Lead Sales Compensation Analyst
Nashville, TN, US, 37214 Chicago, IL, US, 60631
ABOUT THE ROLE
We’re looking for a strategic sales compensation expert to lead the design and management of impactful incentive programs that drive revenue and motivate sales teams globally. You’ll use data-driven insights to optimize plans, influence senior leaders, and ensure alignment with business goals. This role combines analytics, strategy, and partnership to deliver scalable, competitive, and motivating sales compensation solutions.
This is an in-person role based in either Nashville, TN or Chicago, IL, with a hybrid schedule of four days in office and one remote day per week.
WHAT YOU'LL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR
Sales Incentive Strategy & Design
- Lead the review, development, and documentation of new and existing sales incentive plans across diverse sales roles and geographies.
- Ensure incentive plans are market-competitive, cost-effective, and aligned with business strategy and go-to-market motions.
- Design plans that balance simplicity, motivation, and scalability, including components like quotas, accelerators, SPIFs, and MBOs.
Analytics & Plan Effectiveness
- Develop advanced dashboards and reporting frameworks to monitor sales compensation performance, cost of compensation, attainment trends, and ROI.
- Lead in-depth analyses to evaluate plan effectiveness, equity, and impact on sales performance and revenue outcomes.
- Model incentive plan changes and “what-if” scenarios to inform decision-making and senior leadership presentations.
Business Partnership & Governance
- Serve as the primary compensation partner for the Sales and Sales Operations teams, offering consultative guidance on plan design, quota setting, and pay decisions.
- Present analysis and recommendations to senior stakeholders, including Sales, Finance, and HR leaders.
- Support and enforce sales compensation governance, including auditability, plan documentation, and adherence to policies.
Compensation Program Support
- Contribute to enterprise-wide compensation initiatives, including annual compensation cycle planning (merit, bonus, promotions) and market benchmarking.
- Conduct job evaluations and compensation reviews for sales and customer-facing roles.
- Participate in market survey submissions and help refine job architecture as needed.
WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR
- Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Finance, Business, Economics, or a related field (Master’s degree or CCP certification preferred)
- 8–10 years of progressive compensation experience, with significant focus on sales incentive design and administration
- Deep understanding of sales roles, sales performance metrics, and incentive plan mechanics
- Advanced skills in Excel; experience with analytics and dashboard tools (e.g., Power BI, Tableau, Anaplan, or equivalent)
- Strong data interpretation and storytelling abilities—able to convey complex concepts to senior stakeholders
- Proven ability to lead through influence and drive alignment across cross-functional teams
Nearest Major Market: Nashville