Sales Compensation Manager

Blackbaud has a career opportunity for a Manager of Sales Compensation to join our team in Hyderabad, India. This role leads the strategy, design, and analytical governance of sales compensation programs ensuring compensation plans effectively drive ARR growth, expansion, retention, and disciplined sales behavior, while remaining clear, scalable, equitable, and financially sound.  

This is a people leadership role, responsible for managing and developing the Sales Compensation Analyst who supports plan modeling, reporting, and commission analysis. The Manager establishes the design framework and decision logic and partners closely with the Manager of Sales Commissions, who owns the ICM (Xactly) configuration and payout execution. This position will be part of the Blackbaud’s People & Culture division headquartered in Charleston, SC. 

What you’ll do: 

• Strategy & Plan Design 

• Own annual and in-year sales compensation plan design strategy aligned to SaaS business objectives including New ARR, Expansion ARR, Net Revenue Retention (NRR), Deal quality and growth efficiency 

• Define role-based plan architectures for SDR/BDR, Commercial & Enterprise AEs, Customer Success & Renewals roles, Solution Consultants, and Partner roles. 

• Establish pay mix, performance measures, incentive mechanics, and design principles that ensure clear line-of-sight, scalable growth, strong pay-for-performance differentiation. 

• Ensure alignment between compensation design, quota methodology, and territory/account strategy (in partnership with Sales Operations & Finance). 

• Analytical Modeling & Financial Impact 

• Lead scenario modeling and impact analysis for all plan designs, changes, and strategic initiatives. 

• Review and guide Analyst work on:  

• ARR attainment and payout distributions 

• Cost‑of‑sales and incentive affordability 

• Accelerator and over‑attainment exposure 

• Partner with Finance on budgeting, forecasting, and accrual assumptions associated with sales incentives. 

• Evaluate plan effectiveness using SaaS metrics such as sales productivity, CAC efficiency, and seller performance trends. 

• Provide clear, data‑backed recommendations to senior Sales and Finance leaders. 

• Governance, Policy & Decision Frameworks 

• Own global sales compensation governance, including: 

• Eligibility and role definitions 

• Crediting philosophy across new, renewal, and expansion revenue 

• Draws, guarantees, SPIFFs, caps, and clawbacks 

• Treatment of multi‑year and complex deal structures 

• Lead cross‑functional governance forums and maintain documentation, approvals, and decision rationale. 

• Ensure consistency with global compensation philosophy, internal equity standards, and compliance requirements.  

• Partnership with Sales Commissions (ICM Operations) 

• Act as the design authority and subject‑matter expert for all compensation plans. 

• Translate approved plan designs and policies into clear implementation requirements for the Sales Commissions Manager. 

• Partner on: 

• Crediting logic interpretation 

• Edge‑case decisioning 

• Exception reviews and seller escalations 

• Review post‑payout analyses and trends to identify plan risks or improvement opportunities. 

• Program Enablement & Communication 

• Oversee development of plan documentation (plan summaries, FAQs, governance guidelines). 

• Support annual and mid‑year plan launches, ensuring clarity for sellers and frontline managers. 

• Partner with People & Culture and Sales leaders to reinforce plan understanding and intended behaviors. 

• People Leadership & Development 

• Directly manage and coach the Sales Compensation Analyst, ensuring: 

• High‑quality modeling and analysis 

• Accurate, insightful reporting and trend identification 

• Strong partnership with Sales, Finance, and Sales Commissions 

• Set priorities, review deliverables, and guide professional development. 

• Elevate analytical rigor and business acumen across the compensation team. 

What you’ll bring 

• 7+ years of experience in Sales Compensation plan design. 

• 3+ years designing compensation plans in a SaaS, technology, or high-growth environment. 

• People management experience and ability to guide analytical talent in a global environment.  

• Strong proficiency in Microsoft Excel and Office Suite and exposure to ICM platforms through design partnership (e.g., Xactly Incent, Varicent, Calidus, SAP, Oracle, Performio, Everstage)  

• Familiarity with CRM systems (e.g., Salesforce) and HCM platforms (e.g., Workday)  

• Excellent analytical, problem-solving and communication skills.  

• Excellent understanding of financial concepts and accounting principles.  

• Strong executive communication and stakeholder influence capabilities. 

• Strong understanding of SaaS GTM motions, sales processes, and performance metrics.