Director, Sales Compensation Strategy

Workday•Pleasanton, CA

1d•$174,800 - $310,600•Hybrid

About The Position

Your work days are brighter here. We’re obsessed with making hard work pay off, for our people, our customers, and the world around us. As a Fortune 500 company and a leading AI platform for managing people, money, and agents, we’re shaping the future of work so teams can reach their potential and focus on what matters most. The minute you join, you’ll feel it. Not just in the products we build, but in how we show up for each other. Our culture is rooted in integrity, empathy, and shared enthusiasm. We’re in this together, tackling big challenges with bold ideas and genuine care. We look for curious minds and courageous collaborators who bring sun-drenched optimism and drive. Whether you're building smarter solutions, supporting customers, or creating a space where everyone belongs, you’ll do meaningful work with Workmates who’ve got your back. In return, we’ll give you the trust to take risks, the tools to grow, the skills to develop and the support of a company invested in you for the long haul. So, if you want to inspire a brighter work day for everyone, including yourself, you’ve found a match in Workday, and we hope to be a match for you too. About the Team A Sales Compensation Director leads the design, governance, and ongoing optimization of sales incentive programs across a global sales organization, ensuring that compensation structures align with strategic priorities, growth objectives, and financial discipline. The role sits at the intersection of Sales, Finance, Revenue Operations, and Analytics, where the Director architects compensation frameworks for both direct and overlay sellers, partners with Finance on quota methodology and deployment, and supports governance around true-ups, exceptions, and complex deals. They analyze performance data to model plan outcomes, monitor in-year results, and identify unintended consequences, while owning dashboards that track attainment, payouts, and risk. In addition to core plan design, the Director proactively identifies sales performance gaps and creates targeted incentives such as SPIFFs or pilots to drive desired behaviors. Success in the role requires deep expertise in variable compensation mechanics, strong analytical capability, and the ability to translate complex concepts into clear, actionable guidance for senior leaders. About the Role The Commercial Strategy & Acceleration team serves as the connective thread across GCO, bringing together Strategy & Planning, Pricing, and Compensation & Analytics to create alignment, consistency, and clear standards in how Workday goes to market. The team works closely with Global Revenue functions such as Customer Success, VIP, SDR, AI GTM, and Specialized Sales to shape a unified customer journey, reduce friction, and scale successful motions across regions. By partnering deeply with Geo, CX, and Partner leaders, the organization aims to enable faster, better decisions that drive durable customer value and long-term growth for Workday. In this role, you will be tasked with leading the following:

Requirements

8+ years experience in end-to-end sales compensation plan design (annual and in-year) for direct sellers and overlay roles.
8+ years experience aligning compensation structures with GTM strategies (e.g., new business, expansion, retention, AI offerings).
8+ years experience partnering with Finance and Revenue Operations on quota-setting methodologies and compensation mechanics.
3+ years of in a people management role

Nice To Haves

Strong analytical skills with experience building and maintaining compensation analytics, modeling outcomes, and owning performance dashboards.
Experience identifying sales performance gaps and designing targeted incentives (SPIFFs, pilots).
Excellent communication and advisory skills, capable of translating complex compensation concepts into actionable insights for senior leaders.
Familiarity with governance processes for compensation and quota management.

Responsibilities

Compensation Design & Strategy Lead end-to-end design of annual and in-year compensation plans for direct sellers and overlay roles.
Align compensation structures with Workday’s GTM priorities, including new business, expansion, retention, and AI offerings.
Design pay curves, accelerators, and performance levers that incent the right behaviors while managing financial risk.
Quota Partnership with Finance Partner with Finance and Revenue Operations on quota-setting methodology and deployment.
Ensure compensation mechanics align with territories, quotas, and fiscal planning.
Support governance processes for true-ups, exceptions, and complex deals.
Incentive Innovation Identify sales performance gaps and design targeted incentives such as SPIFFs and pilots.
Measure incentive effectiveness and iterate based on data and results.
Analytics & Systems Build and maintain compensation analytics to model outcomes before rollout and monitor performance during the year.
Own dashboards that track attainment, payouts, risk, and variance.
Partner with data teams to ensure reliable and scalable compensation data infrastructure.
Governance & Leadership Play a key role in Workday’s Compensation Governance processes.
Act as a trusted advisor to senior leaders in Sales, Finance, and Revenue Operations.
Translate complex compensation concepts into clear, actionable insights.