Financial Services Operations Manager

Responsibilities

The M&A Stock Deal Lead manages end-to-end equity workstreams for mergers, acquisitions, and divestitures while overseeing global equity program operations. This role ensures operational excellence, SOX compliance, and seamless participant support through cross-functional collaboration with Finance, Legal, Tax, and HR.

Requirements

Candidates must possess a bachelor's degree in a relevant field and at least 6 years of progressive experience in global equity compensation administration. Proficiency in Morgan Stanley at Work/Equity Edge Online and advanced Microsoft Excel modeling skills are required.

Skills

• Equity compensation administration
• Stock plan operations
• Mergers and acquisitions
• SOX compliance
• Financial modeling
• Morgan Stanley at Work
• Equity Edge Online
• Workday HRIS
• Microsoft Excel
• Project management
• Cross-functional leadership
• Stakeholder communication
• Tax reconciliation
• Payroll compliance
• Data automation

Benefits

• Medical insurance
• Dental insurance
• Vision insurance
• 401k plan
• Paid parental leave
• Short-term disability coverage
• Long-term disability coverage
• Basic life insurance
• Restricted stock units
• Paid holidays
• Paid time off
• Sick time off
• Volunteer time off
• Annual bonuses

About this role

The application window is expected to close on: 12/07/2026
This is a hybrid role with two days per week at Cisco’s Atlanta , Salt lake City or RTP offices. Alternate locations will be considered on an exception basis. Members of the Finance organization at select locations will generally be expected to follow a hybrid work model, which includes two days of in-office attendance each week, with limited exceptions.
The application window is expected to close on: November 15, 2026. However, the job posting may be removed earlier if the position is filled or if a sufficient number of applications are received.

Meet the Team
Global Stock Plan Services (GSPS) & M&A Stock is a highly visible team within Cisco Financial Shared Services (FSS). Our team manages global equity plan operations across 76+ countries and leads complex equity integration workstreams for Cisco's corporate acquisition portfolio. We partner hand-in-hand with Corporate Development, Finance, Legal, Tax, Treasury, and People & Communities (HR) to deliver seamless employee equity experiences, ensure rigorous SOX compliance, and execute strategic corporate transactions at global scale.
Your Impact
Role Overview:
The M&A Stock Deal Lead plays a pivotal role in leading end-to-end equity workstreams for mergers, acquisitions, and divestitures while actively managing the day-to-day operations and administration of Cisco's global equity programs (as needed). This individual partners across Corporate Development, Finance, Legal, Tax, Treasury, and People & Communities (HR), ensuring operational excellence, SOX compliance, and seamless participant support.
1. M&A Equity & Deal Execution (Core):
• Equity Deal Leadership: Lead cross-functional equity workstreams across all phases of M&A transactions (due diligence, signing, closing, and post-close integration).
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner actively with Corporate Development, Legal, Tax, Treasury, HR, and external advisors on equity deal mechanics.
• Agreement & Term Sheet Review: Review and provide equity-related feedback on term sheets, merger agreements, disclosure schedules, and retention equity structures.
• Consideration Management: Manage and direct the distribution of cash and stock consideration through paying agents, escrow agents, and Cisco Payroll.
• Assumed Equity Management: Manage assumed RSUs and stock option conversions, equity exchange ratios, share reserve reconciliations, and gather data for Form S-8 registration filings.
• Post-Close Integration: Coordinate post-acquisition employee onboarding and education regarding equity award treatment, vesting schedules, and holdback/escrow release mechanisms with paying agents and shareholder representatives.
• SOX Controls: Maintain and execute key SOX controls across all transaction milestones.
• Tax Reconciliations: Partner closely with Payroll and paying agents for statutory compliance and year-end reporting (Form 3921/3922 and 1099s).
2. Global Stock Plan Administration:
• Equity Platform & Lifecycle Management: Assist with executing end-to-end global equity plan administration (RSUs, PSUs, DRSUs, and ESPP) utilizing Morgan Stanley at Work / Equity Edge Online (EEO).
• Global ESPP Operations: Assist with semi-annual ESPP enrollment cycles, contribution reconciliations, purchase execution, statutory $25k limit monitoring, and disqualifying disposition tracking.
• Releases & Share Settlement: Assist with RSU/PSU/DRSU vesting events, option exercises, share issuances, tax withholding calculations, and mobile employee transactions.
• Payroll & Tax Reconciliations: Partner closely with Payroll to reconcile compensation income, tax withholding files, and year-end statutory compliance (W-2, Form 3921/3922, 1099s).
• Participant Support & Communications: Assist with participant equity inquiries, draft participant communications, and conduct equity education sessions.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
• Education: Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting, Business Administration, Economics, or a related discipline.
• Equity Experience: 6+ years of progressive professional experience in global equity compensation administration and stock plan operations.
• M&A Equity Workstreams: Demonstrated experience managing equity workstreams in mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, or corporate transactions (due diligence, closing funding wires, and post-close integration).
• Systems Proficiency: Hands-on operational proficiency with equity administration platforms, specifically Morgan Stanley at Work / Equity Edge Online (EEO) and Workday HRIS integrations.
• Financial Modeling: Advanced Microsoft Excel modeling capabilities.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
• Professional Certification: Certified Equity Professional (CEP) or Equity Compensation Associate (ECA) designation strongly preferred.
• Statutory & SOX Compliance: In-depth knowledge of global statutory equity compliance, SEC Section 16 reporting, IRS Form 3921/3922 regulations, and SOX internal control frameworks.
• Digital Automation & AI: Practical experience utilizing enterprise AI tools, data automation pipelines, and modern collaboration technologies to streamline equity workflows.
• Stakeholder Communication: Exceptional stakeholder communication, project management, and cross-functional leadership skills with the ability to influence decisions across Corporate Development, Legal, Tax, Treasury, and Payroll.
• Multi-Task Execution: Proven ability to prioritize competing transactional priorities and deliver high-accuracy results under compressed deal timelines.ents for year-end statutory compliance (Form 3921/3922 and 1099s).
2. Global Stock Plan Administration
· Equity Platform & Lifecycle Management: Assist with executing end-to-end global equity plan administration (RSUs, PSUs, DRSUs, and ESPP) utilizing Morgan Stanley at Work / Equity Edge Online.
· Global ESPP Operations: Assist with semi-annual ESPP enrollment cycles, contribution reconciliations, purchase execution, statutory $2...

About Cisco

Software Development · 10,001+ employees · headquartered in San Jose, CA · founded 1984