Manager, Total Compensation Accounting

Meriton is a national team of experts driving HVAC innovation through a network of high-performing companies. From strategy and support to systems and solutions, we work behind the scenes to strengthen operations and build value—for our partners and our people.

If you’re looking to make an impact, we’re glad you’re here. At Meriton, you’ll join a team that believes in big ideas, doing great work, and building careers that matter—every step of the way.

Summary:

The Manager, Total Compensation Accounting is responsible for corporate accounting, with a primary focus on payroll and compensation accounting, including the accounting, reconciliation, controls, and financial integrity of payroll and employee-related programs across the Company's approximately 30 legal entities. This role serves as the primary accounting owner for payroll-related general ledger activity, payroll cash reconciliation, 401(k) and benefit-related accounting, self-insurance, workers' compensation, and equity-based compensation. This is an accounting ownership and controls role and does not have primary responsibility for processing payroll or administering employee benefits.

This role will also serve as the accounting lead for the Company's upcoming HRIS implementation, and will also field budgeting questions and provide support to FP&A as needed, working directly with operating entities to answer accounting and reporting questions as they arise. While the primary focus of this role is payroll and compensation accounting, this individual will also assist with and may own other corporate accounting areas and initiatives as business needs require. The ideal candidate brings strong technical accounting knowledge, sound judgment, and the ability to manage complex, multi-entity reconciliations while building effective cross-functional relationships. This role also serves as a go-to resource for ad-hoc requests, bringing flexibility and ownership to projects as they arise.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

Payroll Accounting & Multi-Entity Oversight

- Own payroll accounting across approximately 30 legal entities, ensuring payroll activity is completely and accurately posted to the general ledger.

- Review payroll journal entries and system-generated postings for appropriate legal entity, GL account, department/cost center, and other financial dimensions.

- Ensure payroll expense and liabilities are recorded within the appropriate legal entities, including intercompany allocations when payroll is funded or processed on behalf of another entity.

- Identify and resolve payroll posting, mapping, allocation, and interface issues.

- Maintain and govern payroll-to-GL mappings as entities, compensation programs, and the chart of accounts evolve.

- Establish standardized payroll accounting and reconciliation processes across the organization.

Payroll Cash & Balance Sheet Reconciliation

- Own reconciliation of payroll-related cash activity from payroll registers through the general ledger and bank activity.

- Reconcile wages, payroll taxes, benefits, deductions, garnishments, commissions, and other employee-related payments to cash disbursements.

- Own or supervise reconciliations of payroll-related balance sheet accounts, including accrued payroll, payroll taxes, benefits payable, employee deductions, bonuses, commissions, PTO, and other employee-related liabilities.

- Investigate and resolve aged, unusual, or unreconciled balances, ensuring payroll-related accounts are appropriately supported and reconciled as part of the monthly close.

401(k) & Retirement Plan Accounting

- Oversee accounting and reconciliation for the Company's 401(k) plan, including employee contributions, employer contributions, payroll deductions, and funding activity.

- Monitor and reconcile plan forfeiture activity, ensuring forfeitures are appropriately tracked and utilized in accordance with plan requirements.

- Coordinate with Payroll, HR/Benefits, Treasury, and third-party plan administrators to resolve funding and reconciliation differences.

- Support annual plan audits and other compliance-related requests from an accounting perspective.

Self-Insurance & Workers' Compensation

- Oversee accounting for the Company's self-insurance programs, including claims activity, funding accounts, third-party administrator activity, premiums, recoveries, and related liabilities.

- Ensure appropriate accruals and reserves are recorded, including IBNR and actuarially determined liabilities where applicable.

- Provide financial oversight of workers' compensation claims and related reserves, payments, insurance activity, and recoveries.

- Partner with HR, Benefits, Legal, Risk Management, Treasury, insurance providers, third-party administrators, and actuarial providers to ensure claims and liabilities are appropriately reflected in the financial statements.

- Monitor significant claims and unusual trends that may impact reserves or financial results.

Equity Compensation Accounting

- Own the accounting and reconciliation of equity-based compensation programs, including tracking grants, vesting, forfeitures, exercises, and other equity activity.

- Maintain supporting schedules for equity compensation expense and related balance sheet accounts.

- Partner with Tax to lead the equity issuance and management process, ensuring accurate accounting and reporting treatment.

- Partner with HR, Legal, Tax, and Finance to ensure equity activity is complete and appropriately accounted for.

- Support financial reporting and audit requirements related to equity-based compensation.

HRIS Implementation & Accounting Systems Ownership

- Serve as the accounting lead for implementation of the Company's new HRIS/payroll platform, defining accounting requirements during system design and implementation.

- Design and validate payroll-to-GL architecture, including legal entity structure, chart-of-account mappings, financial dimensions, departments/cost centers, earning and deduction codes, benefit mappings, and intercompany requirements.

