At Instructure, we believe in the power of people to grow and succeed throughout their lives. Our goal is to amplify that power by creating intuitive products that simplify learning and personal development, facilitate meaningful relationships, and inspire people to go further in their education and careers. We do this by giving smart, creative, passionate people opportunities to create awesome.
The Director of Sales Compensation will lead the global strategy, design, and governance of all sales compensation programs globally as
Instructure scales towards $1B in revenue. You will lead the development of highly effective, scalable compensation structures aligned to GTM and corporate objectives while serving as a key advisor to senior GTM leadership and the executive team. This critical role within Revenue Operations requires strong cross-functional collaboration with Finance, Sales, Customer Success, HR and IT.
What you'll do:
- In this role, you will lead both the strategic direction and operational execution of our sales compensation function. Key responsibilities include:
- Own the global sales compensation strategy and roadmap
- Translate corporate priorities into incentive levers that drive GTM outcomes
- Lead modeling, design and deployment of simple, scalable sales compensation plans, SPIFFs, and recognition programs that are in general alignment with best practices
- Develop new incentive frameworks that improve sales performance
- Serve as an advisor to senior GTM and executive leadership
- Drive scalable processes/systems and governance betweenSalesforce.com and the Performio commission system
- Work in close collaboration with Finance on a monthly and quarterly basis to ensure timely and accurate commissions calculations
- Conduct market research and competitive analyses to maintain program effectiveness
- Manage high-impact compensation projects and process improvements
- Maintain and evolve the quarterly quota agreements, sales compensation plan, related policies and rules of engagement
- Oversee plan documentation, approvals, and signatures
- Own creation and maintenance of sales compensation training materials
- Deliver streamlined sales new hire and ongoing training for sales compensation programs so the revenue teams have a clear understanding of how they are compensated
- Own compensation escalations beyond Finance or shared services teams
- Lead sales compensation committee to resolve escalations for splits or other commissions
In your first 12 months, success will be measured by your ability to:
- Implement standardized quota agreements & enforcement processes
- Deliver a scalable global comp framework across all roles/functions
- Establish governance & systems between Salesforce & Performio
- Define KPI frameworks to measure comp effectiveness
- Build and lead a compensation strategy team
What you will need to know/have:
- 7+ years of sales compensation experience, including leadership responsibility
- Proficient with Salesforce, commission systems (including Performio), and BI tools like Tableau
- Solid understanding of SaaS GTM models and the financial drivers behind new business, renewals, and expansion
- Known as a sales compensation SME with experience partnering across GTM, Finance, and HR
- Experience managing and developing direct reports
- Able to set and execute multi-year compensation strategies that support business goals
- Global compensation experience, including working across regions and time zones
- Strong balance of strategic thinking and attention to detail
- Advanced Excel user with strong analytical and modeling skills
- Takes full ownership of responsibilities and follows through reliably
- Strong communication skills, including presenting insights and recommendations to leadership
- BA/BS in an analytical field is a plus
- MBA or advanced degree (preferred)
Get in on all the awesome at Instructure
We offer competitive, meaningful benefits in every country where we operate. While they vary by location, here's a general idea of what you can expect:
- Competitive compensation, plus all full-time employees participate in our ownership program - because everyone should have a stake in our success.
- Flexible schedules and a remote-friendly culture, with hybrid or onsite work options available in some regions for specific roles
- Generous time off, including local holidays and our annual company-wide “Dim the Lights” week in late December, when we encourage everyone to step back and recharge
- Comprehensive wellness programs and mental health support
- Annual learning and development stipends to support your growth
- The technology and tools you need to do your best work — typically a Mac, with PC options available in some locations
- Motivosity employee recognition program
- A culture rooted in inclusivity, support, and meaningful connection
We believe in hiring great people and treating them right. The more diverse we are, the better our ideas and outcomes.
Instructure is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We comply with applicable employment and anti-discrimination laws in every country where we operate.
All employees must pass a background check as part of the hiring process. To help protect our teams and systems, we’ve implemented identity verification measures. Candidates may be asked to verify their legal name, current physical location, and provide a valid contact number and residential address, in accordance with local data privacy laws.
Any attempt to misrepresent personal or professional information will result in disqualification.