Director of Sales Development

Everyone is welcome at Handshake. We know diverse teams build better products and we are committed to creating an inclusive culture built on a foundation of respect for all individuals. We strongly encourage candidates from non-traditional backgrounds, historically marginalized or underrepresented groups to apply.

Your impact

Handshake is hiring a Director, Sales Development to lead and inspire a team of Sales Development professionals. You will partner closely with Sales Leadership to develop and execute winning sales strategies, set team wide goals and exceed team and individual quota attainment.

Our SDR leader will set the pace and tone of Handshake's prospecting efforts, creating meaningful engagements that help organizations strengthen their early talent strategies. This energetic leader will inspire excellence in how we approach prospects and clients, playing a crucial role in achieving our aggressive growth targets for the coming year.

**This person will be expected to work 3 days out of our San Francisco HQ (M/W/Th) and remote the remainder of the time to help facilitate collaboration and get face time with the team.**

Your role

• Manage, mentor, develop and drive the performance of SDR Manager(s), Inbound & Outbound Sales Development Representatives (ISDRs & OSDRs), and Business Development Representatives (BDRs).
• Recruit, hire, train, coach and develop SDR Manager(s) and SDRs/BDRs to exceed the Company’s ARR Plan, SDR team quota and individual quotas.
• Analyze current outreach and opportunity generation practices, immerse yourself in team metrics, and identify areas for improvement at scale.
• Collaborate with the VP of Sales, Sales Leaders, Account Executives, SDRs/BDRs, and Revenue Operations to optimize lead volume and quality, deliver a healthy pipeline of qualified outbound leads and exceed outbound pipeline and ARR targets, the Company’s ARR Plan, SDR team quota and individual quotas.
• Collaborate closely with our Marketing & cross-functional demand generation stakeholders to develop and execute on lead generations campaigns, improve SLA on Marketing Qualified Leads (MQLs), improve conversion rate of Inbound MQLs to Stage 1/2/3 sales opportunities and exceed inbound pipeline and ARR targets.
• Proactively develop new strategies and tactics to accelerate pipeline growth each quarter.
• Strategize with the VP of Sales, Director of Revenue Operations and Finance team on headcount planning, pipeline targets and SDR-sourced ARR, the Company’s ARR Plan, SDR team quota and individual quotas.
• Demonstrate strategic thinking to drive higher lead conversion, accelerate ARR, and reduce ramp time for new SDR/BDR hires.
• Support the mentorship and development of the SDR organization, preparing team members for career progression into Account Executive roles and expanded opportunities across the new business sales organization.
• Partner with Sales Enablement to generate data analyses and determine training curriculum needs, goals and deliverables.
• Through continuous process improvement, contribute to the team growth and success of the broader Sales team.
  
  

Your Experience

• You have 8 years of sales or sales leadership experience driving new business ARR for a high-growth business.
• 5 years managing Sales Development Representatives (SDRs) and 3 years leading SDR Managers as a 2nd line people leader.
• Proven success leading and growing SDR organizations, developing multi-quarter and multi-channel strategies, and exceeding the Company’s ARR Plan, SDR team quota and individual quotas.
• You have built and led an SDR organization with 20 people in a fast-paced, technology/SaaS company.
• You have a proven record of sales success and possess strong collaboration and communication skills.
• You identify and communicate organizational roadblocks and are able to resolve them proactively.
• Experience exceeding the expectations of executive leadership, including the C-suite and VPs, by beating your targets and unpacking the root causes and variables that led to your team’s successes and areas of improvement.
• You have a robust Salesforce analysis and reporting skill set and have detailed knowledge of SaaS tech stack including sourcing, prospecting, and outreach technologies.
• You are comfortable in a fast-paced environment that requires the ability to work independently and adaptively, anticipate and mitigate friction points, and take initiative to promptly resolve and learn from challenges.
  
  

Bonus areas of expertise

Experience in both a startup environment (<$150M ARR) and a scaled business ($1B ARR)

Experience selling into talent acquisition or HR

Experience leading AE teams

Compensation Range

• $230,000-$285,000 OTE (65/35 split) RSUs
  
  

For cash compensation, we set standard ranges for all U.S.-based roles based on function, level, and geographic location, benchmarked against similar stage growth companies. In order to be compliant with local legislation, as well as to provide greater transparency to candidates, we share salary ranges on all job postings regardless of desired hiring location. Final offer amounts are determined by multiple factors, including geographic location as well as candidate experience and expertise, and may vary from the amounts listed above.

About Us

Handshake is the career platform for Gen Z. With a community of over 17 million students, alumni, employers, and career educators, Handshake’s network is where career advice and discovery turn into first, second, and third jobs. Nearly 1 million companies use Handshake to build their future workforce—from Fortune 500 to federal agencies, school districts to startups, healthcare systems to small businesses. Handshake is built for where you’re going, not where you’ve been.

When it comes to our workforce strategy, we’ve thought deeply about how work-life should look at Handshake. With our hybrid-work model, employees benefit from collaboration and shared team experiences three days per week in our vibrant offices, and enjoy the flexibility of remote work two days per week (unless noted in the specific job posting). Handshake is headquartered in San Francisco, with offices in New York, London, and Berlin.

What We Offer

At Handshake, we'll give you the tools to feel healthy, happy and secure.

Benefits Below Apply To US Employees In Full-time Positions.

• 💰 Equity and ownership in a fast-growing company.
• 🍼 16 Weeks of paid parental leave for birth giving parents & 10 weeks of paid parental leave for non-birth giving parents.
• 💝 Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision policies including LGTBQ Coverage. We also provide resources for Mental Health Assistance, Employee Assistance Programs and counseling support.
• 📚 Generous learning & development opportunities and an annual $2,000 stipend for you to grow your skills and career.
• 💰 Financial coaching through Origin to help you through your financial journey.
• 🛜 Monthly internet stipend and a brand new MacBook to allow you to do your best work.
• 🚃 Monthly commuter stipend for you to expense your travel to the office (for office-based employees).
• 🥗 Free lunch provided 3x a week across all offices.
• 🤝 Referral bonus to reward you when you bring great talent to Handshake.
• 🏦 401k Match: Handshake offers a dollar-for-dollar match on 1% of deferred salary, up to a maximum of $1,200 per year.
• 🏝 All full-time US-based Handshakers are eligible for our flexible time off policy to get out and see the world. In addition, we offer 13 standardized holidays, and 2 additional days of flexible holiday time off. Lastly, we have a Winter #ShakeBreak, a one-week period of Collective Time Off.
• 💻 Handshake offers $500 home office stipend for you to spend during your first 3 months to create a productive and comfortable workspace at home.
• 🍼 Family support: Parental leave coaching and support provided by Parentaly. We partner with Maven Clinic to provide a lifetime coverage up to $15K for expenses related to fertility and family forming!
• 💰 Lifestyle Savings Account: We offer you an annual stipend of $500 to use for purchases such as fitness classes, gym memberships, work-from-home setup, and more.
  
  

Looking for more? Explore our mission, values and comprehensive US benefits at joinhandshake.com/careers.

Handshake is committed to providing reasonable accommodations in our recruitment processes for candidates with disabilities, sincerely held religious beliefs or other reasons protected by applicable laws. If you need assistance or reasonable accommodation, please let your recruiter know during initial communications.