Incentive Compensation Manager

About the Role

GitLab is a DevSecOps orchestration platform that helps organizations boost developer productivity, improve operational efficiency, reduce security and compliance risk, and speed up digital transformation. The company’s products are used by more than 50 million registered users and trusted by more than half of the Fortune 100. GitLab also expects every team member to use AI as a regular productivity tool in day-to-day work to improve efficiency, innovation, and impact.

As an Incentive Compensation Manager, you will own the strategy, design, rollout, and operational management of incentive compensation programs across the Chief Revenue Officer organization, including Sales, Customer Success, Professional Services, and Channel/Partnerships. You will act as the go-to expert on compensation philosophy and policy, working with executive leaders to build plans that encourage the right behaviors, improve sales effectiveness, and support revenue growth while keeping costs efficient and plans competitive in the market.

You will report to the Director of Incentive Compensation and manage the full compensation cycle, from annual plan design through monthly commission processing. The role calls for strong strategic thinking, sharp analytics, excellent operational discipline, and proven change management capability.

Key Responsibilities

• Partner with CRO, sales leaders, customer success leaders, and finance teams to build annual compensation plans that translate business goals into effective incentive structures.
• Create role-specific pay designs such as base-to-variable mix, quota-to-OTE ratios, accelerators, decelerators, thresholds, and performance tiers that fit role expectations and market norms.
• Develop compensation approaches that connect traditional SaaS revenue models with consumption-based motions, including hybrid quota structures, draw mechanics, and milestone-based rewards where revenue recognition is not linear.
• Use AI-enabled tools and automation to build self-service support agents, simplify commission calculations, and improve plan modeling.
• Set up governance for compensation, including approval flows, exception handling, change control, and ongoing plan upkeep.
• Build compensation scenarios and run sensitivity analysis to balance motivation, cost efficiency, competitiveness, and predictability.
• Work with People and Total Rewards teams to keep CRO compensation aligned with the company’s compensation philosophy, internal equity standards, and total rewards strategy.
• Design incentives that encourage new logo acquisition, expansion, consumption growth, multi-year agreements, better product mix, and retention.
• Develop SPIFs, contests, and accelerator programs to support short-term priorities such as pipeline creation, faster deal movement, and strategic initiatives.
• Create analytics frameworks to measure plan effectiveness, cost efficiency, and business impact.
• Monitor compensation metrics such as average earnings, payout ratios, cost per dollar sold, plan leverage, and quota attainment distribution.
• Evaluate how compensation changes affect behavior, company cost, revenue performance, and employee morale.
• Review plan performance regularly against the original design intent and recommend mid-year adjustments when needed.
• Use AI to improve visibility into compensation spend, attainment patterns, and performance versus goals.
• Perform return-on-investment analysis for compensation investments, including SPIFs, accelerators, and special programs.
• Partner with Sales Analytics to combine compensation data with broader revenue analytics.
• Act as a trusted advisor to stakeholders and sales leaders on plan design, policy decisions, and individual cases.
• Present compensation recommendations to sales leadership, finance leadership, and the Incentive Compensation Committee.
• Lead annual communication efforts for compensation plans, including rollouts, training, manager enablement, and field Q&A.
• Handle compensation questions from field teams and explain plan mechanics, policies, and individual cases clearly.
• Work with Sales Enablement to include compensation education in onboarding and ongoing training.
• Collaborate with Finance and FP&A on expense planning, budget management, and actual-versus-plan reporting.
• Partner with Legal and Compliance to ensure plan structures meet regulatory requirements in global markets.
• Coordinate with Total Rewards and People teams on compensation philosophy, market data, and employee experience.

Requirements

• At least 5 years of compensation experience overall, with 3 to 5 years focused on sales compensation design, strategy, and operations.
• Strong background in B2B SaaS and consumption-based sales compensation across roles such as AEs, SEs, CSMs, and Channel teams.
• Experience in a high-growth SaaS environment, with $500M+ ARR experience preferred.
• Practical experience designing and running compensation plans in a hybrid SaaS and consumption model, including usage-based quotas, payout timing differences, and ramp structures.
• Understanding of consumption growth patterns such as land-and-expand and usage ramp dynamics, and how to incentivize them alongside renewal and expansion motions.
• Hands-on use of AI or machine learning tools in sales compensation or revenue operations work.
• Proven success delivering compensation plans that improved productivity, changed behavior, and drove measurable business results.
• Experience rolling out compensation programs across multiple countries and regulatory environments.
• Expert-level skill with compensation systems such as Xactly, CaptivateIQ, Varicent, or similar tools, plus CRM systems like Salesforce.
• Working knowledge of data and BI tools such as SQL, Tableau, or Looker for reporting and analysis.
• Advanced Excel or Google Sheets modeling ability, including formulas, scenario analysis, and financial modeling.
• Strong quantitative skills, attention to detail, and a high standard for accuracy.
• Understanding of quota-setting methods and how territory assignment, quota, and compensation interact.
• Familiarity with ASC 606 and how revenue recognition affects commission earning and payment timing.

What GitLab Offers

• Benefits that support health, finances, and overall well-being.
• Flexible paid time off.
• Team Member Resource Groups.
• Equity compensation and an employee stock purchase plan.
• Growth and development fund.
• Parental leave.
• Home office support.

Additional Information

GitLab encourages candidates from a wide range of backgrounds and experience levels to apply, even if they do not meet every listed qualification. The company notes that people from underrepresented groups may be less likely to apply unless they satisfy every requirement, and invites interested candidates to submit an application regardless.

All GitLab roles are remote, though some positions may have location-based eligibility requirements. The Talent Acquisition team can provide clarification on location during the recruiting process.

GitLab is an equal opportunity employer and an affirmative action workplace. Hiring, employment, advancement, promotion, and retirement decisions are based on merit, without discrimination based on race, color, religion, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, genetic information, military or veteran status, or any other legally protected status. Accommodation is available for candidates who need disability or special assistance during recruiting.

The listed base salary range applies to residents of the United States only and reflects the base pay range for the role in US locations. Grade level and salary are determined through interviews and review of education, experience, knowledge, skills, abilities, equity with other team members, market data, and geographic location. The base salary range does not include bonuses, equity, or benefits. Sales roles are also eligible for incentive pay of up to 100% of the offered base salary. The United States salary range for this role is USD 139,200 to USD 235,200.

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