Senior Manager, Sales Compensation Strategy & Incentives

Staples Inc. • Framingham, MA

16h • $115,000 - $169,000

About The Position

The Senior Manager of Sales Incentive Compensation is a strategic leadership role responsible for the design, implementation, and administration of sales incentive compensation plans. This position oversees the development and execution of sales contests, promotions, and incentive programs to drive sales performance and achieve business objectives. The incumbent will collaborate cross-functionally to ensure alignment with sales strategies and objectives.

Requirements

• Proven ability to design and evolve sales compensation programs that influence seller behavior and drive measurable business outcomes.
• Strong analytical mindset with experience building and leveraging compensation models to inform decisions, forecast outcomes, and optimize performance.
• Ability to translate ambiguous business needs into structured, scalable compensation solutions.
• Confidence and executive presence to influence, challenge, and partner with senior sales and cross-functional leaders.
• Experience leading end-to-end execution of incentive programs, including design, communication, tracking, and payout.
• Strong attention to detail with the ability to anticipate downstream impacts and manage complex processes with accuracy.
• Highly self-directed, with a track record of operating autonomously and driving work forward in fast-paced, evolving environment.
• 8+ years of progressive experience in sales compensation, incentive design, or sales operations, including hands-on experience building compensation models and designing incentive programs that drive sales performance.
• 3+ years of management experience.
• Experience developing and using compensation models to forecast performance, analyze payouts, and support business decision-making.
• Experience designing and managing short-term incentive programs (e.g., sales contests, SPIFFs) from concept through execution and payout.

Nice To Haves

• Bachelors in Business Administration, Finance, Human Resources or related field of study.
• Proven experience in designing and implementing sales incentive compensation plans.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret sales performance data.
• Excellent understanding of sales processes, metrics, and best practices.
• Master's degree in Business Administration or related field.
• Certification in Sales Compensation or related field.
• Experience in retail, B2B sales, or consumption-based revenue models.

Responsibilities

• Lead the design, implementation, and administration of sales compensation programs that align with company objectives, support growth targets, and drive desired sales behaviors.
• Partner with Sales Leadership, Finance, HR, and Sales Operations to develop compensation strategies that balance motivation, performance, and fiscal responsibility.
• Design and manage incentive programs including commissions, bonuses, SPIFFs, accelerators, and sales contests.
• Conduct market benchmarking and assess industry trends to ensure compensation programs remain competitive and effective.
• Develop financial models and forecasting analyses to evaluate compensation plan effectiveness, payout scenarios, and budget impact.
• Analyze sales performance data and compensation outcomes to identify trends, risks, and opportunities for optimization.
• Conduct regular plan reviews and recommend adjustments to improve performance, retention, scalability, and alignment to business priorities.
• Maintain compensation governance processes, policies, and controls to ensure accuracy, consistency, and compliance.
• Partner with Finance during monthly and quarterly close processes to support accruals, payout forecasting, and reporting.
• Lead rollout and communication of compensation plans, ensuring clarity, transparency, and adoption across sales organizations.
• Develop training materials, plan documentation, FAQs, and enablement sessions for sales teams and managers.
• Present compensation insights, recommendations, and program performance to senior leadership and cross-functional stakeholders.
• Design and administer sales contests and short-term incentive programs aligned to strategic business objectives.
• Define contest rules, scoring methodologies, eligibility requirements, and success metrics.
• Create and distribute contest communications and performance updates to drive engagement and participation.
• Evaluate contest effectiveness and provide recommendations for future program enhancements.
• Partner closely with HR, Legal, Finance, Payroll, and Sales Operations to ensure compensation programs comply with company policies and regulatory requirements.
• Support audit requests and maintain documentation related to compensation plans, approvals, and payout processes.
• Stay informed on emerging trends, best practices, and technologies in sales compensation and incentive design.

Benefits

• Inclusive culture with associate-led Business Resource Groups
• 22 days of PTO and Holiday Schedule (7 observed paid holidays + 1 floating holiday)
• Online and Retail Discounts
• Company Match 401(k)
• Physical and Mental Health Wellness programs

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior