Job Summary

The Senior Consultant, Sales Compensation & Commissions serves as a strategic partner to Sales Leadership, Finance, Human Resources, and Revenue Operations in the design, administration, analysis, and optimization of sales compensation and commission programs.

This role is responsible for developing incentive compensation strategies that drive business performance, support revenue objectives, and ensure accurate and timely commission payments. The Senior Consultant provides expert guidance on sales compensation plan design, quota and territory alignment, commission calculations, financial modeling, compensation governance, and compensation system administration.

The ideal candidate combines strong analytical capabilities with a deep understanding of sales compensation principles, commission operations, and incentive plan effectiveness.

Key Responsibilities

• Sales Compensation Strategy & Plan Design

• Design, evaluate, and administer sales incentive compensation plans that align with organizational growth and revenue objectives.

• Partner with Sales, Finance, and Executive Leadership to develop compensation strategies that drive desired performance and behaviors.

• Analyze incentive plan effectiveness and provide recommendations to improve participant outcomes and business results.

• Support annual compensation planning, commission plan revisions, quota setting, and territory alignment initiatives.

• Develop financial models to evaluate proposed compensation plan changes and forecast payout impacts.

Commission Administration & Governance

• Oversee commission calculations, validation processes, and payout accuracy across multiple sales organizations.

• Review and resolve commission discrepancies, disputes, and adjustment requests.

• Establish controls to ensure data integrity, audit readiness, and SOX compliance.

• Partner with Payroll and Finance to ensure timely and accurate commission payments.

• Maintain compensation governance documentation, plan documents, rules, and commission policies.

Analytics & Reporting

• Conduct complex compensation analyses, including payout trends, attainment analysis, earning distributions, and forecast modeling.

• Develop dashboards and executive reporting to provide insights into sales performance, plan effectiveness, and compensation costs.

• Analyze compensation data to identify opportunities for process improvement, cost optimization, and program enhancements.

• Provide leadership with data-driven recommendations regarding incentive effectiveness and compensation investments.

Compensation Systems & Process Improvement

• Serve as a subject matter expert for commission and incentive compensation systems.

• Support system implementations, enhancements, testing, and automation initiatives.

• Partner with Sales Operations, HRIS, Finance, and Technology teams to improve compensation processes and reporting capabilities.

• Drive continuous improvement initiatives that increase efficiency, accuracy, and scalability.

Cross-Functional Partnership

• Collaborate with Sales, Finance, Revenue Operations, Human Resources, and Executive Leadership on compensation-related initiatives.

• Present compensation findings, recommendations, and business cases to senior leadership.

• Act as a trusted advisor on sales compensation best practices and market trends.

Required Competencies

• Deep knowledge of sales compensation, incentive plan design, and commission administration.

• Strong understanding of quota methodologies, territory alignment, and performance measurement.

• Advanced analytical, financial modeling, and forecasting capabilities.

• Experience with commission calculations, accruals, and payout reconciliation.

• Strong business acumen with the ability to connect compensation strategy to revenue outcomes.

• Exceptional Excel and data analysis skills.

• Ability to influence leaders and drive consensus across cross-functional stakeholders.

• Strong verbal, written, and presentation skills.

• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a deadline-driven environment.

Qualifications

Education & Experience

• Bachelor's Degree in Finance, Accounting, Business Administration, Human Resources, Economics, or related field and 7–10 years of experience in sales compensation, incentive compensation, commissions, or compensation consulting; OR

• High School Diploma/GED and 11–14 years of related experience.

Required Experience

• Experience designing and administering sales compensation and commission programs.

• Experience conducting commission modeling, forecasting, and payout analyses.

• Experience partnering with Sales Leadership and Finance teams.

• Experience with commission calculations, adjustments, and dispute resolution.

• Experience handling highly confidential compensation data.

Preferred Experience

• Experience with incentive compensation platforms such as Varicent, Xactly, Callidus, CaptivateIQ, Performio, or similar systems.

• Experience implementing or optimizing compensation systems and reporting tools.

• Experience supporting sales organizations with multiple commission plans and incentive structures.

• Experience with Power BI, Tableau, SQL, or advanced reporting tools.

• Certified Compensation Professional (CCP) preferred.

Work Environment / Physical Requirements