JOB SUMMARY

The Commission Manager is responsible for the end-to-end administration, calculation, validation, reporting, and continuous improvement of the company's sales commission and incentive compensation programs. Reporting directly to the Senior Vice President of Finance, this role ensures that commission payments and related expenses are accurate, timely, financially controlled, and aligned with the company's revenue, growth, and profitability objectives.

The Commission Manager will serve as the company's subject-matter expert for commission administration and will partner closely with Finance, Accounting, Payroll, Human Resources, Sales Operations, Sales Leadership, and Executive Leadership. This role will manage complex commission plans across multiple sales functions, provide financial forecasts and commission expense analysis, support monthly and quarterly close activities, and recommend process and plan improvements.

The ideal candidate has extensive experience administering sales commissions, strong financial and analytical skills, advanced Microsoft Excel capabilities, and the ability to manage complex data and deadlines in a fast-paced, high-growth environment.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

Commission Administration and Processing

• Manage the full commission cycle, including data collection, calculation, validation, approval, payment, reconciliation, and reporting.
• Calculate commissions, bonuses, sales incentives, contests, and special performance incentive funds, commonly referred to as SPIFFs.
• Ensure all commission payments are accurate and processed according to established payroll deadlines.
• Review and audit commission calculations before payments are submitted for approval.
• Verify sales performance, revenue, quota attainment, and eligibility data used to calculate commissions.
• Maintain accurate records of commission payments, adjustments, recoveries, and exceptions.
• Research and resolve commission-related questions and payment discrepancies.
• Coordinate commission corrections, adjustments, and repayment activities when necessary.
• Ensure commission payments comply with approved compensation plans, company policies, and applicable legal requirements.

Financial Reporting and Controls

• Provide commission expense forecasts, accruals, reconciliations, and variance reporting to the Senior Vice President of Finance.
• Reconcile commission payments against sales results, revenue data, payroll records, and the general ledger.
• Partner with Accounting to ensure commission expenses are accurately recorded during monthly, quarterly, and annual financial close processes.
• Establish and maintain financial controls, documentation, and approval procedures for commission payments.
• Identify commission trends, payment risks, discrepancies, and potential financial exposure.
• Prepare commission expense reports and provide explanations for material variances.
• Evaluate the financial impact and return on investment of commission plans, bonuses, contests, and sales incentives.
• Support internal and external audits related to commissions, incentive compensation, payroll, and financial controls.
• Maintain complete and accurate documentation to support audit and compliance requirements.

Sales Compensation Plan Administration

• Administer multiple sales compensation plans across residential, door-to-door, inside sales, commercial, enterprise, account management, and sales leadership teams.
• Interpret commission plan provisions and ensure calculations are consistent with approved plan documents.
• Maintain current commission plans, eligibility requirements, payout schedules, and approval records.
• Partner with Finance, Human Resources, and Sales Leadership to develop and revise commission plans.
• Model proposed commission plan changes and evaluate their potential impact on revenue, profitability, labor costs, and employee earnings.
• Review commission structures and recommend improvements that support company growth, sales productivity, employee retention, and financial sustainability.
• Assist with the preparation and distribution of annual commission plans and related acknowledgment documents.
• Ensure commission plans clearly define performance measures, payout calculations, eligibility requirements, payment timing, adjustments, and repayment provisions.
• Provide guidance to leaders and employees regarding commission plan terms and payment calculations.

Reporting and Analytics

• Develop and distribute weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annual commission reports.
• Analyze sales performance, quota attainment, commission expense, payout trends, and incentive effectiveness.
• Build and maintain dashboards and reports that track:
• Sales productivity
• Revenue performance
• Quota attainment
• Commission expense
• Incentive payouts
• Payment adjustments
• Sales trends
• Plan effectiveness
• Provide executive-level reporting, analysis, and recommendations to the Senior Vice President of Finance and other members of leadership.
• Identify unusual payment activity, calculation errors, data inconsistencies, or trends requiring further review.
• Translate complex commission data into clear and actionable information for business leaders.
• Develop financial models to support compensation planning, budgeting, and forecasting.

Data Management and Systems

• Maintain the accuracy and integrity of commission data across customer relationship management, payroll, human resources, financial, and sales reporting systems.
• Partner with Information Technology, Sales Operations, Payroll, and Finance to improve system integration and data flow.
• Validate source data before commission calculations are completed.
• Identify opportunities to automate manual commission processes and improve processing efficiency.
• Develop standardized templates, reports, controls, and procedures for commission administration.
• Perform routine system and data audits to identify errors or inconsistencies.
• Support the implementation or enhancement of commission management systems and reporting tools.
• Maintain secure and confidential records related to employee compensation and sales performance.

