Sr. Manager, Sales Commissions

Job Title: Sr Manager, Sales Commissions

Position Summary

The Sr Manager, Sales Commissions is accountable for the accurate calculation, accounting, and payment of sales commissions in a public company, SOX-compliant environment. Reporting to the Corporate Controller, this role owns commission-related accounting judgments, internal controls, and audit support, while partnering closely with Sales Operations to ensure compensation plans are executed in accordance with approved terms. This position requires a strong technical accounting foundation, rigorous control mindset, the ability to operate effectively in a highly regulated reporting environment, and the ability to understand complex sales commissions structures.

Key Responsibilities

Sales Commission Accounting

• Own all accounting for sales commissions, including expense recognition, accruals, deferrals, amortization, true-ups and technical memos.

• Ensure commissions are accounted for in accordance with U.S. GAAP, including ASC 606 capitalization and amortization of incremental contract acquisition costs.

• Review and approve commission-related journal entries and supporting schedules.

• Reconcile commission expense, accrual, and deferred commission balances; investigate and resolve variances timely.

• Ensure accurate and complete commission balances are reflected in monthly, quarterly, and annual financial statements.

• Coordinate closely with FP&A on commission forecasting, accrual assumptions, and variance analysis.

• Support disclosures related to sales commissions and contract acquisition costs.

• Ensure commission accounting timelines align with corporate close and reporting deadlines

SOX Controls & Compliance

• Maintain SOX-compliant internal controls over commission calculation, accounting, and payout.

• Serve as control owner for commission-related processes, including documentation, evidence retention, and remediation of deficiencies.

• Perform and review key control activities, including management reviews, reconciliations, and approval workflows.

• Partner with Internal Audit to support walkthroughs, testing, and remediation efforts.

• Ensure changes to compensation plans or systems are assessed for accounting and control impacts.

Sales Commission Administration (Operational Oversight)

• Oversee the end-to-end commission calculation and payout process to ensure alignment with approved compensation plans.

• Partner closely with Sales Operations to translate compensation plans, crediting rules, and plan changes into accurate commission calculations.

• Manage commission exceptions, adjustments, and dispute resolutions in conjunction with Sales Operations.

Cross-Functional Partnership

• Partner closely with Sales Operations to operationalize compensation plans, quotas, and crediting rules.

• Collaborate with Sales Leadership to support plan design changes, new product incentives, and sales structure updates.

• Work with Payroll and HR to ensure accurate employee data, plan assignments, and payouts.

• Coordinate with IT or system administrators to maintain and enhance commission systems and tools.

Systems & Process Improvement

• Own the commission tool end to end (accounting and controls perspective and sales facing), including system logic, data integrity, and auditability.

• Lead implementations and enhancements of our commission tool to reduce manual steps and drive automation for the commissions accounting and operations processes.

• Drive process improvements to strengthen controls, scalability, and efficiency.

Leadership

• Manage and develop commission team members.

• Establish clear accountability, review standards, and escalation protocols.

• Promote a culture of compliance, precision, automation, and continuous improvement.

Strategic Leadership & Business Partnership

• Act as a strategic advisor to the Corporate Controller, Sales Operations, and Sales Leadership on sales compensation structure, financial impact