---
title: 'Director, Sales Compensation & Planning at Trace3'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/director-sales-compensation-planning-trace3-irvine-hexxmewp3hpt'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-11-07'
---

# Director, Sales Compensation & Planning at Trace3

- **Company:** Trace3
- **Location:** Irvine, CA
- **Compensation:** $150k–$200k
- **Posted:** 2026-11-06
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-11-07
- **Apply:** https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/trace3/jobs/8360581

## Job description

Who is Trace3?

Trace3 is a leading Transformative IT Authority, providing unique technology solutions and consulting services to our clients. Equipped with elite engineering and dynamic innovation, we empower IT executives and their organizations to achieve competitive advantage through a process of Integrate, Automate, Innovate.

Our culture at Trace3 embodies the spirit of a startup with the advantage of a scalable business. Employees can grow their career and have fun while doing it!

Trace3 is headquartered in Irvine, California. We employ more than 1,200 people all over the United States. Our major field office locations include Denver, Indianapolis, Grand Rapids, Lexington, Los Angeles, Louisville, Texas, San Francisco.

Ready to discover the possibilities that live in technology?

Come Join Us!

Street-Smart - Thriving in Dynamic Times

We are flexible and resilient in a fast-changing environment. We continuously innovate and drive constructive change while keeping a focus on the “big picture.” We exercise sound business judgment in making high-quality decisions in a timely and cost-effective manner. We are highly creative and can dig deep within ourselves to find positive solutions to different problems.

Juice - The “Stuff” it takes to be a Needle Mover

We get things done and drive results. We lead without a title, empowering others through a can-do attitude. We look forward to the goal, mentally mapping out every checkpoint on the pathway to success, and visualizing what the final destination looks and feels like.

Teamwork - Humble, Hungry and Smart

We are humble individuals who understand how our job impacts the company's mission. We treat others with respect, admit mistakes, give credit where it’s due and demonstrate transparency. We “bring the weather” by exhibiting positive leadership and solution-focused thinking. We hug people in their trials, struggles, and failures – not just their success. We appreciate the individuality of the people around us.

## ABOUT THE ROLE:

The Director, Sales Compensation & Planning is responsible for the design, governance, and continuous improvement of Trace3's sales incentive compensation programs. This includes commissions, SPIFFs, overrides, accelerators, and other variable pay programs across the sales organization. The role leads annual incentive plan design, quota and target-setting support, territory planning alignment, and the development of analytics that measure plan effectiveness against Trace3's growth, profitability, and value-capture objectives.

This leader partners closely with GTM Strategy & Operations, Revenue Operations, Finance, and Sales Leadership to ensure compensation programs support business priorities and drive pay-for-performance outcomes across all go-to-market segments. The Director also leads and develops a team of compensation analysts, providing strategic direction, governance, and operational oversight of sales compensation programs.

## WHAT YOU'LL DO:

- Design, document, and maintain annual and in-year sales incentive plans, including commissions, SPIFFs, overrides, accelerators, and MBO components, across all sales segments and roles.
- Lead the incentive plan governance process, including plan approval workflows, exception handling, plan change control, and maintenance of a complete audit trail for plan decisions.
- Define and document sales compensation policies, crediting rules, and plan terms. Maintain the sales incentive plan document library and participant plan agreements.
- Partner with Sales, Finance, and GTM leadership on quota and target-setting methodologies, territory and account coverage planning, and segment-level capacity models.
- Model plan costs, payout curves, and pay-for-performance outcomes. Conduct scenario analysis to evaluate potential plan changes and business impacts prior to implementation.
- Build and maintain incentive compensation analytics and reporting that measure attainment distribution, plan effectiveness, participant behavior, and return on incentive spend.
- Lead the annual sales compensation planning cycle, ensuring incentive designs align with segmentation strategy, value-capture priorities, and revenue growth objectives.
- Serve as the subject matter expert for sales incentive compensation programs and provide guidance to Sales leadership on plan interpretation, governance, and crediting-rule matters.
- Partner with compensation administration, payroll, finance, and systems teams to ensure incentive plans are accurately configured and operationalized in downstream systems. This role is accountable for plan design and governance and does not calculate, process, approve, or disburse individual payments.
- Establish plan effectiveness metrics and lead recurring business reviews with GTM and Finance leadership to evaluate program performance and recommend enhancements.
- Lead, coach, and develop a team of compensation analysts, setting priorities, reviewing work product, and building analytical and business partnership capabilities.
- Maintain documentation, controls, and governance practices to support internal and external audits of sales incentive compensation programs.