Cross-Functional Partnership

• Partner closely with the Senior Vice President of Finance regarding commission strategy, financial controls, expense forecasting, and executive reporting.
• Collaborate with Accounting and Payroll to ensure commissions are properly approved, recorded, and paid.
• Work with Human Resources to ensure commission plans are properly documented and communicated.
• Partner with Sales Leadership and Sales Operations to validate sales results and resolve commission-related issues.
• Provide training and guidance to managers and employees regarding commission plans, calculations, and payment processes.
• Participate in annual budgeting, compensation planning, and sales incentive design.
• Communicate commission deadlines, requirements, and changes to key stakeholders.
• Maintain strong working relationships across departments while independently managing sensitive or complex commission matters.

QUALIFICATIONS

Education and Experience requirements: Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting, Business Administration, Economics, Human Resources, or a related field required. Five or more years of experience administering sales commissions, incentive compensation, sales compensation, payroll, or financial operations. Two or more years of experience leading complex commission processes or serving as the primary commission administrator

• Experience supporting a high-volume or multi-market sales organization required.
• Experience developing commission accruals, reconciliations, forecasts, and financial reports preferred.
• Telecommunications, fiber, technology, utilities, software, or other high-growth industry experience preferred.
• Experience working with multiple commission structures, including individual, team, leadership, quota-based, revenue-based, and performance-based plans preferred.
• Experience supporting internal or external financial audits preferred.

Technical Skills

• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel, including PivotTables, XLOOKUP, INDEX/MATCH, Power Query, complex formulas, data validation, and financial modeling.
• Experience with business intelligence and reporting tools, such as Microsoft Power BI.
• Experience with customer relationship management systems, such as Salesforce.
• Experience with payroll or human resources information systems, such as Paylocity.
• Experience with enterprise resource planning, accounting, or financial reporting systems.
• Ability to analyze and reconcile large, complex datasets.
• Strong understanding of commission accounting, expense accruals, financial controls, and payroll processes.
• Ability to create executive-level dashboards, reports, and presentations.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Exceptional attention to detail and commitment to accuracy.
• Strong financial, mathematical, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to interpret complex commission plans and translate plan provisions into accurate calculations.
• Ability to manage confidential employee, payroll, financial, and sales information.
• Strong organizational and project management skills.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and meet strict payroll and financial closing deadlines.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to explain complex commission calculations in a clear and professional manner.
• Strong judgment and ability to identify when issues should be escalated.
• Ability to work independently while maintaining effective cross-functional partnerships.
• Strong sense of ownership, accountability, integrity, and urgency.
• Ability to identify process improvements and implement scalable solutions.
• Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced and rapidly changing environment.

Leadership Responsibilities

• Serve as the company's primary subject-matter expert for sales commission administration.
• Lead commission processing activities and coordinate responsibilities across Finance, Payroll, Accounting, Sales Operations, and Human Resources.
• Establish commission administration standards, procedures, calendars, controls, and documentation.
• Provide guidance and training to leaders and employees regarding commission plans and processes.
• Lead commission-related process improvement and system enhancement initiatives.
• This position may supervise commission analysts or other finance team members as the function grows.

CERTIFICATES, LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS

Certified Compensation Professional (CCP), Certified Payroll Professional (CPP), Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Project Management Professional (PMP), or Lean Six Sigma certification is preferred but not required.

PHYSICAL, FIELD, OR ENVIRONMENTAL REQUIREMENTS

The physical requirements described here are representative of those that must be met by an associate to successfully perform the essential functions of the job. While performing the duties of the job, the associate is required on a daily basis to analyze and interpret data, communicate, and remain in a stationary position for a significant amount of the workday and frequently access, input, and retrieve information from the computer and other office productivity devices. The associate is regularly required to move about the office and around the corporate campus. The associate must frequently move up to 10 pounds and occasionally move up to 25 pounds.

TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS

Ability to travel up to 25%

TOTAL REWARDS
• Competitive compensation package
• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision benefits
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Paid Parental Leave
• 401(k) with company match
• Paid time off and other generous benefit programs
• Tuition reimbursement