Lead, Sales Compensation

The Lead, Sales Compensation is responsible for owning and scaling core sales compensation operations while beginning to influence plan design, governance, and process improvements. This role serves as the bridge between execution and strategy, translating business needs into durable compensation processes and ensuring accuracy, compliance, and operational excellence.
The role operates with end‑to‑end ownership of defined compensation programs, partners closely with Sales, Sales Operations, Finance, HR, and Legal, and acts as a day‑to‑day advisor to sales leadership. This role is accountable for outcomes—not just delivery and focuses on operational leadership.

Key Responsibilities:

Sales Compensation Operations

• Own end‑to‑end execution of assigned sales compensation programs, including:

  • Plan documentation

  • Monthly/quarterly accruals

  • Commission calculations

  • Payout validation and audits

• Ensure timely, accurate, and compliant incentive payments across supported sales segments

• Act as the primary escalation point for complex compensation issues, disputes, and exceptions

Plan Design Support & Analysis

• Partner with senior leaders and Sales Ops to support plan design and modifications

• Translate high‑level plan concepts into executable rules, logic, and system configurations

• Analyze compensation outcomes and sales performance data to:

  • Identify risks, anomalies, and unintended incentives

  • Recommend targeted improvements (but not full enterprise redesigns)

Systems & Process Ownership

• Own day‑to‑day performance of sales compensation systems and tools (e.g., Xactly, Salesforce inputs)

• Lead testing, validation, and deployment of plan changes and system enhancements

• Identify process gaps and drive continuous improvement initiatives to increase scalability and reduce errors

Cross‑Functional Partnership

• Serve as a trusted operational partner to:

  • Sales leadership

  • Sales Operations

  • Finance (accruals, controls, reporting)

  • HR and Legal (policy and compliance alignment)

• Support annual planning cycles, sales kickoff preparation, and in‑year plan adjustments

Leadership & Development

• Provide functional guidance and mentoring to P5 Leads and analysts

• Lead projects or workstreams without formal people management responsibility

• May manage 1–2 individual contributors depending on scope and geography (optional, not required)