## QUALIFICATIONS & INTERESTS:

- Bachelor's degree in Business, Finance, Economics, Accounting, Human Resources, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
- 8+ years of experience in sales compensation, sales operations, revenue operations, finance, compensation, or related analytical disciplines.
- 3+ years of experience leading and developing professional-level employees and/or teams.
- Deep knowledge of sales incentive plan design, including commissions, SPIFFs, overrides, accelerators, quotas, and crediting rules.
- Strong financial modeling and analytical skills with the ability to evaluate plan cost, payout scenarios, and business impacts and translate findings into actionable recommendations.
- Experience with CRM, ERP, and Sales Performance Management (SPM) platforms; advanced Microsoft Excel skills required.
- Working knowledge of quota setting, territory planning, account coverage models, and go-to-market segmentation.
- Strong governance and controls mindset with exceptional attention to detail, documentation, and process discipline.
- Proven ability to build effective partnerships across Sales, Finance, Revenue Operations, and executive leadership while balancing competing business priorities.
- Excellent written, verbal, and presentation skills, with the ability to communicate complex compensation concepts to senior leaders and stakeholders.
- Experience within a technology, value-added reseller (VAR), distribution, or similar sales-driven environment preferred.

Actual salary will be based on a variety of factors, including location, experience, skill set, performance, licensure and certification, and business needs. The range for this position in other geographic locations may differ. Certain positions may also be eligible for variable incentive compensation, such as bonuses or commissions, that is not included in the base salary. Estimated Pay Range $150,000—$200,000 USD

The Perks

- Comprehensive medical, dental and vision plans for you and your dependents
- 401(k) Retirement Plan with Employer Match, 529 College Savings Plan, Health Savings Account, Life Insurance, and Long-Term Disability
- Competitive Compensation
- Training and development programs
- Major offices stocked with snacks and beverages
- Collaborative and cool culture
- Work-life balance and generous paid time off

Our Commitment

At the core of Trace3's DNA is our people. We are a diverse group of talented individuals who understand the importance of teamwork and demonstrating leadership, character, and passion in all that we do.

We’re committed to fostering an inclusive workplace where everyone feels respected, valued, and empowered to grow. We recognize that embracing diversity drives innovation, improves outcomes, fosters collaboration, boosts teammate satisfaction, and builds a more inclusive culture.

As an equal opportunity employer, Trace3 bases all employment decisions based on individual qualifications, merit, and business requirements. We do not engage in discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including gender identity, sexual orientation, and pregnancy), national origin, age (40 or older), disability, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law.

Any demographic information provided is strictly voluntary, kept confidential in accordance with Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) regulations, and will not be used in employment decisions, including hiring, promotions, or mentorship programs. We are committed to providing equal employment opportunities for all.

If you require a reasonable accommodation to complete the application process or participate in an interview, please email recruiting@trace3.com.

***To all recruitment agencies: Trace3 does not accept unsolicited agency resumes/CVs. Please do not forward resumes/CVs to our careers email addresses, Trace3 employees or any other company location. Trace3 is not responsible for any fees related to unsolicited resumes/CVs.

## About Trace3

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: Trace3 is a leading Transformative IT Authority that consults on, integrates, and operates solutions across AI, data, security, and cloud to help enterprises embrace emerging technology and drive measurable business value.
- **Entity Type**: Private (acquired by Apollo Funds in August 2025; previously backed by H.I.G. Capital)
- **Headquarters**: Irvine, California, United States
- **Founded**: 2002
- **Founders**: Not publicly named (Joe Quaglia is the CEO per Indeed)

## Core Business
- **Primary Industry**: Information Technology & Services (IT Consulting, Systems Integration, Managed Services)
- **Target Customers**: Enterprise and Mid-Market organizations across Financial Services, Healthcare, Government (Federal & SLED), and other regulated industries.
- **Mission/Purpose**: "All Possibilities Live in Technology" — turning that belief into true business transformation for clients.

