Senior Commissions Forecasting & Design Lead, Motive

• 6+ years of experience in FP&A, sales compensation, incentive compensation, sales operations, revenue operations, finance, or a closely related analytical discipline, including meaningful ownership of commissions or variable-compensation forecasting
• Demonstrated experience designing or materially changing sales compensation plans in a complex, multi-segment organization
• Strong FP&A, analytical, and financial-modeling skills; able to work comfortably with large datasets and build transparent forecast, bridge, variance, and scenario models
• Deep understanding of compensation mechanics such as quota allocation, attainment, crediting, accelerators, kickers, draws, ramping, clawbacks, SPIFFs, and exception handling
• Experience partnering with FP&A and senior stakeholders and building consensus across Sales, Finance, Operations, People, and Technology
• Ability to write clear policy language, business requirements, process documentation, and executive-ready recommendations
• Strong systems orientation and experience with an incentive compensation management platform such as Xactly, Varicent, CaptivateIQ, Everstage, Anaplan, or an equivalent system
• Excellent written, verbal, and presentation skills, including the ability to explain complex compensation mechanics to non-specialists
• High ownership, attention to detail, sound judgment, and comfort operating in ambiguous, high-change environments

Desirable

• Motive is looking for a Senior Commissions Forecasting & Sales Compensation Program Lead
• The primary responsibility is to own the commissions modeling, forecast and related analysis in an FP&A-partnering planning process: establish the methodology, maintain the model, collect and validate inputs, produce forecast submissions, explain variances, and provide decision-ready commentary to Finance and business leadership
• The role also assists in designs, operationalization, and continuously improving global sales compensation programs. It sits at the intersection of FP&A, Sales, GTM Strategy and Operations, Finance, People, Legal, Payroll, and Business Technology
• The successful candidate will turn complex business objectives into a reliable, explainable commissions forecast and clear, scalable, auditable compensation programs
• They will own the commissions forecasting process, including the forecast calendar, model architecture, assumptions, run-rate methodology, headcount and plan-change inputs, source-data validation, forecast submissions, actuals-to-forecast analysis, forecast-to-plan analysis, and executive-ready commentary
• They will also evaluate plan mechanics, identify unintended incentives or payout risk, build analytical models, document policy intent, lead cross-functional decisions, and ensure approved changes are translated accurately into systems, communications, and operating processes
• This is a high-impact individual-contributor role for someone who can move comfortably between FP&A forecasting, strategic design discussions, detailed modeling, policy language, system requirements, and field-facing explanation
• This role partners closely with our GTM & Corporate FP&A teams along with our Sales Operations teams
• The role must understand how plan mechanics, headcount, attainment, hiring timing, ramping, quota changes, and payout behavior affect forecast accuracy, cost, seller behavior, payout experience, and operational risk
• Own the end-to-end commissions forecast process in partnership with FP&A and sales ops, including forecast calendar, model structure, assumptions, source data, submissions, and change control
• Produce monthly, quarterly, and annual commissions forecasts and explain actuals-to-forecast and forecast-to-plan variances by segment, role, plan component, headcount movement, attainment, and timing
• Establish forecast inputs and operating rhythms with Sales Ops, Finance, People, Payroll, and business leaders; document ownership, deadlines, assumptions, and evidence
• Assist in the design and evolution of sales compensation plans across multiple segments, roles, geographies, and pay periods
• Translate GTM strategy into measurable compensation mechanics, including quotas, crediting rules, accelerators, kickers, draws, SPIFFs, MBOs, ramping structures, and exception frameworks
• Build models and scenario analyses to evaluate plan outcomes, behavioral incentives, fairness, payout volatility, cost implications, and implementation complexity
• Partner with Sales Leadership, GTM Strategy and Operations, Finance, People, Legal, Payroll, and Business Technology to align on requirements, tradeoffs, approvals, and timing
• Co-own the compensation-design workstream for major programs such as annual-plan redesigns, new-product incentives, role or segment changes, and compensation-system migrations
• Convert approved design decisions into clear business requirements, decision logs, process documentation, test cases, and implementation-ready specifications
• Review system outputs and reporting for alignment to policy and intended plan behavior; identify root causes when results are inaccurate, delayed, or difficult for sellers to understand
• Establish practical governance for plan changes, exceptions, approvals, and effective dates, with a clear audit trail
• Create and deliver enablement for sales leaders, managers, and compensation partners; explain complex mechanics clearly and confidently
• Develop recurring performance reporting on attainment, payout behavior, plan participation, exception themes, forecast accuracy, and compensation-program effectiveness
• Partner with FP&A on forecast submissions, executive commentary, scenario analysis, and reconciliation of forecast assumptions to approved plan design and operating data
• Improve the seller and manager experience through clearer plan documents, better statements, self-service resources, office hours, and better intake processes
• Support audit and IPO-readiness activities by ensuring that plan logic, approvals, controls, and evidence are complete and reusable
• Mentor analysts and collaborate with systems and operations partners without having formal people-management responsibility