Go-To-Market Compensation Lead

Perplexity is an AI-powered search and reasoning platform that's reshaping how people find and understand information. The company is scaling rapidly, and this role is central to building the compensation programs that drive revenue team performance and retention.

About Perplexity

Perplexity has emerged as a leader in conversational AI search, offering an alternative to traditional search engines by combining large language models with real-time information retrieval. The platform helps users get direct answers to complex questions through natural dialogue, positioning itself at the intersection of consumer AI and enterprise applications. As the company expands its go-to-market operations to support this growth, it needs compensation structures that align incentives with product and business evolution.

About This Role

You'll serve as the Go-To-Market Compensation Lead within the Revenue Operations team, reporting to the Head of Revenue Operations with close partnership to GTM and Finance leadership. Based in San Francisco with a hybrid schedule, this is a hands-on leadership position where you'll design, build, and operate the incentive compensation programs that support Perplexity's revenue growth. You'll move fluidly between strategic compensation design and detailed operational execution, taking ownership of both the financial accuracy and the employee experience.

What you'll do

• Lead compensation design for GTM roles by partnering with leadership to develop incentive plans. You'll recommend performance measures, payout structures, accelerators, and crediting rules that tie compensation to company priorities.

• Model business scenarios to assess compensation costs, earnings opportunities, and alignment with business goals. Track plan performance and recommend adjustments as the product, pricing, and go-to-market strategy evolve.

• Own the full commission operations cycle from source-data validation and crediting through calculations, reconciliation, approvals, and payroll handoff. Ensure accurate, timely payouts and resolve disputes with clear reasoning.

• Administer the incentive compensation management system end to end. Configure plans, implement changes, test thoroughly, and maintain reliable integrations with CRM, finance, and payroll systems.

• Build scalable processes and controls including documentation, approval workflows, and audit trails. Create consistent procedures for new hires, role changes, departures, and territory adjustments.

• Make compensation transparent and understandable. Lead plan communications and serve as the trusted expert for employees, managers, and leadership on how incentives work.

• Partner with Finance to deliver payout reporting, accrual forecasts, variance analysis, and proactive visibility into compensation spend and risks.

What you'll bring

• 4+ years of GTM compensation experience in SaaS or high-growth environments, with demonstrated ownership of both plan design and commission operations.

• A track record of working independently through ambiguity, setting priorities, identifying gaps, and driving work to completion without close supervision.

• Exceptional attention to detail in data validation, calculation testing, decision documentation, and error prevention before payouts go out.

• Hands-on experience administering an incentive compensation management platform and working with CRM, finance, and payroll data.

• Strong analytical and financial modeling skills using spreadsheets and scenario analysis. You can evaluate trade-offs and translate complex analysis into practical recommendations.

• Clear communication and influencing skills with senior stakeholders. You explain compensation mechanics simply and handle sensitive requests with tact and discretion.

• Sound judgment in balancing responsiveness to Sales with consistent policy application. You know when to resolve issues independently and when to escalate with context and a recommendation.

• A perspective on how AI is transforming traditional commission processing and compensation plan design, with genuine interest in applying that thinking to Perplexity's business while maintaining accuracy and controls.

Nice to have

• Experience with consumption-based, usage-based, or hybrid subscription business models.

• Background implementing or migrating an ICM platform and automating compensation workflows.

• SQL or business intelligence skills to investigate data issues and improve reporting.