Lead Sales Incentive Compensation Analyst

Transamerica Corporation; Cedar Rapids (IA); On-site; USD 86,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

Transamerica Corporation is seeking a skilled professional to lead the design and execution of sales incentive compensation programs. This role requires collaboration across various departments, ensuring effective governance and timely payment while optimizing processes. Candidates should have 7+ years of experience in sales compensation and possess strong analytical capabilities.

This hybrid role allows for three days in-office work each week, and competitive compensation is offered. Join a team dedicated to accurate and compliant compensation outcomes.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of progressive experience in sales compensation or related analytical role.
• Advanced understanding of sales incentive plans and compensation structures.
• Proven ability to influence stakeholders across various departments.

Responsibilities

• Provide ownership of sales incentive compensation programs.
• Lead the commission payment lifecycle ensuring accuracy.
• Administer revenue sharing agreements with distribution partners.
• Draft and review incentive plan documents for clarity and compliance.
• Mentor junior analysts to elevate team capability.

Skills

Sales incentive compensation

Analytical skills

Financial analysis

Communication

Problem-solving

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Business Administration

Tools

Anaplan

Excel

PowerPoint

Job description

Job Description Summary

Lead the design, governance, and execution of complex sales incentive compensation programs in partnership with Human Resources, Finance, Sales Leadership, and Operations. Serve as a subject‑matter expert and strategic advisor on incentive plan design, execution, automation, and risk, while ensuring accurate, timely, and compliant compensation outcomes across sales organizations. This role supports a broad population of internal employee wholesalers and oversees the administration of firmwide revenue sharing agreements with significant annual financial impact.

Responsibilities

• Provide end‑to‑end ownership of sales incentive compensation programs, including plan design support, operational execution, governance, and ongoing optimization in partnership with Total Rewards.
• Lead the monthly and periodic commission payment lifecycle, ensuring accuracy, auditability, and timely submission to Payroll while proactively managing risks and exceptions.
• Administer firm revenue sharing agreements with distribution partners, including calculation, reconciliation, and timely payment of millions of dollars in contractual payments, ensuring accuracy and compliance with contractual terms.
• Serve as the primary escalation point for complex compensation issues, disputes, and interpretation of plan documents, exercising judgment and providing clear, defensible resolutions.
• Act as a strategic advisor to Sales Leadership and HR partners, translating compensation mechanics into business‑aligned insights and recommendations.
• Drive automation, scalability, and process efficiency by defining technical requirements, partnering with Sales Operations and Sales Reporting, and influencing roadmap priorities.
• Own data integrity and control frameworks supporting incentive compensation, ensuring consistency, quality, and governance of sales and payout data.
• Lead plan revision cycles and policy enhancements, identifying opportunities to improve design effectiveness, operational efficiency, and employee understanding.
• Draft, review, and validate incentive plan documents, ensuring clarity, compliance, and alignment with enterprise compensation philosophy.
• Develop and deliver clear communications and training on compensation plans, mechanics, and policies for sales employees, managers, and leaders.
• Mentor and provide informal leadership to junior analysts, sharing best practices and elevating team capability.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Business Administration, or equivalent experience.
• Seven years of progressive experience in sales compensation, incentive administration, finance, accounting, or a related analytical role.
• Advanced understanding of sales incentive plans, compensation structures, contracts, and sales processes.
• Hands‑on experience with Anaplan or other commission/incentive compensation systems.
• Demonstrated ability to analyze large, complex datasets and synthesize insights for decision‑makers.
• Strong analytical, problem‑solving, and critical‑thinking skills applied to ambiguous or high‑impact compensation issues.
• Proven ability to influence and partner with senior stakeholders across Total Rewards, HR, Finance, Payroll, Sales Operations, and Sales Leadership.
• Exceptional attention to detail, judgment, and accountability in high‑stakes financial processes.
• Advanced proficiency in Excel; working knowledge of Word and PowerPoint.
• Preferred: Experience with compensation analytics, modeling, or payout forecasting; exposure to compensation governance, audit support, or regulatory considerations; prior experience acting as a lead analyst or subject‑matter expert within a compensation function; experience administering third‑party revenue sharing or distribution fee agreements, preferably in asset management, insurance, or financial services.

Compensation

Salary range: $86,000.00 – $100,000.00 annually. Annual bonus may apply based on performance. The position is hybrid, requiring three days in office per week.

Applicants must possess legal authorization to work for our company in the U.S. without the need for immigration sponsorship. This role is not eligible for immigration‑related employment authorization sponsorship.