Sales Incentive Operating Manager

Job description

Overview

Keysight is at the forefront of technology innovation, delivering breakthroughs and trusted insights in electronic design, simulation, prototyping, test, manufacturing, and optimization. Our ~16,800 employees create world-class solutions in communications, 5G, automotive, energy, quantum, aerospace, defense, and semiconductor markets for customers in over 100 countries. Learn more about what we do. Our award-winning culture embraces a bold vision of where technology can take us and a passion for tackling challenging problems with industry-first solutions.

We believe that when people feel a sense of belonging, they can be more creative, innovative, and thrive at all points in their careers.

Responsibilities

The Sales Incentive Operating Manager is responsible for leading the operational execution, governance, and continuous improvement of sales compensation processes across assigned regions, business groups, or sales organizations. This role oversees incentive compensation administration, payout operations, data validation, process controls, reporting, stakeholder support, and operational readiness for compensation cycles.

Reporting to the Global Sales Compensation Manager, this role serves as a key operational leader and people manager, ensuring that incentive compensation programs are executed accurately, consistently, and in alignment with business objectives, company policies, governance standards, and stakeholder expectations.

Key Responsibilities

Lead the day-to-day operations of sales compensation administration, including commission payout execution, validation, exception management, reporting, and issue resolution. Manage, coach, and develop Sales Incentive Pay Analysts or related team members, providing guidance on priorities, quality standards, stakeholder support, and professional growth. Ensure incentive compensation processes are executed accurately and on time in accordance with plan documents, payout calendars, business rules, and internal control requirements.

Review and approve complex payout calculations, adjustments, exceptions, reconciliations, and operational outputs before final submission or release. Partner with Sales, Finance, HR, Sales Operations, Compensation, IT, and regional business stakeholders to resolve compensation issues and support business requirements. Drive operational governance by maintaining process documentation, audit trails, approval records, data validation evidence, and compliance-ready support materials.

Monitor operational health metrics, payout trends, exception volumes, service levels, and process risks; provide insights and recommendations to leadership. Support annual compensation planning, plan design implementation, quota alignment activities, system readiness, and change management for new or updated incentive programs. Lead continuous improvement initiatives to simplify workflows, strengthen controls, improve reporting quality, reduce manual effort, and enhance stakeholder experience.

Serve as an escalation point for complex sales compensation inquiries, policy interpretation, payout disputes, system issues, and cross-functional process dependencies.

Education & Experience

Bachelor’s degree in Business, Finance, Accounting, Human Resources, Analytics, or a related field. Relevant experience in sales compensation, incentive compensation operations, finance operations, HR compensation, sales operations, or business analytics. Prior experience leading people, projects, workstreams, or operational processes in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment. Experience managing or supporting regional or global sales compensation operations across multiple countries, business units, or sales organizations is preferred.

Experience supporting mergers, acquisitions, entity integration, sales organization transitions, or compensation system transformation projects is preferred. Experience supporting audit, compliance, SOX-aligned controls, process governance, or regulatory review activities is preferred. Minimum 8–10 years of relevant field experience in compensation, incentive compensation operations, finance operations, HR compensation, sales operations, or business analytics including at least 2–4 years in managerial role.

Skills & Knowledge Strong understanding of sales incentive compensation processes, commission calculations, quota attainment, sales crediting, payout validation, and exception handling. Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to interpret complex data, identify risks, and recommend practical solutions. Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel and experience using reporting, reconciliation, workflow, or compensation-related systems.

Strong stakeholder management skills with the ability to communicate effectively with Sales, Finance, HR, Compensation, IT, and leadership stakeholders. High attention to detail, strong organizational discipline, and ability to manage confidential compensation information responsibly.

Key Competencies

Able to manage complex compensation operations, balance priorities, and drive timely execution. Uses data, trends, and controls to assess issues, identify risks, and recommend sound decisions. Coaches team members, builds capability, and supports a collaborative and accountable team environment. Maintains strong process discipline, documentation, controls, and audit readiness. Identifies opportunities to simplify, automate, standardize, and improve sales compensation operations.

Handles sensitive compensation and employee information with professionalism and discretion. Careers Privacy Statement *Keysight is an Equal Opportunity Employer. *