Director, Variable Compensation Operations

Your work days are brighter here. We’re obsessed with making hard work pay off, for our people, our customers, and the world around us. As a Fortune 500 company and a leading AI platform for managing people, money, and agents, we’re shaping the future of work so teams can reach their potential and focus on what matters most. The minute you join, you’ll feel it. Not just in the products we build, but in how we show up for each other. Our culture is rooted in integrity, empathy, and shared enthusiasm. We’re in this together, tackling big challenges with bold ideas and genuine care. We look for curious minds and courageous collaborators who bring sun-drenched optimism and drive. Whether you're building smarter solutions, supporting customers, or creating a space where everyone belongs, you’ll do meaningful work with Workmates who’ve got your back. In return, we’ll give you the trust to take risks, the tools to grow, the skills to develop and the support of a company invested in you for the long haul. So, if you want to inspire a brighter work day for everyone, including yourself, you’ve found a match in Workday, and we hope to be a match for you too. About the Team The Workday Finance team balances critical thinking with operational excellence that helps guide and scale team operations to support the company strive towards $10B of revenue and beyond. We are a diverse group of workmates with an invaluable combination of experience that fosters a collaborative environment, drives innovative solutions, and able to mix in a little fun along the way. About the Role As the Director, Variable Compensation Operations , you will lead a global team of managers and analysts. Responsible for engaging in the design of Variable Compensation plans teams in designing, implementing, paying, accounting and controlling our global sales commission plans in alignment with our sales strategy, sales objectives, and compliance with GAAP and Sox requirements. Responsibilities: Administration: Oversee accurate commission calculations, payouts, and dispute resolution processes. Technology & Systems: Manage variable compensation tools (CaptivateIQ, Xactly) and CRM (Salesforce) for tracking, reporting, and optimization. Reporting & Analytics: Produce variable compensation performance reporting, analyze plan effectiveness, and provide insights to leadership. Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner with Finance, HR, Sales Leadership, and Legal to integrate plans and ensure alignment. Process Improvement: Refine sales processes, tools, and sales job design for greater efficiency and productivity. Compliance: Ensure adherence to regulatory requirements and internal policies, including a focus on sox compliant processes and controls Lead a global team of managers and analysts in supporting the operation, design, disbursement and accounting for variable compensation plans. Lead the team in defining the strategy for variable compensation Operations, focusing on people development, system selection and implementation, and optimizing processes Work collaboratively across all functions engaged in Variable Compensation (Revenue Operations, Sales, FP&A, People & Purpose) to ensure Variable Compensation procedures are effective. Work with Finance to assess and provide critical insights into variable commission plan effectiveness assessment through data analysis of relevant compensation, HR, and attainment data. Define the technology strategy to ensure the right tools and systems are in place to effectively and efficiently administer variable compensation plans Work with different stakeholders on all strategic compensation initiatives, accounting policy, booking policies Focus on improving our internal processes to align with Workday’s compensation philosophy and strategy with strong financial processes and controls. About You Required Qualifications: 10+ years in variable compensation/operations, with 5+ years in leadership. Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or other Business-related field Experience of running and implementing enterprise level Incentive Compensation Management systems. Other Qualifications: Software and/or internet industry experience is a plus. Xactly commission system experience is desired. Strong management experience of managing a global team of managers and analysts. Excellent interpersonal skills with ability to engage with and push back on sales executives and sales management. Self-motivated with strong time management and organizational skills. A proven track record of managing multiple projects and initiatives in varying size and scope simultaneously. Ability to adapt to the rapid business and organizational changes that accompany a high-growth environment. Workday Pay Transparency Statement The annualized base salary ranges for the primary location and any additional locations are listed below. Workday pay ranges vary based on work location. As a part of the total compensation package, this role may be eligible for the Workday Bonus Plan or a role-specific commission/bonus, as well as annual refresh stock grants. Recruiters can share more detail during the hiring process. Each candidate’s compensation offer will be based on multiple factors including, but not limited to, geography, experience, skills, job duties, and business need, among other things. For more information regarding Workday’s comprehensive benefits, please click here . Primary Location: USA.CA.Pleasanton Primary Location Base Pay Range: $207,000 USD - $310,600 USD Additional US Location(s) Base Pay Range: $174,800 USD - $310,600 USD Our Approach to Flexible Work With Flex Work, we’re combining the best of both worlds: in-person time and remote. Our approach enables our teams to deepen connections, maintain a strong community, and do their best work. We know that flexibility can take shape in many ways, so rather than a number of required days in-office each week, we simply spend at least half (50%) of our time each quarter in the office or in the field with our customers, prospects, and partners (depending on role). This means you'll have the freedom to create a flexible schedule that caters to your business, team, and personal needs, while being intentional to make the most of time spent together. Those in our remote "home office" roles also have the opportunity to come together in our offices for important moments that matter. Pursuant to applicable Fair Chance law, Workday will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records. Workday is an Equal Opportunity Employer including individuals with disabilities and protected veterans. Are you being referred to one of our roles? If so, ask your connection at Workday about our Employee Referral process! At Workday, we value our candidates’ privacy and data security. Workday will never ask candidates to apply to jobs through websites that are not Workday Careers. Please be aware of sites that may ask for you to input your data in connection with a job posting that appears to be from Workday but is not. In addition, Workday will never ask candidates to pay a recruiting fee, or pay for consulting or coaching services, in order to apply for a job at Workday.