Client Success Manager, VP

About the Role

Morgan Stanley at Work’s Client Services organization provides stock plan administration services for corporate clients across large, mid-market, emerging, and private company segments. The team supports clients that outsource this critical function as well as clients that retain certain administrative responsibilities internally. The Manager, Client Services / CSM Manager leads, coaches, and develops a team of Client Service Managers and equity compensation professionals who provide comprehensive service and support to an assigned book of corporate clients. This role oversees client service delivery, stock plan administration support, escalated issue resolution, operational quality, associate development, and partnership with internal teams. The Manager serves as a leader, mentor, and escalation point for the CSM team, helping associates strengthen their technical equity compensation knowledge, client management skills, executive communication, prioritization, and overall performance through ongoing training, feedback, coaching, and development planning.

Responsibilities

• Manage and lead a team of Client Service Managers and equity compensation professionals responsible for delivering stock plan administration services to corporate clients.
• Provide day-to-day leadership, guidance, coaching, and support to CSMs to ensure client needs are handled in a timely, accurate, and professional manner.
• Serve as an escalation point for complex client issues, service concerns, operational challenges, and high-risk matters.
• Partner with CSMs to resolve matters related to stock plan administration, participant transactions, reporting, compliance requirements, and client service delivery.
• Oversee team activities related to Equity Edge Online and other tools used to maintain stock plan records and support accounting, financial reporting, and related compliance requirements.
• Review team workload, client assignments, capacity, and complexity to ensure appropriate coverage, prioritization, and service continuity.
• Monitor service quality, accuracy, timeliness, and adherence to internal policies, procedures, and controls.
• Ensure associates manage client inquiries and requests in a timely, professional, and client-focused manner.
• Participate in client meetings, executive business reviews, finalist presentations, sales presentations, and client retention discussions, as needed.
• Coordinate with Operations, Account Management, Product, Implementation, Compliance, Legal, and other internal teams to deliver high-quality equity compensation support services.
• Promote a culture of accountability, collaboration, continuous improvement, inclusion, and exceptional client service.
• Identify opportunities to improve processes, reduce risk, increase efficiency, and enhance the client experience.

Team Oversight

• Update Equity Edge Online and related stock plan administration platforms based on client data updates, new hires, terminations, demographic changes, and participant transactions.
• Ensure participant stock plan transactions are processed and settled accurately and timely, including ESPP purchases, ESPP sales, option exercises, swaps, reloads, option grants, and related activity.
• Support surveys and tracking disqualifying dispositions.
• Support valuation reporting, Section 16 insider reporting, and client-specific custom processes, including custom reports and scripts.
• Perform monthly balancing of client plans and review recurring service deliverables.
• Understand data flows between interfacing systems and the downstream impact of client updates and transaction activity.
• Support complex equity plan types, including restricted stock units and awards, swaps and reloads, performance vesting and awards, and global equity plans.

Requirements

Basic Qualifications

• 7+ years of experience in equity compensation administration, stock plan services, client service, or a related financial services function.
• Prior B2B client service experience.
• Prior experience leading, coaching, mentoring, or managing associates.
• Strong knowledge of stock plan administration processes, equity compensation concepts, and client service delivery.
• Demonstrated ability to manage escalated client issues and partner across internal teams to drive resolution.
• Strong communication, organizational, analytical, and decision-making skills.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities, deadlines, client needs, and team responsibilities in a fast-paced environment.

Preferred Qualifications

• Previous people management experience in equity compensation, brokerage, financial services, or corporate client services.
• Experience managing a team that supports moderate to complex clients, based on number and/or complexity.
• Knowledge of the brokerage industry.
• Experience with global equity plans and complex plan types, including restricted stock units and awards, swaps and reloads, performance vesting and awards, ESPP, and stock options.
• Strong project management skills.
• Experience developing training materials, onboarding plans, coaching programs, or associate development plans.
• Experience participating in sales presentations, client reviews, or client retention efforts.
• Successful completion of the department CEE exam within the required timeframe.
• CEP designation preferred, or required to be obtained in accordance with Corporate Services Group policy.

Benefits

At Morgan Stanley, you’ll find an opportunity to work alongside the best and the brightest, in an environment where you are supported and empowered. Our teams are relentless collaborators and creative thinkers, fueled by their diverse backgrounds and experiences. We are proud to support our employees and their families at every point along their work-life journey, offering some of the most attractive and comprehensive employee benefits and perks in the industry. There’s also ample opportunity to move about the business for those who show passion and grit in their work.