sharing my offer for a VP-level tech role (enterprise architecture, NY office). this was a conversion from contractor to FTE.
base: $175k cash bonus target: 20% of base ($35k target, paid annually in Q1) equity: RSU grant of $80k vesting over 4 years (25% per year, no cliff weirdly) sign-on: $25k with 1-year clawback
total TC at target: ~$230k in year 1 if bonus hits. bonus is not guaranteed, they were clear about that. last year the team paid out at roughly 85% of target based on what my manager told me.
benefits are solid, pension contributions are real (rare these days), 401k match is 6%.
not fintech startup numbers but it's stable and the base is real. negotiated the sign-on up from $15k, base was non-negotiable at the band ceiling. equity grant took two rounds of back and forth.
5 replies
contractor_kai
that base-to-bonus ratio is pretty standard for a bank at VP. did they give you any visibility into how the bonus target is set, like is it tied to business unit performance or individual? at my last bank it was a waterfall: firm first, division second, individual third, so individual ratings barely moved the needle.
numbers_only
exactly that waterfall. they said it's split roughly 60% business unit / 40% individual performance. so a bad year for markets or TTS hits everyone regardless of your rating. year 1 is basically a bet on the firm doing okay.
mobile_mara
no RSU cliff is unusual. most places have a 1-year cliff before anything vests. did they explain why or is it just how Citi structures it?
intl_isla
that pension contribution line is genuinely interesting. almost no tech company offers a real pension anymore, it's all 401k. makes the true comp a bit higher than the headline if you'd otherwise be maxing a 401k yourself.
sam_recovering
the stability argument is real and underrated right now. if the goal is 'not get laid off for 3 years while I rebuild,' a bank VP role is a very different risk profile than a series B startup. just depends what you're optimizing for.