Compensation Specialist - Sales Commissions

Summary / Position Purpose:

The Compensation Specialist of Sales Commissions is responsible for the administration, calculation, analysis, and communication of sales commission and incentive programs within a complex industrial sales organization. Supporting both inside and outside sales teams, this role ensures accurate, timely, and compliant compensation processes that help drive sales performance and align with business objectives. The Compensation Specialist partners closely with Sales, Finance, HR, and Operations to validate sales data, interpret compensation plans, calculate commissions, and maintain all related documentation.

Essential Duties, Functions and/or Responsibilities:

Commission Calculation & Administration

• Calculate monthly, quarterly, and annual sales commissions for inside and outside sales teams, ensuring accuracy and adherence to plan rules.
• Validate sales performance data from multiple systems and reconcile discrepancies before processing payouts.
• Generate achievement results, payout summaries, and detailed commission statements for employees and leaders.
• Maintain and improve commission models, templates, and calculation worksheets.
• Ensure commission payouts comply with compensation plans, policies, and financial controls.

Plan Documentation & Governance

• Draft, revise, and maintain incentive compensation plan documents, quotas, territory structures, and related process documentation.
• Work with HR and Sales leadership to ensure plans are aligned with business strategies and updated as organizational needs evolve.
• Maintain clear documentation of methodology, rules, assumptions, and exceptions related to commission calculations.

Data Analysis & Reporting

• Analyze sales performance trends, quota attainment, and earnings patterns to support business decisions.

• Create and maintain dashboards and reports that provide visibility into achievement and compensation performance.
• Partner with Finance to support budgeting, forecasting, and accrual processes related to variable compensation.

Stakeholder Support

• Serve as the primary point of contact for commission-related questions from employees and leaders.
• Provide clear, data-driven explanations of compensation calculations, rules, and variances.
• Collaborate with Sales Operations, HR, and Finance to align data, processes, and systems supporting compensation.

Process Improvement

• Identify opportunities to streamline commission processes, automate data flows, and improve accuracy.
• Support system enhancements or the implementation of commission management tools.
• Recommend best practices for incentive compensation design, governance, and documentation.
• Indirectly and directly responsible for product quality
• Other duties as assigned

Education and/or Work Experience Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Finance, HR, Accounting, or related field.
• 3 years of experience in compensation, commission administration, or financial analysis—preferably in an industrial or complex sales environment.
• Strong proficiency with Microsoft Excel (advanced formulas, pivot tables, data modeling).
• Experience working with CRM, ERP, or sales performance management systems.
• Demonstrated ability to work with large, complex data sets with high accuracy and attention to detail.
• Excellent written communication skills, including experience drafting or maintaining plan documents.
• Strong analytical, problem‑solving, and organizational skills.

Preferred

• Experience supporting both inside and outside sales organizational structures.
• Familiarity with incentive compensation management (ICM) tools (e.g., Xactly, Varicent, CaptivateIQ, or similar).
• Knowledge of compensation design principles and sales operations.
• Experience in industrial, manufacturing, or distribution industries.

Core Competencies

• Analytical thinking and financial acumen
• Data validation and reconciliation
• Clear, concise communication
• Stakeholder collaboration
• Process and document management
• Confidentiality and integrity
• Problem-solving and continuous improvement

Physical Requirements:

• Ability to safely and successfully perform the essential job functions consistent with the ADA, FMLA and other federal, state and local standards, including meeting qualitative and/or quantitative productivity standards
• Ability to maintain regular, punctual attendance consistent with the ADA, FMLA and other federal, state, and local standards

This position requires applicants to be authorized to work in the US without sponsorship; TestEquity does not sponsor applicants for work visas. 

TestEquity provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws.

This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.