Sales & Commission Data Governance Analyst

Role Overview

The Sales & Commission Data Governance Analyst is the custodian of CRM opportunity data used for Sales Incentive Plan (SIP) calculations and decisions. This role is responsible for ensuring that all sales opportunities are accurately reviewed, validated, and governed in line with approved SIP rules, policies, and commercial definitions before they are deemed eligible for commission credit. Acting as the control point between CRM, Revenue Intelligence, and SIP execution, this role ensures that contract details, deal values, participant attribution, and crediting logic are correctly represented in the system of record. The position plays a critical role in reducing payout risk, preventing disputes, and ensuring defensible, auditable incentive outcomes.

Key Responsibilities

1. CRM Opportunity & Deal Validation (Core Accountability)

• Review and validate all commissionable sales opportunities in CRM to ensure alignment with approved SIP rules and plan mechanics.
• Validate contract attributes including: o Deal value and revenue amount o Contract type and duration o Booking and recognition logic (as defined for SIP) o Eligibility and timing for incentive credit
• Ensure accurate identification and attribution of all participants involved in a deal (e.g., primary seller, overlays, specialists).

2. SIP Eligibility & Crediting Governance

• Apply SIP policies consistently to determine whether opportunities meet eligibility requirements for commission credit.
• Ensure correct application of: o Plan assignment logic o Credit splits and participant weighting o Special rules (e.g., renewals vs NBD, overlays, exceptions).
• Serve as the final validation checkpoint before opportunities flow into incentive calculation systems.

3. Data Integrity & Controls

• Act as a single source of truth owner for commission relevant CRM data fields.
• Identify, flag, and remediate data quality issues that could impact SIP outcomes.
• Maintain strong audit trails and documentation supporting SIP decisions and overrides.
• Support internal and external audit requests related to incentive calculations and deal validation.
• Track and analyse recurring data quality issues to inform upstream fixes and governance improvements.

4. Cross Functional Partnership

• Partner closely with Sales, Revenue Intelligence, Finance, Deal Desk, and SIP Execution teams to resolve data discrepancies and clarify deal structures.
• Provide clear guidance to sellers and managers on required data standards for commissionable opportunities. • Escalate systemic issues or recurring data risks to Sales Data Strategy or SIP leadership

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• Operate within defined RACI, enforcing data standards while maintaining objective, policy based decisions.

5. Continuous Improvement & Standardization

• Identify opportunities to improve CRM validation rules, automation, and upstream controls.
• Contribute to the definition and refinement of global CRM data standards that support SIP execution.
• Support enablement efforts by documenting common errors, best practices, and validation requirements.

Clear ownership and accountability for CRM data used in incentive calculations.

What Success Looks Like

• Commissionable opportunities consistently meet SIP eligibility and data quality standards.
• Reduction in post payout disputes, manual adjustments, and exception handling.
• Strong confidence from Finance, HR, and Audit in SIP data integrity and governance.

Required Experience & Skills

• 2-4 years of experience in Sales Operations, Sales Incentives/Commissions, Revenue Operations, or Commercial Finance.

Strong working knowledge of CRM systems (Microsoft Dynamics, Salesforce or equivalent), including opportunity structures and deal workflows.

• Solid understanding of sales incentive mechanics, crediting logic, and common risk areas.
• Highly detail oriented with strong analytical and validation skills.
• Comfortable operating in a controls driven environment with high data accuracy expectations.
• Strong stakeholder communication skills; able to challenge constructively and explain decisions clearly.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting global or multi region SaaS sales organizations.
• Exposure to incentive compensation tools (e.g., Xactly, Anaplan, SAP IC).
• Familiarity with audit, compliance, or SOX style controls is a plus.
• Experience partnering with Deal Desk or Commercial Finance teams.
• Experience with Microsoft Excel (advanced formulas, reconciliation, validations) and 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