- Ensure the new system appropriately supports payroll, commissions, benefits, 401(k), equity compensation, and other employee-related accounting requirements.

- Partner with HR, Payroll, IT, implementation consultants, and Finance throughout design, configuration, testing, conversion, and go-live.

- Develop and execute accounting-related testing and validation, including parallel payroll testing and payroll-to-GL reconciliation, and validate opening balances and converted payroll-related liabilities.

- Design reconciliation processes and controls between the HRIS/payroll system, ERP, and banking activity, and identify opportunities to automate journal entries, allocations, reconciliations, and reporting.

- Ensure appropriate documentation, controls, and procedures are established before go-live, and provide post-implementation support leading resolution of accounting integration or mapping issues.

Month-End Close, Controls & Reporting

- Own payroll and compensation-related activities within the monthly close process, preparing and/or reviewing related journal entries, accruals, account reconciliations, and supporting schedules.

- Perform variance and trend analysis of payroll, commissions, benefits, self-insurance, workers' compensation, and other compensation-related accounts.

- Establish and maintain strong internal controls over payroll and compensation accounting, and maintain appropriate documentation for internal and external audits.

- Serve as the accounting subject matter expert for payroll, benefits, commissions, and employee compensation-related accounting.

- Continuously improve and automate processes to create a scalable accounting environment supporting continued organizational growth.

General Corporate Accounting Support

- Prepare, review, and post journal entries across other corporate accounting areas, ensuring accuracy and appropriate supporting documentation.

- Perform timely and accurate account reconciliations for assigned general ledger accounts outside of payroll and compensation, identifying and resolving discrepancies.

- Support the broader month-end, quarter-end, and year-end close process for the Corporate Accounting team as needed.

- Assist with or own other corporate accounting projects and initiatives as business needs and priorities require.

Cross-Functional Partnership

- Partner closely with Payroll, Human Resources, Benefits, Treasury, Tax, Legal, Risk Management, IT, Corporate Accounting, Business Unit Accounting, external auditors, benefit and retirement plan administrators, insurance providers, actuarial providers, and HRIS implementation partners.

- Serve as the accounting point of contact for payroll and compensation questions, working proactively with respective departments to resolve issues and align on treatment.

- Serve as a resource to FP&A for budgeting and forecasting questions related to payroll, benefits, commissions, and equity compensation, providing historical actuals, trends, and context as needed.

- Work directly with operating entities to answer accounting, budgeting, and reporting questions related to payroll and compensation as they arise.

Process Improvements

- Identify and lead opportunities to streamline and automate payroll and compensation accounting processes, reconciliations, and reporting.

- Translate operational and payroll processes into scalable accounting structures and controls that support continued organizational growth.

Audit Support

- Coordinate with internal and external auditors to provide requested documentation and supporting schedules for interim and year-end audits related to payroll, benefits, and compensation.

- Help ensure compliance with GAAP and Company accounting policies for payroll, benefits, self-insurance, workers' compensation, and equity compensation.

Other Duties

- Regular, consistent and necessary to meet the needs of the business

- Assists the leadership team and other team members with various research projects and/or special projects

- Performs other duties and responsibilities as assigned

- Must conduct self in an ethical, legal, and responsible manner at all times

- Must adhere to the policies, principles, and guidance within the Employee Handbook and Code of Conduct

Education/Experience:

Required:

- Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field.

- 6-8 years of progressive accounting experience, including public accounting and/or corporate or shared services accounting.

- Strong knowledge of US GAAP and general financial reporting principles.

- Must be proficient in the Microsoft Office Suite, including Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint and Word.

Preferred:

- Prior supervisory or team lead experience.

- CPA license.

- Experience with ERP systems, Microsoft D365 a plus.

- Experience with stock compensation systems, a plus.

- Accounting experience in a construction, engineering, or HVAC environment.

Work Environment

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essentials functions. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate. The workplace is in a corporate office environment and the temperature in the work environment is usually moderate. The position’s primary office is the Shared Services, Irving, TX office; however, telework or work at home, on the road, or in a satellite location for portions of the workweek may occur, depending upon project needs and requirements in coordination with your direct supervisor and/or most senior leader of your department. Occasional travel may be required.

Physical Demands:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable the individuals with disabilities to perform the essentials functions.

- Must be able to walk, bend, stand, and reach constantly during a workday.

- Must be able to lift 15 – 20 lbs.

- Standing for long periods of time (4-5 hours) occasionally

- Must be able travel via plane or car to events

Employment practices will not be influenced or affected by an applicant’s or employee’s race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, age, disability, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran status or any other legally protected status. Reasonable accommodations will be made for qualified individuals with disabilities unless doing so would result in an undue hardship.

Salary ranges listed are dependent upon a candidate’s qualifications, experience, internal equity, and the budgeted amount for the specific role and location.