Leader, Global Commission Operations

Job description

As the Global Commission Operations Leader, you will be responsible for the end-to-end global sales compensation process. You will bridge the gap between Sales, Finance, and HR to design, implement, and coordinate commission plans that drive revenue, ensure compliance, and motivate global sales teams. Key Responsibilities Strategy & Design: Partner with Sales Leadership and Finance to design competitive, market-aligned commission structures, quota distributions, and SPIFFs (Special Performance Incentive Funds). Operational Execution: Oversee the monthly and quarterly commission calculation cycles, ensuring 100% accuracy, timely payouts, and adherence to global payroll deadlines. System Management: Manage and optimize compensation tools, including SAP, Oracle, Snowflake, and Workday. Analytics & Reporting: Develop dashboards to track commission expenses, forecast payouts, and analyze the effectiveness of sales incentive plans. Dispute Resolution: Lead a support team to handle commission inquiries, conduct audits, and efficiently resolve payout discrepancies. Cross-Functional Collaboration: Align with Legal, HR, and Operations to ensure all compensation plans comply with regional labor laws and corporate governance policies. Qualifications & Requirements Experience: 12+ years in Sales Compensation, Revenue Operations, or Finance leadership including at least 5 years in a global leadership role within a large, multinational corporate environment with a diverse portfolio of Products and Services. Technical Mastery: Expert-level proficiency in ICM (Incentive Compensation Management) systems (e.g., SAP, Oracle, Varicent, or similar). Global Expertise: Deep understanding and management of international tax laws, labor regulations, and global payroll compliance standards. Proven track record of managing complex, high-volume compensation cycles and policies across diverse geographic regions. Communication Skills: Exceptional ability to translate complex compensation data into clear, actionable insights for executives and sales representatives alike. Preferred Qualifications Experience leading large-scale system implementations or process re-engineering projects within a global Operations or Finance function. Demonstrated ability to thrive in a fast-paced, matrixed organizational structure, balancing competing priorities with poise. Strong project management certification (e.g., PMP or Six Sigma Green/Black Belt) and a mindset focused on Lean methodology and continuous process improvement. A passion for technology and a deep understanding of how digital transformation can drive operational efficiency in a global enterprise. Why Cisco? At Cisco, we’re revolutionizing how data and infrastructure connect and protect organizations in the AI era – and beyond. We’ve been innovating fearlessly for 40 years to create solutions that power how humans and technology work together across the physical and digital worlds. These solutions provide customers with unparalleled security, visibility, and insights across the entire digital footprint. Fueled by the depth and breadth of our technology, we experiment and create meaningful solutions. Add to that our worldwide network of doers and experts, and you’ll see that the opportunities to grow and build are limitless. We work as a team, collaborating with empathy to make really big things happen on a global scale. Because our solutions are everywhere, our impact is everywhere. We are Cisco, and our power starts with you.