VP, Global Deal Desk & Renewal Operations

Why this role

This team sits at the center of every Workiva deal, direct or through a partner. As VP, you will set the standard for how we price, structure, and renew business, and make it faster and simpler for our sellers and customers. You’ll lead the Deal Desk, Commercial Strategy, and Renewal Operations organizations and own the integrity of our commercial engine, while transforming how we get from quote to order to renewal. We’re looking for a strategic commercial leader and technology-minded process architect who sees deal friction as a problem to engineer away, uses data and AI to drive decisions, and turns governance into a competitive advantage for our sellers.

What you’ll own

You’ll be accountable for deal structuring, governance, and negotiation, pricing compliance, renewal execution, and the end-to-end quote-to-order process across Workiva’s global commercial organization. You’ll build a team and operating model that lets Sales move quickly without compromising deal quality, margin, or retention.

Responsibilities

Deal Desk & Commercial Negotiations

• Own deal governance and approval authority across all partner and direct deals, applying commercial policy consistently while keeping approvals fast and predictable
• Lead structuring and negotiation of complex commercial terms, partnering directly with Sales leadership on strategic, high-value deals
• Act as the primary commercial thought partner to Sales Leadership and Product Marketing on multi-solution enterprise deal architecture, custom terms, and value-based pricing
• Own pricing compliance and policy oversight, partnering with Pricing & Packaging to turn pricing and discounting strategy into enforceable, scalable deal desk practice
• Partner with Legal and Accounting to define rules and criteria for deal structure, order approvals, and revenue recognition readiness
• Drive continuous improvement in deal cycle time and seller experience without compromising governance

Renewal Operations

• Own renewal operations and the customer retention motion, partnering with Customer Success and Field Operations to protect and grow existing revenue
• Build a proactive, data-driven renewal forecasting and risk-detection model, aligned with Customer Success (CPX), that unifies retention strategy and customer health insights 6–12 months before contract expiration
• Ensure renewal terms, pricing, and contract structures align with commercial policy and pricing governance, and identify expansion opportunities within the renewal motion

Business Transformation & Innovation

• Serve as the thought leader and change agent for the quote-to-order-to-renewal lifecycle, setting the vision and multi-year roadmap to reduce deal friction and simplify commercial structures
• Lead the quote-to-order transformation with Sales Planning & Performance, Business Technology, Legal, and Finance, eliminating manual handoffs and improving speed and accuracy
• Apply AI, automation, and advanced analytics to deal desk and renewal operations, such as intelligent deal routing and approvals, contract and terms analysis, pricing guidance, and renewal risk prediction
• Define the KPIs, dashboards, and insights that drive decisions on deal governance, discounting, and retention
• Design scalable operating models that absorb growth, new products, and new go-to-market motions without proportional headcount increases
• Lead change management across Sales, Finance, Legal, and Customer Success to drive adoption and lasting results

Leadership & Cross-Functional Partnership

• Lead and develop the Deal Desk, Commercial Strategy, and Renewal Operations teams, building a high-performing, globally distributed organization with strong leaders and clear succession
• Partner with senior sales leadership to identify opportunities to improve commercial strategy, competitive pricing, and deal process
• Coach and develop team members, matching talent to the work that best uses their skills, and foster a culture of respect, continuous learning, and commitment to customers
• Own team planning and management, including hiring, performance management, and development

What you’ll bring

Experience

• 12+ years of progressive Deal Desk, Commercial Operations, and/or Renewal Operations experience in a high-growth technology company, ideally at a publicly traded SaaS company
• Track record of leading deal desk and renewal operations at scale and transforming them from policy administrators into strategic business enablers that accelerate deal velocity
• Demonstrated experience participating in a quote-to-cash or quote-to-order transformation, including CPQ/CLM implementation or optimization
• Hands-on experience applying automation, analytics, or AI to commercial operations processes
• Experience negotiating complex commercial terms directly with customers and partners
• Experience managing analytically rigorous, cross-functional corporate initiatives
• Working knowledge of subscription revenue recognition (ASC 606) and how deal structure affects it

Skills

• Strategic thinker and process designer who can set a vision, build the roadmap, and execute
• Strong technology fluency and the ability to partner credibly with IT and business-systems teams
• Excellent verbal, written, and interpersonal communication skills
• Strong commercial negotiation skills, with the ability to represent the company in complex deal discussions
• Ability to influence at all levels and across Sales, Legal, Accounting, Finance, and Customer Success
• Strong analytical skills, with the ability to turn data into decisions on deal governance and renewal risk
• Attention to details around contract terms and pricing structures
• Ability to set priorities and manage multiple initiatives in a fast-paced, changing environment

Education

• Bachelor’s degree required; MBA preferred (equivalent experience considered)

Working conditions

• Up to 20% travel as needed
• Reliable internet access when working remotely

How You’ll Be Rewarded

✅ A discretionary bonus typically paid annually

✅ Restricted Stock Units granted at time of hire

✅ 401(k) match and comprehensive employee benefits package

The salary range represents the low and high end of the salary range for this job in the US. Minimums and maximums may vary based on location. The actual salary offer will carefully consider a wide range of factors, including your skills, qualifications, experience and other relevant factors.

Why Join Workiva

Workiva is the platform designed to bring confidence, control, and a competitive edge to the world’s most complex organizations. Our AI-powered platform unifies finance, risk, and sustainability on a single, secure foundation—ensuring data is trusted, traceable, and ready to act on. With an unbroken path from source to output, leaders gain confidence in their numbers, visibility into current and emerging risks, and the ability to move with speed and precision in a constantly changing world.

At Workiva, you’ll bring technology to market that executives, boards, and regulators depend on. The work you do here helps organizations navigate uncertainty, maintain trust, and make decisions that stand up to scrutiny. If you’re energized by meaningful challenges, inspired by collaborative teams, and motivated to help organizations turn uncertainty into advantage, we’d love to meet you.

Employment decisions are made without regard to age, race, creed, color, religion, sex, national origin, ancestry, disability status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, citizenship status or any other protected characteristic.

Workiva is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities. To request assistance with the application process, please email [email protected].
 

Workiva employees are required to undergo comprehensive security and privacy training tailored to their roles, ensuring adherence to company policies and regulatory standards.

Workiva supports employees in working where they work best - either from an office or remotely from any location within their country of employment.