Manager, Sales & Commission Data Governance

Function: Revenue Intelligence & Sales Incentive Programs

Reports to: Director, Sales Data Strategy, Governance & Territory Management

Location: Pune

Role Overview

The Manager, Sales & Commission Data Governance is responsible for leading and overseeing the governance, validation, and integrity of CRM opportunity data used for Sales Incentive Plan (SIP) calculations and decisions. This role manages a team of Sales & Commission Data Governance Analysts and serves as the operational owner of commission relevant CRM data controls, ensuring consistent application of SIP rules, policies, and crediting logic. Acting as the primary escalation point between Sales, Revenue Intelligence, Finance, Deal Desk, and SIP Execution, the Manager ensures that deal data flowing into incentive systems is accurate, auditable, and defensible, materially reducing payout risk, disputes, and downstream adjustments.

Key Responsibilities

1. Team Leadership & Operational Oversight

• Lead, coach, and develop a team of Sales & Commission Data Governance Analysts.

• Set clear priorities, workload allocation, and quality standards for opportunity review and validation activities.

• Ensure consistent application of SIP rules and governance standards across regions and deal types.

• Review complex, high risk, or exception based opportunities prior to final SIP eligibility determination.

• Define and own commission data quality metrics and success KPIs, including error rates, exception volumes, validation pass rates, and remediation timelines, with regular reporting and root-cause analysis.

2. CRM Opportunity & SIP Governance Ownership

• Own the end to end governance process for commissionable CRM opportunities.

• Ensure validation of: o Deal value, revenue amounts, and contract attributes o Contract duration, booking logic, and SIP timing rules o Participant attribution, credit splits, and plan assignment logic

• Serve as the final operational escalation point before opportunities are released into incentive calculation systems.

3. Data Integrity, Controls & Audit Readiness

• Owns accountability for data definitions, quality standards, lineage, and downstream impacts across Sales, Finance, and Payroll.

• Establish and maintain strong data governance controls for commission relevant CRM fields. • Ensure audit trails, documentation, and approval evidence are consistently maintained.

• Partner with Finance, HR, and Internal Audit to support audit reviews, controls testing, and remediation activities. • Proactively identify systemic data risks and implement corrective actions.

4. Cross Functional Partnership & Escalation Management

• Act as the primary operational interface with Sales leadership and Deal Desk on deal structure and data requirements o Revenue Intelligence and SIP Execution on eligibility and crediting decisions   

o Finance on revenue alignment and payout accuracy

• Resolve disputes and data issues in a structured, policy driven manner.

• Escalate recurring issues, policy gaps, or system limitations to the Director of Sales Data Strategy & Governance.

5. Continuous Improvement & Standardization

• Drive continuous improvement of CRM validation processes, rules, and controls.

• Partner with Sales Data Strategy to enhance upstream automation and reduce manual intervention.

• Contribute to the definition and rollout of global CRM data standards supporting SIP execution

.• Support enablement by documenting governance standards, common errors, and required data practices.

• Author, maintain, and version commission data and crediting governance policies, including clear decision frameworks, exception criteria, and global vs. regional standards.

What Success Looks Like

• High confidence in CRM data used for SIP calculations across all regions.

• Material reduction in post-payout disputes, manual adjustments, and exceptions.

• Strong audit outcomes with clear ownership, documentation, and controls.

• Well-run, scalable governance operation with clear accountability and decision frameworks.

Required Experience & Skills

• 4–6 years of experience in Sales Operations, Sales Incentives/Commissions, Revenue Operations, or Commercial Finance. •

Prior people management or team lead experience in a data driven or controls oriented environment. • Strong working knowledge of CRM systems (Microsoft Dynamics, Salesforce, or equivalent), including opportunity and deal workflows.

• Deep understanding of sales incentive mechanics, crediting logic, and common risk areas. • Strong judgment, attention to detail, and ability to operate confidently as a governance authority. •

Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills, including the ability to challenge constructively.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting global or multi region sales organizations.

• Hands-on experience with incentive compensation platforms (e.g., Xactly, Anaplan, SAP IC). • Familiarity with audit, compliance, or SOX style control environments.

• Experience partnering with Deal Desk, Legal, or Commercial Finance teams.

• Strong Excel skills for data validation, reconciliation, and audit support.

• Experience with MS365, Confluence, SharePoint, or equivalent for documentation and audit evidence.

Our Benefits

• Flexible working environment
• Volunteer time off
• LinkedIn Learning
• Employee-Assistance-Program (EAP)

NIQ may utilize artificial intelligence (AI) tools at various stages of the recruitment process, including résumé screening, candidate assessments, interview scheduling, job matching, communication support, and certain administrative tasks that help streamline workflows. These tools are intended to improve efficiency and support fair and consistent evaluation based on job-related criteria. All use of AI is governed by NIQ’s principles of fairness, transparency, human oversight, and inclusion. Final hiring decisions are made exclusively by humans. NIQ regularly reviews its AI tools to help mitigate bias and ensure compliance with applicable laws and regulations. If you have questions, require accommodations, or wish to request human review were permitted by law, please contact your local HR representative. For more information, please visit NIQ’s AI Safety Policies and Guiding Principles: https://www.nielseniq.com/global/en/ai-safety-policies.

About NIQ

NIQ is the world’s leading consumer intelligence company, delivering the most complete understanding of consumer buying behavior and revealing new pathways to growth. In 2023, NIQ combined with GfK, bringing together the two industry leaders with unparalleled global reach. With a holistic retail read and the most comprehensive consumer insights—delivered with advanced analytics through state-of-the-art platforms—NIQ delivers the Full View™. NIQ is an Advent International portfolio company with operations in 100+ markets, covering more than 90% of the world’s population.

For more information, visit NIQ.com

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Our commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

At NIQ, we are steadfast in our commitment to fostering an inclusive workplace that mirrors the rich diversity of the communities and markets we serve. We believe that embracing a wide range of perspectives drives innovation and excellence.  All employment decisions at NIQ are made without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, or gender identity), national origin, age, disability, genetic information, marital status, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable laws. We invite individuals who share our dedication to inclusivity and equity to join us in making a meaningful impact. To learn more about our ongoing efforts in diversity and inclusion, please visit the https://nielseniq.com/global/en/news-center/diversity-inclusion