General Ledger Manager

Summary

The GL Manager is a hands-on people leader who owns payroll accounting, prepares equity roll forwards, 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. The general ledger areas owned by the team include, but are not limited to: bank transaction coding/uploading, cash reconciliations, prepaid expenses, fixed assets (including capitalized software) leases, accrued expenses, accounts payable, expense reports & corporate credit cards, and payout expenses and returns and intercompany clearing.

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.

Key Responsibilities

• Leadership & Team Management

  • 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; elevate risks or resourcing constraints proactively.

• Payroll Accounting

  • 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.

• Accounts Payable Oversight (Coding & Payouts)

  • 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.

• Monthly Flux / Variance Analysis

  • 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…