Director, Incentive Compensation

Attentive; New York (NY); Hybrid; USD 180,000 - 270,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health & wellness benefits

Equity

Job summary

Attentive, a leading AI marketing platform, seeks a senior compensation leader to drive annual incentive planning across GTM functions. You’ll build payout rules, track accruals, and ensure plans align with growth and profitability in a fast-paced tech environment.

You’ll manage a small team, partner with Finance and Revenue Operations, and leverage tools like Xactly, CaptivateIQ, and Spiff to optimize performance and accuracy. This role is based in New York with hybrid collaboration.

Qualifications

• 8+ years in incentive compensation, incentive design, or related Finance/Revenue Operations with plan ownership.
• Experience managing a team, including at least two years of people management.
• Experience designing and operating incentive programs in a SaaS/tech business.
• Strong Excel or Google Sheets skills; build scenario models and trace calculations.
• Practical experience with incentive platforms and Salesforce data.
• Sound business judgment balancing motivation, discipline, and admin ease.
• Clear communication with executives, managers, and employees.
• Care with sensitive information during payout/planning cycles.
• Experience with consumption-based revenue and margin-based incentives.
• Direct experience with commission management platforms (Xactly preferred, or CaptivateIQ/Spiff).

Responsibilities

• Lead annual incentive planning across Sales, Account Management, Customer Success, and other go-to-market roles.
• Define performance measures, pay mix, payout curves, accelerators, and plan rules.
• Track and report payout plans with Accounting to accrue non-GTM bonuses.
• Ensure incentives align with outcomes, pricing, terms, and deal margins.
• Build and test compensation models showing effects on earnings and costs.
• Own commission operations from calculation to delivery to Payroll.
• Maintain plan documentation and policies with cross-functional teams.
• Assess plan effectiveness and provide data-driven recommendations.
• Improve compensation systems with Revenue Operations and AI where applicable.
• Lead and develop the compensation team; communicate rollout materials.
• Collaborate with FP&A on forecasts, accruals, and variance explanations.

Skills

Incentive compensation

Team management

SaaS experience

Excel skills

Salesforce data

Data-driven approach

Executive communication

Process improvement

Budgeting

Tools

Xactly

CaptivateIQ

Spiff

Job description

Attentive® is the AI marketing platform for 1:1 personalization redefining the way brands and people connect. We’re the only marketing platform that combines powerful technology with human expertise to build authentic customer relationships. By unifying SMS, RCS, email, and push notifications, our AI-powered personalization engine delivers bespoke experiences that drive performance, revenue, and loyalty through real-time behavioral insights.

Recognized as the #1 provider in SMS Marketing by G2, Attentive partners with more than 8,000 customers across 70+ industries. Leading global brands like Crate and Barrel, Urban Outfitters, and Carter’s work with us to enable billions of interactions that power tens of billions in revenue for our customers.

With a distributed global workforce and employee hubs in New York City, San Francisco, London, and Sydney, Attentive’s team has been consistently recognized for its performance and culture. We’re proud to be included in Deloitte’s Fast 500 (four years running!), LinkedIn’s Top Startups, Forbes’ Cloud 100 (five years running!), Inc.’s Best Workplaces, and the Human Rights Campaign Foundation's Corporate Equality Index!

About The Role

Attentive is building the future of marketing with AI. We believe AI will change how brands connect with people and open new possibilities for growth. Our ambition is to help define that future, building on the experience and trust we’ve earned with thousands of brands.

We’re thinking big about what comes next, with the urgency of a startup and the foundation of a well-established business. Joining Attentive is an opportunity to help shape an industry primed for a massive change and have a meaningful role in the company we’re becoming.

This hybrid role is based in our New York office, with in-office collaboration Tuesday through Thursday each week.

What You’ll Accomplish

• Lead annual incentive planning across Sales, Account Management, Customer Success, and other eligible go-to-market roles. Work with leaders to define performance measures, pay mix, payout curves, accelerators, and plan rules.
• Track, report, and work with Accounting to accrue non GTM bonus plans including executive bonuses.
• Make sure incentives reward the right outcomes. Evaluate how pricing, contract terms, customer commitments, usage, and deal margin affect payouts. Recommend changes that support growth without encouraging poor deal economics.
• Build and test compensation models. Show how different levels of attainment and plan structures affect employee earnings and company costs. Explain the tradeoffs and help leaders reach a decision.
• Own commission operations, including calculation, validation, reconciliation, approvals, and delivery to Payroll. Keep payouts accurate and on time, statements clear, and questions resolved promptly.
• Maintain plan documentation and consistent policies for crediting, ramp periods, guarantees, role changes, adjustments, and exceptions. Work with People, Legal, Accounting, and Payroll on controls and approvals.
• Assess whether plans are working. Track attainment, payout distribution, commission costs, and the behavior each plan encourages. Separate actual results from forecast assumptions and turn findings into recommendations.
• Improve compensation systems and data. Work with Revenue Operations and business systems partners on requirements, testing, and data quality. Use automation and AI where they reduce manual work, improve accuracy and enhance customer experience.
• Lead and develop the compensation team. Set clear responsibilities, review work, and coach people through complex questions. Help managers and employees understand their plans through rollout materials and ongoing communication.
• Partner with FP&A and Accounting on commission forecasts, accruals, reconciliations, and explanations of variance. Prepare clear analysis for senior leadership.

Your Expertise

• 8+ years of relevant experience in incentive compensation, incentive design, or related Finance or Revenue Operations roles, with ownership of both plan design and administration.
• Experience managing and developing a team, ideally including at least two years of people management.
• Experience designing and operating incentive programs in a SaaS, technology, or similarly complex business.
• Strong Excel or Google Sheets skills. You can build a scenario model, trace a calculation to its source, and spot when an assumption does not hold.
• Practical experience with incentive compensation platforms and Salesforce data. You understand how contract terms, bookings, billing, and payouts connect.
• Sound business judgment. You can challenge a proposal constructively and balance employee motivation, financial discipline, and ease of administration.
• Clear communication with executives, managers, and employees. You can explain a complex plan or a difficult payout decision without losing the audience.
• Care with sensitive information and the discipline to get the details right, even during a busy payout or planning cycle.
• Experience with consumption-based revenue, margin-based incentives, expansion and retention plans
• Direct experience with commission management platforms (Xactly preferred, or equivalent SPM systems like CaptivateIQ, Spiff).

You’ll get competitive perks and benefits, from health & wellness to equity, to help you bring your best self to work.

For US Based Applicants

• The US base salary range for this full-time position is $180,000-$270,000 + equity + benefits
• Our salary ranges are determined by role, level and location

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Attentive Company Values

• Default to Action - Move swiftly and with purpose
• Be One Unstoppable Team - Rally as each other’s champions
• Champion the Customer - Our success is defined by our customers' success
• Act Like an Owner - Take responsibility for Attentive’s success

Learn more about AWAKE, Attentive’s collective of employee resource groups.

If you do not meet all the requirements listed here, we still encourage you to apply! No job description is perfect, and we may also have another opportunity that closely matches your skills and experience.

At Attentive, we know that our Company's strength lies in the diversity of our employees. Attentive is an Equal Opportunity Employer and we welcome applicants from all backgrounds. Our policy is to provide equal employment opportunities for all employees, applicants and covered individuals regardless of protected characteristics. We prioritize and maintain a fair, inclusive and equitable workplace free from discrimination, harassment, and retaliation. Attentive is also committed to providing reasonable accommodations for candidates with disabilities. If you need any assistance or reasonable accommodations, please let your recruiter know.