Sales Incentives and Commissions Manager

Forgent•Columbus, OH

About The Position

The Sales Incentives & Commissions Manager leads the design, governance, administration, forecasting, and optimization of sales compensation and third-party commission programs. This high-impact role influences sales performance, revenue execution, seller engagement, and commercial scalability. The manager serves as a subject matter expert in compensation plan design, commission operations, payment accuracy, forecasting, compliance, and stakeholder communication, ensuring programs are accurate, motivating, transparent, scalable, and aligned with company objectives. The role works across Sales, Finance, HR, Commercial Operations, and executive leadership. It covers compensation strategy and design, program governance and compliance, forecasting and commission operations, and communication and sales enablement. The manager also supports internal sales teams and external partners through accurate and timely commission payments, documentation, training, and ongoing program communications.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Business, Finance, Accounting, Economics, Operations, or a related field.
5+ years of experience in sales compensation, incentive management, sales operations, finance, revenue operations, or a related analytical function.
Experience designing and administering sales compensation plans and commission programs.
Strong financial modeling, forecasting, and analytical skills.
Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel and reporting tools.
Demonstrated ability to manage complex operational processes with a high degree of accuracy.
Strong project management, communication, and stakeholder management skills.

Nice To Haves

Experience supporting both direct and indirect/channel sales organizations.
Experience with sales compensation platforms and commission management systems.
Knowledge of revenue operations, sales planning, and commercial performance management.
Experience partnering with executive leadership on compensation strategy and business planning.
Power BI, CRM, and sales analytics experience.

Responsibilities

Lead the development and ongoing optimization of sales compensation plans across multiple sales roles and channels.
Align compensation structures with business goals, growth priorities, and role-specific responsibilities.
Design and manage quotas and targets, performance weights, accelerators and payout curves, gates and thresholds, caps, and special incentive programs.
Evaluate program effectiveness and recommend enhancements that support revenue growth and seller productivity.
Establish compensation governance standards and administration guidelines.
Develop and manage compensation governance frameworks, policies, and controls.
Own exception management processes and approval workflows.
Coordinate stakeholder reviews, approvals, and annual sign-off processes.
Maintain audit-ready documentation and compensation records.
Ensure programs comply with internal controls, financial requirements, and company policies.
Lead periodic compliance reviews and compensation audits.
Own commission forecasting, accrual methodologies, and payout modeling.
Partner with Finance on monthly, quarterly, and annual financial planning processes.
Oversee commission calculations and payment administration.
Ensure accurate and timely commission payments for internal sales teams and external partners.
Identify and implement automation, process optimization, and operational efficiency opportunities.
Drive initiatives that reduce manual adjustments and administrative complexity.
Create and maintain compensation plan documents and supporting materials.
Develop FAQs, training content, presentations, and communication resources.
Partner with Sales leadership to help sellers understand plans, performance metrics, and earning opportunities.
Build and maintain sales compensation and commission administration playbooks.
Lead ongoing communications and change management related to compensation programs.