Director, Sales Compensation

Director, Sales Compensation

This position is listed on behalf of a partner company, who manages all applications and next steps. Our partner is looking for a Director, Sales Compensation based in United States.

As Director, Sales Compensation, you will lead the global strategy, design, execution, and analytics for sales incentive compensation programs across a complex revenue organization. You will partner directly with senior Finance, Revenue, and HR leaders to translate business objectives into effective and scalable compensation plans. The role combines executive-level strategic leadership with hands-on operational ownership of commission processes and analytics. You will oversee end-to-end plan administration, ensuring accurate and timely payouts while maintaining strong governance and employee trust. You will also lead a distributed team and drive continuous improvements through automation, AI, and modern compensation technology. This is a high-impact opportunity for a player-coach who enjoys solving complex compensation challenges while influencing business performance at the executive level.

Accountabilities:

• Lead the annual design and implementation of global sales compensation plans across B2B SaaS recurring-revenue and non-recurring-revenue business models, translating company objectives into effective incentive structures and clear plan documentation.
• Model compensation scenarios and present strategic recommendations to executive leadership, incorporating feedback and guiding plans through final approval.
• Establish and maintain governance policies covering leaves of absence, guarantees, ramps, plan exclusions, exceptions, disputes, and mid-year quota adjustments.
• Partner with HR, Revenue, and Sales Operations to gather business inputs, align role-based metrics, incorporate quotas and territories, and ensure successful plan rollout and policy compliance.
• Oversee end-to-end commission and variable compensation calculations within a commission management platform, ensuring accurate, timely, and transparent payouts.
• Review and approve monthly and quarterly global commission and bonus payroll workbooks before submission to Payroll.
• Audit and optimize operational workflows, data integrations, and processes, partnering with HR Operations and HRIS teams to identify and resolve data quality issues related to employee changes and organizational movements.
• Maintain a strong understanding of Salesforce CPQ, deal structures, quote-to-cash processes, and complex contract mechanics, resolving commission questions involving stair-step deals, multi-year accelerators, early renewals, and customized terms.
• Serve as the primary decision-maker for first-level compensation exceptions, disputes, and policy interpretations, providing firm, data-backed recommendations before escalation.
• Develop executive- and board-level reporting on quota attainment, plan performance, commission expense, and other key incentive compensation metrics, including quarterly performance presentations to senior Finance leadership.
• Partner with data teams to define reporting requirements, maintain accurate compensation data models, and support analytics through data warehouse and business intelligence platforms.
• Collaborate with FP&A and Accounting on commission expense forecasts, month-end and quarter-end accruals, and capitalized commission calculations.
• Lead, coach, and mentor a distributed team of two analysts, establishing performance expectations, supporting professional development, and fostering accountability and collaboration.
• Drive innovation by experimenting with AI and automation tools to streamline analytics, improve workflows, and increase operational efficiency across the compensation function.

Requirements:

• 8+ years of progressive experience in sales compensation, incentive management, or a closely related field, including 5+ years of direct people management experience.
• Deep expertise designing and administering incentive compensation programs in B2B SaaS and recurring-revenue environments, with additional experience supporting non-recurring revenue models.
• Hands-on experience with commission management or sales performance management platforms such as Everstage, CaptivateIQ, Spiff, Xactly, or equivalent systems.
• Advanced Excel skills and strong financial modeling capabilities, with the ability to analyze complex compensation scenarios and translate data into actionable recommendations.
• Experience working with HRIS systems and data integrations, with Workday-to-commission-platform experience strongly preferred.
• Familiarity with data warehousing and analytics environments, with experience working with platforms such as Snowflake and Tableau considered a plus.
• Strong operational understanding of Salesforce CPQ, deal flows, quote-to-cash processes, and complex contract structures.
• Executive presence and superior written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to explain complex financial models, defend compensation designs, and present business results to CFO, CRO, and other senior leaders.
• Strong business judgment and analytical skills, with the ability to independently evaluate exceptions and develop well-reasoned, data-driven recommendations.
• A player-coach mindset, combining strategic leadership with a willingness to perform detailed analysis and hands-on operational work.
• Proven coaching, mentoring, and performance management capabilities within distributed or remote teams.
• Innovative and adaptable approach, with an interest in leveraging emerging technologies and AI platforms to improve compensation operations and team productivity.

Benefits:

• Base salary range of $174,000–$200,000 per year.
• Eligibility for additional variable compensation opportunities.
• Remote and flexible work environment.
• Comprehensive benefits and a strong overall compensation package.
• Opportunities to work closely with executive leadership on global compensation strategy and business performance.
• Leadership responsibility for a distributed team with opportunities to support professional growth and development.
• Opportunity to drive automation, AI adoption, analytics, and process innovation within a strategic Finance function.
• Collaborative, inclusive, and performance-oriented working environment.
• Pre-employment background check required, subject to the candidate's prior written consent.