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, and risk.

• Evaluate the accounting, control, and financial statement implications of new compensation plans.

• Provide forward-looking insights on commission expense trends, payout and plan efficiency, and scalability to support planning and decision-making.

• Partner with FP&A to improve commission forecasting accuracy and alignment with long-range planning.

• Influence compensation plan design by balancing sales incentives with financial discipline, auditability, and operational feasibility and efficiency.

• Identify and proactively mitigate risks related to commission structures, system changes, and process complexity.

• Drive the commission function toward greater automation, standardization, and scalability to support company growth and evolving public company requirements.

• Contribute to broader finance transformation initiatives, including system implementations, policy development, and process modernization.

Qualifications

Required

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting or Finance.

• 8+ years of progressive accounting experience, including commission or incentive compensation accounting.

• Strong understanding of sales compensation plans, commission structures, and crediting models.

• Experience working closely with Sales Operations and Finance teams.

• Strong knowledge of U.S. GAAP and internal control frameworks (SOX).

• Hands-on experience supporting external audits and internal audit testing.

• Proven ability to own complex accounting processes in a public company environment.

• Proven track record showing experience with system integrations and optimization to reduce manual processes

• Experience in high-growth or complex sales environments (SaaS, global sales teams).

• Advanced Excel skills and experience with commission systems (e.g., Xactly).

Key Competencies

• Strong technical accounting judgment

• SOX and internal controls leadership

• Audit readiness and documentation rigor

• Cross-functional influence, communication and execution

• High attention to detail with ability to scale processes

• Process optimization and systems thinking

• Ability to manage complexity and ambiguity

Benefits and Compensation listed vary based on the location of your employment and the nature of your employment with SailPoint.

As a part of the total compensation package, this role may be eligible for the SailPoint Corporate Bonus Plan or a role-specific commission, along with potential eligibility for equity participation. SailPoint maintains broad salary ranges for its roles to account for variations in knowledge, skills, experience, market conditions and locations, as well as reflect SailPoint’s differing products, industries, and lines of business. Candidates are typically placed into the range based on the preceding factors as well as internal peer equity. We estimate the base salary, for US-based employees, will be in this range from (min-mid-max, USD):

$117,700 - $198,476.00

Base salaries for employees based in other locations are competitive for the employee’s home location.

Benefits Overview

1. Health and wellness coverage: Medical, dental, and vision insurance

2. Disability coverage: Short-term and long-term disability

3. Life protection: Life insurance and Accidental Death & Dismemberment (AD&D)

4. Additional life coverage options: Supplemental life insurance for employees, spouses, and children

5. Flexible spending accounts for health care, and dependent care; limited purpose flexible spending account

6. Financial security: 401(k) Savings and Investment Plan with company matching

7. Time off benefits: Flexible vacation policy

8. Holidays: 8 paid holidays annually

9. Sick leave

10. Parental support: Paid parental leave

11. Employee Assistance Program (EAP) and Care Counselors

12. Voluntary benefits: Legal Assistance, Critical Illness, Accident, Hospital Indemnity and Pet Insurance options

13. Health Savings Account (HSA) with employer contribution

SailPoint is an equal opportunity employer and we welcome all qualified candidates to apply to join our team.  All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any other category protected by applicable law.  

Alternative methods of applying for employment are available to individuals unable to submit an application through this site because of a disability. Contact applicationassistance@sailpoint.com or mail to 11120 Four Points Dr, Suite 100, Austin, TX 78726, to discuss reasonable accommodations.  NOTE: Any unsolicited resumes sent by candidates or agencies to this email will not be considered for current openings at SailPoint.