Senior Manager, Commissions
The role, in a nutshell:
Chainguard's commission function is largely owned by one person today, and we're looking to change that. We're hiring a Commission Manager to build real redundancy into how we design, calculate, validate, and administer sales compensation.
In this role, you'll partner closely with Sales, Finance, and Partnerships to strengthen our commission structure and prepare it for the next stage of growth. This is not a role where you'll learn commissions on the job. You should already be fluent in commission design, plan mechanics, and payout economics. Our sales organization moves quickly and expects timely, accurate answers.
You'll own the technical and analytical side of commissions, including calculation, reporting, and payout validation, while also playing an active role in compensation plan design. You'll advise on accelerators, gates, multipliers, and mega deal structures as we work to bring our commission pay rate down from an aggressive ~50% of net new bookings toward a best in class benchmark of ~20 to 25%.
You'll also mentor and develop our Senior Financial Analyst as she progresses toward a management track and serve as a key backup who can step in and run the commission function end to end when needed.
This is a foundational hire with a significant runway. We're not asking you to build a fully staffed team on day one, but we are asking you to own outcomes, establish scalable processes, and build the infrastructure that will allow the function to grow with the business.
What you’ll do:
Own hands on commission calculation, validation, and reporting, including stepping into operational work when needed rather than simply overseeing it
Partner directly with functional leaders across Sales, Solutions Engineering, and Partnerships to evaluate what's working in our compensation plans and where they need to flex
Advise on compensation plan design, including accelerator gates, multiplier structures, and payout mechanics, and bring data backed recommendations to leadership discussions
Own commission structuring for mega deals as we close increasingly large transactions in the $4M to $5M+ range
Help drive our commission pay rate from approximately 50% of net new bookings toward a 20 to 25% benchmark
Manage global commission plans across approximately five plan types, including Account Executives, Solutions Engineers, Partnerships, BDRs, and Renewals, across multiple geographies
Mentor and develop our Senior Financial Analyst as she grows toward a management role
Play a key role in compensation plan design and strategy discussions
Build scalable processes, documentation, controls, and infrastructure to support the continued growth of the commission function
What We're Looking For:
Experience owning commissions at a high growth software company, ideally supporting a sales organization of 300 to 400+ representatives
Proven experience in commission design, not just calculation and execution, including familiarity with accelerator structures, plan optimization, and payout economics
Experience structuring commissions for mega deals and other complex, large transactions
Experience with commission management and administration tools is required; experience with EverStage is a plus but not required
Comfort operating in a fast paced environment where the business expects quick turnaround without compromising accuracy
Strong executive presence and the ability to engage in peer level conversations with Sales and Finance leadership on compensation strategy
Experience managing global compensation programs across multiple plan types and geographies is a plus
Why This Role:
This role is an opportunity to build redundancy, bring deeper commission design expertise to the organization, and become a strategic partner to Sales leadership. You'll help identify where our compensation plans are too rich, where they aren't driving the right behaviors, and where they need to be redesigned.
As Chainguard continues to scale, the scope and impact of this role will grow with it. For the right person, this is an opportunity to help shape how commissions work across the company and build a function that can scale alongside the business.
Base Salary Range
$174,000—$205,000 USD