Sr Manager, Sales Development

Kai is the AI company rebuilding cybersecurity for the machine-speed era. Founded by second-time founders and trusted by Fortune 500 enterprises, Kai is building a future where security has no categories, no silos, and no human speed bottlenecks. The Kai Autonomous Defense Platform replaces fragmented, human-limited workflows with agentic AI systems that continuously contextualize, assess, reason, and execute security work at machine speed, making human defenders superhuman.

About the Role

We're looking for a Sr. Manager, Sales Development to build and lead Kai's SDR function while staying close to the work. This is a player-coach role. You'll sit within the marketing organization and work in close partnership with demand generation, field marketing, sales leadership, and RevOps to ensure the top of funnel is generating the right pipeline at the right velocity. If you're energized by both the craft of outbound sales and the challenge of building a high-performing team from scratch, this is your seat.

Requirements

• 5+ years of experience in sales development or inside sales, with 3+ years in a team leadership role, and a track record of personally hitting or exceeding quota as an individual contributor.
• Proven ability to build and develop high-performing SDR teams, with a coaching style that grows early-career talent and creates a culture of curiosity, accountability, and continuous improvement.
• Experience owning pipeline targets in a fast-paced, high-growth B2B SaaS or technology environment, with demonstrated ability to hit or exceed goals consistently.
• Strong operational instincts, including experience building outbound playbooks, ramp frameworks, and performance management processes from the ground up.
• Fluency with CRM and sales engagement tools such as Salesforce and Outreach or Salesloft, with a data-driven approach to managing performance and forecasting pipeline contribution.
• Hands-on experience using AI tools to increase personal and team productivity, from prospecting research and outreach personalization to sequence optimization and performance analysis.
• Excellent cross-functional collaboration and communication skills, with experience working closely with marketing, sales, and RevOps to align on GTM priorities and execution.

Responsibilities

• Carry team and personal targets while leading and developing SDRs, modeling the prospecting behaviors, outreach discipline, and pipeline habits you expect from your team.
• Hire, onboard, and coach a diverse team of SDRs, using regular feedback, data-driven performance reviews, and creative incentives to develop early-career talent into sales-ready contributors and future Account Executives.
• Own and drive outbound prospecting strategy and execution across Kai's target accounts and verticals, ensuring the team is generating qualified pipeline that maps to quarterly revenue goals.
• Build and optimize the processes, playbooks, and tooling that underpin SDR productivity, from outreach sequences and cadence strategy to lead routing, follow-up SLAs, and pipeline handoff to Account Executives.
• Partner cross-functionally with marketing, sales leadership, and RevOps to align on campaign follow-up, lead flow, pipeline quality, and market priorities.
• Track, analyze, and report on team and individual performance against goals, managing forecast accuracy and using data to identify gaps and drive continuous improvement.

Benefits

Highly competitive salary, meaningful equity, and a culture where your contributions are recognized and rewarded as we grow.