Sales Compensation Manager

Oppurtuna; Northern (KY); Hybrid; USD 107,000 - 144,000; Full time

Job summary

Samsara is seeking a seasoned Sales Compensation Strategy professional to design, implement, and manage incentive compensation policies for a high-growth GTM organization. This remote role supports US operations (excluding certain regions) and partners with cross-functional leaders to drive revenue and sustainable growth.

The ideal candidate will own crediting frameworks, policy governance, and field enablement content while embedding Samsara's customer-first and long-term growth culture across

Qualifications

• 5 years of experience in analytical roles (e.g., Incentive Compensation, Consulting, Business Operations) or a comparable policy and process role.
• Bachelor’s degree from a 4-year accredited university.
• Experience writing or owning policy, process documentation, or governance frameworks that other people rely on.
• Experience with incentive compensation.
• Strong analytical and logical reasoning skills with sound judgment on ambiguous, precedent-setting cases.

Responsibilities

• Own Samsara's sales compensation policy strategy including the master policy set covering draws, leaves of absence, transfers, promotions, terminations, clawbacks, windfall thresholds, etc.
• Define and publish the crediting framework for complex and non-standard deals, including renewals versus net new ACV, overlay and specialist involvement, and split and pod scenarios.
• Own correct application of policy across the comp and quota change lifecycle, and design the controls and audit approach that keep it accurate through system implementations and releases.
• Build and manage the governance layer: precedent library, case decision log, exception committee materials, and audits of adjudication consistency across quarters and GTM functions.
• Run the exception process and translate recurring exceptions into policy and plan design changes.
• Own the sales compensation hub and field-facing enablement content.
• Champion Samsara's cultural principles as we scale globally.

Skills

Incentive comp

Policy writing

Data analysis

Collaboration

English fluency

Project mgmt

AI tools

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Claude

Tableau

Salesforce

Google Sheets

BigQuery

Job description

Who we are

Samsara (NYSE: IOT) is the pioneer of the Connected Operations Cloud, which is a platform that enables organizations that depend on physical operations to harness Internet of Things (IoT) data to develop actionable insights and improve their operations. At Samsara, we are helping improve the safety, efficiency and sustainability of the physical operations that power our global economy. Representing more than 40% of global GDP, these industries are the infrastructure of our planet, including agriculture, construction, field services, transportation, and manufacturing - and we are excited to help digitally transform their operations at scale.

Working at Samsara means you’ll help define the future of physical operations and be on a team that’s shaping an exciting array of product solutions, including Video-Based Safety, Vehicle Telematics, Apps and Driver Workflows, and Equipment Monitoring. As part of a recently public company, you’ll have the autonomy and support to make an impact as we build for the long term.

About the role

Samsara's Sales Compensation Strategy team is looking for a curious, motivated and high-impact team player to join the team. Our team's mandate is to design, implement, and manage the Go-to-Market organization's incentive compensation program. We are a highly collaborative team that partners with sales leaders and cross‑functionally to realize growing revenue targets, to scale the organization sustainably, and to address GTM challenges and opportunities as it relates to incentive compensation.

At a high level, this role focuses on compensation policy strategy, the crediting framework for complex and non-standard deals, and exception governance. We are a team that seeks to have an outsized impact on Samsara and we achieve that ambition through rigorous and ongoing skill development.

This is a remote position open to candidates residing in the US except Alaska, Austin Metro, Boulder Metro, California, Chicago Metro, Connecticut, Dallas Metro, Denver Metro, Houston Metro, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Seattle Metro, and Washington, D.C.

