Business Development Representative

OpenRouter; New York (NY); On-site; USD 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

OpenRouter is seeking a Business Development Representative to build outbound pipeline for our Enterprise Account Executives. You will run cold-calling and multi-touch outreach, turn event attendees into booked meetings, and nurture prospects until they are ready to buy.

This role offers the chance to become an AI/LLM technology expert, establish an outbound motion from the ground up, and grow toward a closing role at a fast-moving startup.

Qualifications

• 2+ years in a BDR/SDR or inside sales role at a B2B SaaS company.
• Track record of hitting or exceeding quota in a metrics-driven environment.
• Strong discovery skills to uncover real business needs.
• Ability to learn technical products quickly and explain them clearly to varied audiences.

Responsibilities

• Prospect into target accounts via cold calling, email, and social outreach to generate net-new pipeline.
• Own follow-up on event leads and marketing-sourced signals to convert interest into qualified meetings.
• Qualify outbound leads based on fit and route opportunities to Account Executives with context.
• Educate prospects on how OpenRouter optimizes LLM costs, performance, and model access.
• Maintain CRM hygiene with notes on needs, objections, timeline, and opportunity size.
• Collaborate with Account Executives to refine target lists, messaging, and handoffs.

Skills

BDR/SDR experience

Quota attainment

Discovery skills

Technical product knowledge

Written communication

CRM proficiency

Tools

CRM systems

Sales tools

Job description

About OpenRouter

OpenRouter is the open AI routing and infrastructure layer that enterprises use to access, manage, and optimize the best large language models across providers—without lock-in, capacity constraints, or unnecessary cost. We power some of the most advanced AI teams in the world by giving them the flexibility to move fast, scale confidently, and stay future-proof as models evolve.

As enterprise adoption of AI accelerates, OpenRouter sits at the center of how organizations operationalize LLMs across research, product, and production workloads.

About the Role

We're looking for a Business Development Representative to generate outbound pipeline for our Enterprise Account Executives. You'll build and run cold-calling and multi-touch outreach campaigns, turn event attendees and inbound touchpoints into booked meetings, and keep prospects engaged through structured nurture cadences until they're ready to buy. This role is perfect for someone who wants to become an AI/LLM technology expert, build an outbound motion from the ground up, and grow into a closing role at a fast-moving startup.

What You'll Do

• Prospect into target accounts through cold calling, email, and social outreach to generate net-new pipeline for Account Executives

• Own follow-up on event leads, conference attendees, and marketing-sourced signals — turning interest into qualified meetings

• Qualify outbound-sourced leads based on fit criteria and route high-potential opportunities to Account Executives with thorough context

• Educate prospects on how OpenRouter helps them optimize LLM costs, improve performance, and access the best models for their needs

• Maintain meticulous CRM hygiene with detailed notes on prospect needs, objections, timeline, and opportunity size

• Collaborate with Account Executives to refine target account lists, messaging, and lead handoff quality

• Partner with Marketing on event strategy, campaign feedback, and outbound messaging effectiveness

• Meet or exceed monthly quotas for qualified opportunities created and meetings scheduled
  

What We're Looking For

• 2+ years of experience in a BDR, SDR, or inside sales role at a B2B SaaS company

• Track record of consistently hitting or exceeding quota in a metrics-driven environment

• Strong discovery skills—you ask thoughtful questions, listen actively, and uncover real business needs

• Ability to quickly learn technical products and explain them clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences

• Excellent written and verbal communication with the ability to craft compelling, personalized outreach

• Experience with CRM systems and comfort working in sales tools

Nice to Haves

• Being the first BDR hire at a startup or fast-growing company

• Experience at an API-first, AI infrastructure company or technically similar

• Experience with prompt engineering and LLM evaluation