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Fireworks is seeking a Head of Equity Administration to own and scale the company's global equity administration function as it prepares for IPO and public-company readiness. Fireworks is a Series D AI infrastructure company valued at $17.5 billion, backed by NVIDIA, Sequoia, Benchmark, and others, enabling enterprises to build, train, and serve AI models tailored to their data and workflows.
This is a strategic leadership role responsible for end-to-end equity administration, governance, controls, reporting, and employee experience. The Head of Equity Administration will partner closely with Legal, Finance, Accounting, Tax, People, Payroll, Compensation, and senior leadership to build the infrastructure, processes, and controls required for a complex late-stage private company transitioning to public-company operations.
Key responsibilities include:
**Equity Plan Administration**: Own day-to-day and strategic administration of equity compensation programs (stock options, RSUs, restricted stock, other awards). Manage the complete equity lifecycle including grants, vesting, exercises, releases, cancellations, terminations, repurchases, transfers, and settlement. Maintain accurate equity records, capitalization data, and participant information. Oversee equity administration platforms, workflows, integrations, and vendor relationships. Establish scalable policies, procedures, controls, and service-level standards.
**IPO and Public Company Readiness**: Serve as a key functional leader in IPO-readiness efforts. Assess current processes and implement systems, controls, governance, and documentation required for public-company operations. Partner with Legal, Finance, Accounting, Payroll, Tax, Compensation, Internal Audit, external counsel, and auditors on IPO preparation and compliance. Support preparation for Section 16 processes, insider-related workflows, trading-window administration, Rule 10b5-1 plans, and related controls. Develop processes for future employee stock purchase plans and other public-company equity programs.
**Compliance, Accounting, Tax, and Controls**: Ensure equity administration processes comply with securities, tax, accounting, and corporate governance requirements. Partner with Accounting on stock-based compensation reporting, reconciliations, and audit support. Partner with Tax and Payroll on equity-related tax withholding, reporting, settlement, mobility, and international compliance. Support compliance with ASC 718, Section 409A, securities regulations, and international equity rules. Design and maintain strong internal controls supporting future SOX compliance. Lead regular reconciliations among equity administration platform, general ledger, payroll systems, HR systems, and capitalization records.
**Global Equity Operations**: Oversee equity administration across multiple jurisdictions. Partner with Legal, Tax, and external advisors on country-specific securities, tax, payroll, exchange-control, and reporting obligations. Establish scalable processes for internationally mobile employees and cross-border equity issues. Maintain global equity compliance calendars and operational documentation.
**Governance and Board Support**: Partner with Legal and executive leadership on equity governance, board and compensation committee approvals, and grant processes. Maintain accurate records of board-approved equity activity and ensure timely execution. Support preparation of equity-related materials for the Board and Compensation Committee. Monitor share utilization, equity plan reserves, dilution, burn rate, and other equity metrics in partnership with Finance and Compensation.
**Employee Experience**: Serve as a trusted resource for employees and executives regarding equity compensation. Develop clear, scalable communications and educational materials. Establish efficient processes for employee inquiries, transactions, and issue resolution. Partner with People and Compensation teams on equity communications for hiring, promotions, refresh grants, liquidity events, and other programs.
**Team and Function Leadership**: Build and lead a high-performing equity administration function capable of supporting the company through IPO and beyond. Develop operating metrics, service standards, control frameworks, and reporting. Evaluate team structure, technology, vendor relationships, and outsourcing opportunities. Act as the company's subject-matter expert on equity administration.
The role may report to the General Counsel, Head of People, Total Rewards, Head of Finance, or another senior executive, depending on organizational structure.
**Requirements**:
- 10+ years of progressive experience in stock administration, equity compensation, legal operations, compensation, finance, or related field, with substantial direct ownership of equity administration
- Significant experience supporting a late-stage private company, public company, IPO process, or major capital-markets transaction
- Deep knowledge of equity compensation vehicles and administration, including stock options and RSUs
- Strong understanding of equity-related securities, tax, payroll, accounting, and governance considerations
- Experience with ASC 718 and equity-related financial reporting and controls
- Familiarity with public-company requirements such as Section 16, Rule 10b5-1 plans, insider trading controls, and SOX environments
- Experience administering equity programs for a global employee population strongly preferred
- Demonstrated experience with equity administration platforms such as Morgan Stanley at Work/Shareworks, Fidelity, Carta, E*TRADE, Computershare, or similar systems
- Strong analytical skills and ability to manage complex datasets and reconciliations
- Exceptional attention to detail, judgment, organization, and discretion
- Strong executive communication skills and ability to partner effectively across Legal, Finance, Accounting, Tax, Payroll, HR, and Compensation
- Proven ability to build processes and controls in a rapidly scaling environment
**Preferred Qualifications**:
- CEP designation or similar equity compensation credential
- Experience leading equity administration through an IPO
- Experience implementing or migrating equity administration platforms
- Experience establishing SOX-compliant equity processes and controls
- Experience launching an ESPP or other public-company equity programs
- Experience managing equity programs across multiple international jurisdictions