## Products & Services
Trace3 operates through several key practice areas and a dedicated government arm:

- **AI & Data Consulting**: Practical AI enablement (e.g., Copilot for M365), custom AI/ML solutions, data strategy, and analytics. Helps clients start small with AI and scale.
- **Cloud Services**: Cloud architecture, migration, hybrid cloud (VCF9), and managed cloud operations.
- **Cybersecurity**: Security strategy, architecture, engineering, and managed security services (Splunk delivery, security generalists).
- **Modern Infrastructure**: Hybrid cloud architecture, data center modernization, networking.
- **Managed Services**: Tier 1-3 support, service desk, and ongoing IT operations management.
- **Management Consulting**: Strategic advisory, portfolio management, and business transformation consulting.
- **Trace3 Government**: A joint venture with Zivaro (formed 2024) focused on DoD, DOE, and SLED clients with over 120 cleared engineers.
- **Innovation Program**: Custom IT research, VC/PE thematic briefings, and access to emerging startups.

## Market Standing
- **Valuation/Market Cap**: Not disclosed (private company). Acquired by Apollo Funds in August 2025; prior PE round led by H.I.G. Capital in 2017.
- **Key Metric**: Annual Revenue of **$2.85 Billion** (USD) as of the latest available data.
- **Notable Investors/Partners**:
    - **Parent Company**: Apollo Global Management, Inc.
    - **Previous Investor**: H.I.G. Capital
    - **Key OEM Partners**: Cisco, Microsoft, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Dell Technologies, Palo Alto Networks, Splunk.
- **Growth Signals**:
    - **Headcount**: 1,064 employees (+4.1% YoY) with 109 active job postings (+186.8% YoY).
    - **Acquisition Spree**: Acquired Zivaro (2024), Ivoxy (2025), and multiple other firms (Set Solutions, Optio Data, Tail Wind Informatics, Groupware Technology, LaSalle Solutions) to build scale.
    - **Government Expansion**: Launched Trace3 Government in 2024, targeting classified and mission-critical work.
    - **Talent Sources**: Heavy recruitment from Cisco, Microsoft, AWS, Dell, and competitors (e360, World Wide Technology, Insight).

## Competitive Advantages
- **Vendor Agnostic Stance**: Provides unbiased, agnostic assessments of the technology landscape — a key differentiator from resellers.
- **Deep VC/PE Relationships**: "On a first-name basis with major VC firms" — allows clients early access to emerging tech and innovation briefings.
- **Scale & Breadth**: 700+ engineers (including 120+ cleared government engineers), national presence, and multiple acquired specialty firms under one roof.
- **Government Security Clearances**: Many engineers hold top-secret clearances (DoD, DOE), a high barrier to entry for competitors.
- **Proven M&A Integration**: Successfully rolled up 7+ companies to build a comprehensive service portfolio.

## Strategic Focus
- **AI as a Core Growth Engine**: "Run with AI" and "Transform with AI" are central themes. Focused on practical, low-risk AI adoption for enterprises.
- **Government Sector Expansion**: Trace3 Government is a major growth vector, targeting federal and state contracts.
- **M&A Roll-Up**: Continue acquiring niche consultancies to deepen capabilities in data, security, and cloud.
- **Managed Services Growth**: Building out a national managed services footprint (Tier 1-3 support centers in multiple cities).

## Why Work Here
- **Culture**: Described as "the spirit of a startup with the advantage of a scalable business." Core values include Teamwork, Innovation, Consultative approach, and being "Humble, Hungry, & Smart."
- **Remote/Hybrid/Office**: Mixed. Many roles are remote (e.g., Cloud Engineers, Solutions Architects), but some are on-site (e.g., Managed Services Engineers in Phoenix, Atlanta, Chicago, Las Vegas). Sales and consulting roles often require regional presence.
- **Notable Perks**:
    - Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision plans
    - 401(k) retirement plan and 529 college savings plan
    - HSA, life insurance, and long-term disability
    - Generous PTO and work-life balance
    - Stocked kitchens with snacks and beverages
    - Training and development programs
    - Competitive compensation packages
- **Engineering Culture**: Heavy emphasis on emerging tech (AI, cloud, security). Engineers get exposure to cutting-edge tools and vendor relationships. Many roles require certifications and deep technical expertise.
- **CEO Approval Rating**: 51% on Indeed (average for a large consulting firm).

## Sources
1. [trace3.com](https://www.trace3.com/)
2. [trace3.com/careers](https://www.trace3.com/careers)
3. [Greenhouse Job Board](http://job-boards.greenhouse.io/trace3)
4. [LinkedIn Company Page](https://www.linkedin.com/company/trace3)
5. [Indeed Company Page](https://www.indeed.com/cmp/Trace3?from=serpCompanyHeaderLogo)

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