Director of Stock Plan Administration

Job Summary
Due to the speed a cannabis enterprise must operate to scale and attain market share, growth often comes before the introduction of common standard business practices. The way stock is managed is no exception. As the Verano business has grown, so too have the complexities of managing stock ownership programs. The Director of Stock Plan Administration will step into a multi-faceted position that will involve triaging here-and-now challenges, assessment, education, management, and building. The Director will be the company's primary stock program subject matter expert across all levels and functions up to C-suite and Board levels.
The cannabis industry is one that allows for a set-and-forget mindset. Local, State, and Federal regulatory and policy trends are continually changing. The Director will track trends (U.S. and Canada) and continually provide the insight and direction to ensure Verano's equity program anticipates or outpaces industry trends and balances employee satisfaction and desired business outcomes/performance. Once cannabis is Federally legalized, the Director will lead the migration of equity plans from the CSE to a U.S. exchange.
For now, the Director is an individual contributor position and must have a balanced approach to execution and strategy. From a strategy perspective, the Director will be forward thinking and model out multiple market/political scenarios and their impact on Verano's equity program and outline the actions required to meet desired program outcomes for each scenario.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Administer all aspects of equity programs (such as but not limited to RSUs, PSUs, Options, etc.), including maintenance of data (e.g., new hires, terminations) in the equity system, and ensuring all participant equity plan transactions (grants, vests, releases, forfeitures, Option exercise prices,) are correctly processed and settled in a timely manner.
• Preparation and processing of vesting and release of equity grants and coordinate with payroll on accurate tax withholding true-up via payroll.
• Prepare and process quarterly and annual vesting and release of RSUs, Options, or other equity compensation items.
• Reviewing and approving sale transactions for employees.
• Maintain equity plan database.
• Create quarterly and annual grant notices for Compensation Committee approval.
• Serve as principal liaison with Human Resources, Payroll, Finance and Legal on all stock award matters.
• Manage existing vendor partnerships and continually evaluate to ensure the best employee and business outcomes.
• Manage and respond to all employee inquiries, communications regarding RSUs.
• Develop and lead employee quarterly education sessions.
• Work with internal and external auditors and corporate Finance team for month-end and quarterly reviews, year-end audits; ensure that internal controls and procedures are followed to satisfy periodic review of compliance.
• Manage a sustained workload comprised of multiple projects, workstreams and competing priorities.
• Perform reconciliation of records between Stock Administration, HR, and Payroll.
• Take on other projects as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in Business, Finance, Accounting, Economics, Human Resources or other related field.
• 6+ years in Equity Administration; work must include material global experience.
• A Certified Equity Professional (CEP) designation is ideal but not required.
• Able to convey a structured approach to problem-solving that is supported with examples and quantified outcomes.
• Expertise in taxation of equity compensation; familiarity with ASC 718.
• Strong applied knowledge of inside trading rules and proficiency with Section 16 filings.
• Strong working knowledge of all major Compensation program components.
• Vendor selection and management experience.
• Intermediate or advanced Microsoft Office skills - especially Excel and PowerPoint.
• Intermediate user of a major business analytics/intelligence platform.
• Must be able to convey highly technical subject matter efficiently and effectively to non-technical audiences.
• Demonstrated strong project management skills.
• Able to provide examples of delivering measurable business impact through his/her work with equity programs.
• Excellent written and verbal communication and strong presentation skills.
• Demonstrated effectiveness building followership in a highly matrixed environment.
• Ability to work in an unstructured environment with the ability to make tradeoff decisions quickly.
• Able to work on large projects and manage time and effort without need for constant supervision.
• Ability to lead a team-based approach to decision making.
• Effective coaching, facilitation, presentation and team building skills.
• Communication skills to work with all levels of the organization from manufacturing employees to corporate executives

Preferred Qualifications
The ideal candidate is currently working in a publicly traded company and is leading an equity program at a small/midsized company or reports to the leader of an equity program at a larger company. His/her work includes experience with stock outside of U.S. exchanges. Alternatively, the ideal candidate is a Compensation professional whose work encompasses material Equity Administration experience.
Physical and Mental Demands
While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to remain in a stationary position, move and/or position oneself, communicate, operate and/or prepare, place, position objects, tools, or controls. The employee must occasionally move packages weighing up to 10 lb. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close observation and the ability to adjust focus. The mental and physical requirements described here are representative of those that must be met by an individual, with or without reasonable accommodation, to successfully perform the essential functions of this position.
Working Environment
Work is performed in an office environment. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate. The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an individual encounters while performing the essential functions of this position.
We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We place priority in an environment of inclusion, diversity and social justice and are committed to securing a better, brighter way forward for our employees, our markets, and our communities.