programs
• nursing benefits
• up to 14 weeks paid leave for birth parents
• up to 4 weeks paid leave for non-birth parents.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager
• Number of Employees: 1-10 employees