Lead Compliance Accountant (Incentive Compensation)

About Workato

Workato delivers enterprise infrastructure for the agentic era, redefining iPaaS and helping enterprises unify data, applications, processes, and AI into a single, governed platform. A leader in Enterprise MCP and trusted by 50% of the Fortune 500, Workato’s cloud-native architecture connects every application, data source, and process to power real-time orchestration at scale. With enterprise-grade security and continuous innovation at its core, Workato provides the trusted foundation for organizations to automate with confidence and operationalize AI across the business. To learn more, visit

Why join us?

Ultimately, Workato believes in fostering a flexible, trust-oriented culture that empowers everyone to take full ownership of their roles . We are driven by innovation and looking for team players who want to actively build our company. 

But, we also believe in balancing productivity with self-care . That’s why we offer all of our employees a vibrant and dynamic work environment along with a multitude of benefits they can enjoy inside and outside of their work lives. 

If this sounds right up your alley, please submit an application. We look forward to getting to know you!

Also, feel free to check out why:

• Business Insider named us an “enterprise startup to bet your career on”

• Forbes’ Cloud 100 recognized us as one of the top 100 private cloud companies in the world

• Deloitte Tech Fast 500 ranked us as the 17th fastest growing tech company in the Bay Area, and 96th in North America

• Quartz ranked us the #1 best company for remote workers

The Lead Compliance Accountant, Incentive Compensation is responsible for ensuring the accuracy of all variable compensation elements, including commissions, bonuses, and related accruals. This role also performs analytical reviews to assess the reasonableness of payouts and ensures compliance with company policies and accounting standards.

Responsibilities

• Develop and document an Audit Plan to validate commission, bonus, and other variable pay calculations for accuracy and alignment with approved plans and policies
• Review and validate accruals for commissions, bonuses, and other incentive programs, ensuring proper cut-off and compliance with accounting standards
• Perform year-to-date (YTD) analysis of variable compensation, including trend and variance analysis versus targets, prior periods, and business performance
• Prepare consolidated (YTD) actual compensation on a monthly basis to support reasonableness checks for upcoming commission payouts, with reference to on-target earnings (OTE) as defined in employment contracts.
• Investigate significant fluctuations or anomalies and provide clear explanations supported by data
• Reconcile compensation data across multiple systems (e.g., payroll, Salesforce, CaptivateIQ)
• Verify supporting data such as sales performance, targets, employment terms, and plan eligibility
• Identify discrepancies, investigate root causes, and work with Finance, HR, and Sales Operations teams to resolve issues under tight deadlines
• Maintain clear audit trails and documentation for all reviews and adjustments
• Support month-end and year-end close processes related to variable compensation accruals and actuals
• Utilize AI tools to strengthen internal controls and improve processes for compensation validation, tracking, reporting, and accruals
• Prepare reports and dashboards summarizing compensation trends, variances, and adjustments
• Support internal and external audits by providing required documentation and explanations
• Maintain policy documents for Capitalized Contract Costs and other relevant accounting policies

Requirements

Qualifications / Experience / Technical Skills

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Business, or a related field
• 3 years of audit experience at a public accounting firm
• 5-8 years of combined experience in auditing, accounting, or compensation analysis 
• Strong understanding of accrual accounting, cut-off principles, and internal controls
• Advanced Excel skills (e.g., pivot tables, lookups, data analysis); experience with ERP and payroll systems preferred
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret large datasets and identify trends or anomalies
• High attention to detail and strong problem-solving capabilities
• Ability to work cross-functionally with Finance, HR, and Sales teams
• Strong organizational skills and ability to manage multiple deadlines

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience with Salesforce CRM reports
• Experience with commissions and bonus structures.
• Familiarity with SaaS or sales-driven organizations
• Professional certification (e.g., CPA, ACCA, CIA) is a plus

Key Competencies:

• Attention to detail and accuracy
• Integrity and confidentiality
• Strong analytical and critical thinking
• Process improvement mindset
• Collaborative and efficient communication style
• Builds strong partnerships across departments

(REQ ID: 2767)