Director, Sales Incentive Compensation

Wood Mackenzie is the global leader in analytics, insights and proprietary data across the entire energy and natural resources landscape.

For over 50 years our work has guided the decisions of the world’s most influential energy producers, utilities companies, financial institutions and governments.

Now, with the world’s energy system more complex and interconnected than ever before, sector-specific views are no longer enough. That’s why we’ve redefined what’s possible with Intelligence Connected.

By fusing our unparalleled proprietary data with the sharpest analytical minds, all supercharged by Synoptic AI, we deliver a clear, interconnected view of the entire value chain. Our trusted team of 2,700 experts across 30 countries breaks siloes and connects industries, markets and regions across the globe.

This empowers our customers to identify risk sooner, spot opportunities faster and recalibrate strategy with confidence – whether planning days, weeks, months or decades ahead.

Wood Mackenzie

Intelligence Connected

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Wood Mackenzie Values

Inclusive – we succeed together

Trusting – we choose to trust each other

Customer committed – we put customers at the heart of our decisions

Future Focused – we accelerate change

Curious – we turn knowledge into action

Role Purpose

The Sales Incentive Compensation Director serves as the enterprise authority for global go-to-market compensation strategy, plan architecture, and incentive governance. The role is responsible for designing commercially effective compensation programs that drive predictable revenue outcomes, reinforce strategic priorities, and support long-term organizational growth.

Operating as a senior strategic partner to executive leadership, the Director leads the development, financial modeling, governance, and optimization of all variable compensation programs across the global commercial organization. The role requires deep expertise in sales compensation strategy, strong executive presence, and the ability to influence complex cross-functional decisions across Sales, Finance, HR, and Revenue Operations.

Success in the role requires balancing commercial competitiveness, financial discipline, operational scalability, and organizational alignment while driving confidence through clear executive-level communication, analytical rigor, and disciplined governance.

Key Responsibilities

Compensation Strategy & Plan Architecture

Lead the end-to-end design, modeling, and strategic evolution of global sales incentive compensation programs across all go-to-market roles

Develop compensation frameworks aligned to corporate growth objectives, sales strategy, productivity goals, and financial targets

Serve as the primary internal authority on compensation philosophy, plan design, policy interpretation, and strategic exception management

Partner with executive leadership to evaluate the commercial and financial impact of compensation structures, accelerators, quotas, overlays, bonus programs, and strategic incentives

Drive enterprise-wide consistency and scalability across compensation structures while balancing regional and functional requirements

Reduce dependency on external consultants through development of internal strategic compensation expertise

Financial Modeling & Commercial Analytics

Lead advanced financial modeling, scenario planning, and stress testing of compensation programs to ensure affordability, scalability, and return on investment

Analyze attainment distributions, compensation leverage, productivity trends, and cost-of-sales performance to support executive decision-making

Provide predictive insights into sales behavior, plan effectiveness, and commercial performance risks

Develop executive-level reporting and analytics to support annual planning, forecasting, and ongoing business reviews

Partner closely with Finance and Revenue Operations to align compensation programs with broader operating plans and revenue expectations

Governance, Policy & Operational Oversight

Establish and maintain enterprise compensation governance standards, policies, controls, and approval frameworks

Ensure compensation plans, documentation, and processes are compliant with applicable laws, internal controls, and company policies across all operating regions

Act as the final escalation point for complex compensation interpretation matters and non-standard commercial arrangements

Oversee compensation administration processes to ensure accuracy, transparency, auditability, and operational discipline

Drive continuous improvement, automation, and simplification of compensation processes, systems, and workflows

Executive Partnership & Organizational Leadership

Serve as a trusted advisor to Sales, HR, Finance, and executive leadership on compensation strategy and organizational performance

Lead alignment discussions across senior stakeholders to ensure compensation programs support evolving business priorities and strategic initiatives

Present compensation recommendations, business cases, and financial analysis to executive leadership teams and governance forums

Build organizational confidence in compensation programs through clear communication, education, and transparent decision-making

Attract, lead, develop, and mentor high-performing compensation and analytics talent while fostering accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement

Qualifications & Experience

10+ years of progressive experience in Sales Compensation, Revenue Operations, Commercial Finance, Total Rewards, or related disciplines

Demonstrated ownership of complex global go-to-market compensation programs within high-growth or subscription-based business environments

Deep expertise in incentive compensation strategy, economic modeling, quota design, and commercial performance management

Strong executive presence with demonstrated ability to influence senior stakeholders and drive cross-functional alignment

Prior evidence of shifting the function from an administrative cost centre to a strategic commercial partner

Advanced analytical and financial modeling capabilities with the ability to translate complex data into strategic business recommendations

Strong commercial acumen and sound judgment in balancing growth objectives, financial discipline, and organizational behavior

Experience leading compensation governance, policy interpretation, and exception management within complex organizations

Advanced proficiency with sales, compensation, and analytics platforms including Salesforce, Xactly, Varicent, PowerBI, and advanced Excel modeling

Exceptional communication, presentation, and stakeholder management skills

Ability to operate with a high degree of discretion, professionalism, and integrity in handling sensitive business and compensation matters

Bachelor’s degree in business, finance, economics, or related discipline required; MBA or advanced certifications preferred

Other Expectations

Role model strong integrity and sets an example of Wood Mackenzie’s values and behaviors

We are a hybrid working company and the successful applicant will be expected to be physically present in the office at least 2 days per week to foster and contribute to a collaborative environment, but this may be subject to change in the future.

While this is expected to be a full-time role, part-time or flexible working arrangements will be considered. Due to the global nature of the team, a degree of flexible working will be required to accommodate different time zones.

Wood Mackenzie Values

Inclusive – we succeed together

Trusting – we choose to trust each other

Customer committed – we put customers at the heart of our decisions

Future Focused – we accelerate change

Curious – we turn knowledge

Equal Opportunities