Provides leadership, direction, and consultation on sales compensation plans, measurement, and payment. Uses deep understanding of sales strategy and objectives to drive the design and implementation of sales incentive plans.

Job Summary

We are seeking a Director of Sales Compensation to own the strategy, design, and administration of the company's sales incentive programs, ensuring they drive the right seller behaviors and align with our Go-To-Market strategy. Reporting to the VP of Total Rewards, this role sits at the intersection of Total Rewards and Sales, translating compensation philosophy into programs that work in the field - and translating field realities back into compensation strategy. The Director owns all matters related to sales compensation - from plan design through systems, governance, and organizational alignment - and builds the function responsible for keeping programs competitive, compliant, and tightly connected to business outcomes.

Key Responsibilities

Go-To-Market Strategy & Alignment
• Maintain deep, ongoing fluency in the company's GTM strategy, sales organizational structure, and how roles and teams execute against it.
• Continuously assess how compensation and talent structures support (or hinder) the GTM motion, adjusting recommendations as strategy evolves.
• Serve as the primary connective tissue between Sales Operations, Sales leadership, Finance, and Total Rewards, ensuring compensation decisions reflect both HR philosophy and commercial reality.

Sales Compensation Plan Ownership
• Own end-to-end design, mechanics, and eligibility of the Sales Compensation Plan(s), ensuring they are competitive, motivating, and aligned to revenue goals and Total Rewards philosophy.
• Lead the annual (and as-needed) plan design and refresh cycle, partnering closely with Sales Operations, Sales leadership, Finance, and Legal on plan terms, quotas, and approvals.
• Own plan administration end-to-end, including systems, processes, and accountabilities, ensuring accuracy, timeliness, and compliance.
• Proactively identify and resolve pain points raised by HR, Finance, Sales Operations, Sales leadership, and plan participants.
• Establish governance, documentation, and audit practices for ongoing plan integrity, balancing Total Rewards standards with Sales Operations' operational needs.

Incentive Compensation Systems & Technology
• Own the relationship with the incentive compensation management (ICM) platform, including contract terms, SLAs, and roadmap milestones.
• Lead implementation, enhancement, and optimization initiatives for compensation systems, ensuring delivery against timeline and budget, in close coordination with Sales Operations.
• Identify and mitigate risks or blockers that could impact system performance or plan administration.
• Evaluate new tools, platforms, or automation (including AI-enabled solutions) that could improve accuracy, scalability, or insight generation.

Team Leadership & Organizational Design
• Build, lead, and develop a team responsible for sales compensation design and administration.
• Continuously evaluate team structure against GTM strategy and business needs, making organizational recommendations as the business scales.
• Assess talent through performance data, stakeholder feedback, and direct observation; address gaps proactively.
• Set the long-term organizational vision for the sales compensation function, in alignment with both Total Rewards and Sales Operations priorities.

Reporting & Executive Communication
• Deliver regular reporting and insights to Total Rewards and Sales Operations leadership on plan performance, cost, and ROI.
• Translate complex compensation mechanics and system/technical topics into clear, actionable narratives for non-technical executive audiences across HR and Sales.
• Balance and reconcile priorities between Total Rewards governance and Sales Operations' need for speed and field responsiveness.

Qualifications
• 10+ years of progressive experience in sales compensation, total rewards, or related HR/Finance disciplines, including significant exposure to sales or commercial organizations.
• Proven track record owning sales compensation plan design, administration, and governance at scale.
• Hands-on experience with incentive compensation management (ICM) platforms (e.g., Xactly, Varicent, CaptivateIQ, or similar) required.
• Demonstrated people leadership experience; track record of building and developing high-performing teams.
• Strong organizational design and talent evaluation capabilities.
• Excellent stakeholder management skills; proven ability to operate effectively within a matrixed reporting structure and manage competing priorities between HR and business functions.
• Experience translating complex, technical, or ambiguous topics into clear executive narratives.
• Exposure to AI tools, platforms, or governance frameworks in an enterprise context a plus.

Bachelor's degree required; relevant certifications
Our compensation reflects the cost of labor across several geographic markets. The compensation range for this position ranges from $148,011.00/year in our lowest geographic market up to 217,082.80 USD/year in our highest geographic market. Pay is based on a number of factors including market location and may vary depending on job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. Your recruiter can share more about the specific salary range for your preferred location during the hiring process. The compensation package may also include incentive compensation opportunities in the form of annual bonus or incentives, equity awards and an Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP). Learn more about benefits at Rackspace.