Job Title: Sales Compensation Specialist
Introduction:
At Calix, our mission is to connect everyone and everything. We are a leading provider of cloud and software platforms, systems, and services that deliver unified access networks and smart premises systems. Our purpose is to enable service providers of all types and sizes to simplify their businesses, excite their subscribers, and grow their value. We are committed to innovation and excellence, and we are looking for talented individuals to join our team and help us achieve our goals.
Job Responsibilities:
Preferred Experience:
Xactly Expertise: Experience with the Xactly sales compensation application, including configuration, administration, and troubleshooting.
Sales Compensation Knowledge: Strong understanding of sales compensation principles, practices, and strategies. Experience in designing and managing complex compensation plans.
Analytical Skills: Proficiency in data analysis and reporting tools. Ability to interpret and present data effectively to support business decisions.
Process Improvement: Demonstrated ability to identify and implement process improvements. Experience with Lean or Six Sigma methodologies is a plus.
Communication Skills: Excellent verbal and written communication skills. Ability to collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams and stakeholders.
Commission Processing & System Administration
Administer and maintain the Xactly Incent platform, including configuration of compensation plans, quotas, and payout logic.
Calculate and process monthly and quarterly sales commissions in accordance with approved compensation plans.
Validate and reconcile sales data from CRM (e.g., Salesforce) and ERP systems to ensure accuracy in commission calculations.
Identify opportunities to streamline and improve compensation processes, ensuring efficiency and accuracy. Implement best practices and innovative solutions.
Data Management & Reporting
Update and maintain employee records, compensation plans, and sales performance data within Xactly.
Generate and distribute commission statements and reports to sales teams and leadership.
Develop and maintain dashboards and ad hoc reports to support compensation analysis and decision-making.
Compliance & Continuous Improvement
Ensure compliance with internal controls and audit requirements related to incentive compensation.
Participate in the annual compensation planning cycle, including plan modeling and testing in Xactly.
Identify and implement process improvements to enhance efficiency and accuracy in commission administration.
Stay updated with the latest features and updates in Xactly's SPM suite.
1. Cost Efficiency & ROI:
We currently pay $25K annually for external support. While the model works for task specific work we lose the continuity of someone understanding our tool AND process as well as having a technical resource on hand to talk through anomalies and unusual circumstances which sometimes are leading indicators or larger issues.
This year, we paid $50K for a one-time project that could have been accomplished internally by a dedicated specialist. We expect further development and improvement opportunities which may not be realized due to understanding, time, and resource availabilty
Hiring an in-house specialist would significantly reduce reliance on third-party vendors, providing long-term cost savings and faster turnaround times. Knowledge transfer between 3rd party support resources creates challenges and inefficiencies as we have to educate new support resources and don’t have a say in who is assigned to our account.
2. Business Impact & Operational Efficiency:
Our compensation team is not overly technical and stretched thin, as they must balance commission processing, inquiries, and issue investigations while also attempting to develop solutions without deep expertise in Xactly.
This dual responsibility creates opportunity costs, preventing them from focusing on their core roles and ensuring timely, accurate commission processing.
3. Risk Reduction & Process Improvement:
Due to the lack of structured development processes (e.g., proper requirement gathering and testing), errors occur that impact commission accuracy and reporting.
An in-house specialist would implement best practices for development, ensuring fewer errors and improving system reliability.
4. Strategic Flexibility & Future Growth:
Beyond Xactly, this role could support other compensation tools and integrations, improving overall system efficiency.
As we continue to optimize and scale our compensation processes, having a dedicated expert will ensure we can adapt quickly without excessive vendor costs.