Manager Sales Compensation

Optimum

• $102K — $168K *
Telecommunications & Hardware
5 - 7 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's Degree in Business, Finance, or related fields; Master's or certification in compensation preferred.
  • 5+ years in sales compensation, incentive programs, or sales operations, ideally within telecommunications or cable industries.
  • Proven experience in designing and analyzing sales incentive and commission programs.
  • Direct partnership experience with Sales, Finance, HR, and Operations.
  • Advanced Excel skills for data analysis and modeling, familiarity with AI tools is a plus.

Responsibilities

  • Collaborate with Sales and Commission teams to design and improve compensation plans.
  • Act as a subject matter expert for sales incentive plans and their governance.
  • Evaluate and adjust compensation plans based on sales performance and market conditions.
  • Prepare monthly dashboards summarizing key compensation metrics.
  • Communicate clearly and timely about compensation structures to sales leaders.
  • Streamline compensation processes and identify improvement opportunities.
  • Coordinate with technology teams to enhance reporting and commission calculation systems.

Benefits

  • Collaborative work environment with cross-functional teams.
  • Opportunity to influence sales performance through compensation strategy.
  • Access to advanced tools and technology for process improvement.
  • Professional development opportunities in compensation and incentive structures.
  • Support for adapting to changes in work dynamics, including remote working.
Full Job Description
Job Summary

The Sales Compensation Manager is responsible for leading the design, analysis, and continuous improvement of sales compensation programs for the Consumer Services Sales organization. This is a manager-level role, requiring strong analytical capability, business partnership, and subject matter expertise. The role partners closely with Corporate Compensation, Sales Leadership, Finance, HR, and Sales Operations to ensure compensation plans are competitive, financially sound, compliant, and aligned to business objectives.

The ideal candidate is meticulous, highly analytical, detail-oriented, collaborative, and able to translate complex compensation data into actionable insights that drive sales performance and desired business outcomes. The position reports to the Director, Sales Compensation in the Sales Operations team

Responsibilities

Sales Compensation Planning:
  • Collaborate with Sales leaders and Commission team to design, implement, and analyze sales compensation plans that align with business objectives and reward high performance.
  • Serve as a subject matter expert to Sales, Finance, HR, and Sales Operations on sales incentive plan design, governance, and interpretation.
  • Create a culture of continuous improvement and innovation, regularly evaluating and recommending adjustments to compensation plans based on company goals, sales strategies, market conditions, and performance trends.
  • Prepare monthly dashboards on sales compensation metrics, including commission payout variances, performance against targets, and ROI on strategic product bonuses.

Communication and Support:
  • Provide clear and timely communication to Sales leaders about compensation plans, commission structures, and any changes.
  • Cut through the complexity of the business with compensation and incentive plans that are simple to understand, transparent, and timely; communicate them to the field in a way that builds trust and excitement.
  • Function as a point of contact regarding compensation plan design inquiries.

Process Improvement:
  • Continuously evaluate and improve compensation processes, controls, documentation, and governance to enhance accuracy, efficiency, transparency, and scalability.
  • Partner with Sales Operations, Finance, and technology teams to implement automation, reporting enhancements, and system improvements that streamline commission calculations and analytics.
  • Proactively identify and address potential risks, exceptions, data quality issues, and compliance concerns related to compensation plans and payout processes.

Collaboration and Cross-Functional Coordination:
  • Work closely with Commissions team, Finance, and other Sales Operations teams to ensure alignment between compensation plans and overall business goals.
  • Participate in cross-functional projects and initiatives related to sales performance and compensation. Recommend automation and technology solutions to support and streamline commission calculations and reporting.
  • Ensure our compensation plans are designed for the sales team of the future, addressing changing realities and current trends, such as hybrid or virtual working and new technologies such as AI.


Qualifications

Education:
  • Bachelor's Degree, preferably in Business, Finance, or related disciplines.
  • Master's Degree or professional certification in compensation or related areas (e.g., CCP) is a plus.

Experience:
  • A minimum of 5+ years of experience in sales compensation, incentive compensation, sales operations, FP&A, or a related analytical role. Telecommunications or cable industry experience is strongly preferred.
  • Demonstrated experience designing, administering, analyzing, or improving sales incentive plans, commission programs, quotas, payout processes, and performance metrics.
  • Experience partnering directly with Sales, Finance, HR, and Sales Operations leaders to translate business strategies into effective compensation solutions.

Skills:
  • Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel, including complex formulas, pivot tables, data modeling, scenario analysis, and large data set management. An ability to leverage AI to streamline project delivery is a plus.
  • Strong analytical and financial acumen, with the ability to interpret complex data, identify trends, model plan impacts, and provide actionable recommendations.
  • Exceptional attention to detail and accuracy, particularly in commission calculations, payout validation, data audits, and executive reporting.
  • Experience with compensation management platforms, CRM systems, HRIS tools, business intelligence platforms, and data visualization tools preferred.
  • Strong communication, consultation, and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence effectively across teams, geographic regions, and leadership levels.
  • Ability to manage multiple priorities, exercise sound judgment, and operate independently in a fast-paced, evolving business environment.

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