In this role, you will

• Own Samsara's sales compensation policy strategy including the master policy set covering draws, leaves of absence, transfers, promotions, terminations, clawbacks, windfall thresholds, etc., driving an annual policy roadmap and the evolution of the compensation Terms & Conditions, and identifying where policy is missing, ambiguous, or producing the wrong selling behavior
• Define and publish the crediting framework for complex and non-standard deals, including renewals versus net new ACV, overlay and specialist involvement, and split and pod scenarios, converting recurring case-by-case judgment into documented rules the field and the team can apply consistently
• Own correct application of policy across the comp and quota change lifecycle, and design the controls and audit approach that keep it accurate through system implementations and releases
• Build and manage the governance layer: precedent library, case decision log, exception committee materials, and audits of adjudication consistency across quarters and GTM functions
• Run the exception process and translate recurring exceptions into policy and plan design changes
• Own the sales compensation hub and field-facing enablement content
• Champion, role model, and embed Samsara's cultural principles (Focus on Customer Success, Build for the Long Term, Adopt a Growth Mindset, Be Inclusive, Win as a Team) as we scale globally and across new offices

Minimum requirements for the role

• 5 years of experience in analytical roles (e.g., Incentive Compensation, Consulting, Business Operations, Sales Operations) or a comparable policy and process role
• Bachelor's degree from a 4-year accredited university
• Experience writing or owning policy, process documentation, or governance frameworks that other people rely on
• Experience with incentive compensation
• Strong analytical and logical reasoning skills, with sound judgment on ambiguous, precedent-setting cases
• Kind and collaborative orientation who is energized by working with a lot of different types of people from many teams (sense of humor is a big plus)
• Highly organized with exceptional attention to detail and the ability to manage multiple projects on a tight deadline alone
• Deep comfort with AI and analytical tools (e.g., Claude, Tableau, Salesforce, Google Sheets, BigQuery) and/or willingness to expand skill set to tackle new problems
• Comfortable with ambiguity and enthusiastic about improving efficiencies to increase sales
• Fully fluent in English

An ideal candidate also has

• Insatiable drive and commitment to personal growth
• Experience operating inside a governance or committee structure (e.g., incentive compensation committee, or similar)
• Ability to build strong relationships with executives (SVP of Sales, Sales VPs, Sales Directors) and cross‑functional partners
• High level of intellectual curiosity and honesty because we love to debate ideas. Losing a debate to a good argument is as exciting as winning one with a good argument
• Xactly experience is a plus!

The range of annual base salary for full-time employees for this position is below. Please note that base pay offered may vary depending on factors including your city of residence, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. Learn more about our total rewards and benefits below.

Annual Base Salary

Annual Base Salary$106,802.50-143,600 USD

Total Rewards

At Samsara, we build for the people who keep the global economy moving. We want owners, not passengers, which is why our rewards are designed to fuel high-impact builders. Our compensation program delivers above-market total compensation through a combination of base salary, performance-based bonus/variable pay, and equity (for eligible roles) in a high-growth public company. We meaningfully differentiate pay for our top performers, who have the opportunity to earn above-market compensation that can outpace the broader market over time.

Beyond compensation, we provide the foundations that enable long-term success: a flexible, employee‑led remote model, a professional development stipend, comprehensive health and parental leave plans, and more.

Flexible Working

At Samsara, we embrace a flexible working model that caters to the diverse needs of our teams. Our offices are open for those who prefer to work in‑person and we also support remote work where it aligns with our operational requirements. For certain positions, being close to one of our offices or within a specific geographic area is important to facilitate collaboration, access to resources, or alignment with our service regions. In these cases, the job description will clearly indicate any working location requirements. Our goal is to ensure that all members of our team can contribute effectively, whether they are working on‑site, in a hybrid model, or fully remotely. All offers of employment are contingent upon an individual’s ability to secure and maintain the legal right to work at the company and in the specified work location, if applicable.

Belonging at Samsara

At Samsara, we welcome everyone regardless of their background. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, protected veteran status, disability, age, and other characteristics protected by law. We depend on the unique approaches of our team members to help us solve complex problems and want to ensure Samsara is a place where people from all backgrounds can make an impact.

AccommodationsSamsara is an inclusive work environment, and we are committed to ensuring equal opportunity in employment for qualified persons with disabilities. Please email [emailprotected] or click here if you require any reasonable accommodations throughout the recruiting process.