Manager, Sales Development - Chicago

NightDragon Acquisition Corp.; Chicago (IL); Hybrid; USD 150,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Inclusive Team

Growth Opportunities

Innovative Culture

Hybrid & Remote Work

Competitive Compensation

Job summary

Horizon3.ai in Chicago is seeking a Manager of Sales Development to lead and scale our SDR organization. You will manage a team of 7–10 SDRs and collaborate across regions to optimize sales processes and drive pipeline impact.

The ideal candidate will bring experience in managing high-performing teams, especially in cybersecurity or SaaS environments. This role emphasizes talent development, data-driven strategies, and maintaining a culture of excellence.

Qualifications

• 2+ years of experience managing an SDR team.
• Experience in a high-growth SaaS or cybersecurity environment.
• Strong ability to analyze data and derive actionable insights.

Responsibilities

• Build and manage a high-performing SDR team.
• Coach team on cold calling and sales techniques.
• Analyze data to refine sales strategies and ensure accountability.

Skills

SDR management experience

Cybersecurity experience

Analytical skills

Sales methodologies application

Communication skills

Multi-channel outreach

Tools

Salesforce

Sales Engagement Platforms

Job description

Get to Know Us

Horizon3.ai is a fast-growing, remote cybersecurity company dedicated to the mission of enabling organizations to proactively find, fix and verify exploitable attack vectors before criminals exploit them. Our flagship product, the NodeZeroTM platform, delivers production-safe autonomous pentests and other key assessment operations that scale across the largest internal, external, cloud, and hybrid cloud environments. NodeZero has been adopted by organizations of all sizes, from small educational institutions to government agencies and Global 100 enterprises. It is used by IT Ops/SecOps teams, consulting pentesters, and MSSPs and MSPs.

We are a fusion of former U.S. Special Operations cyber operators, startup engineers & operators, and formerly frustrated cybersecurity practitioners. We're committed to helping solve our common security problems: ineffective security tools and false positives, resulting in alert fatigue, blind spots, \"checkbox\" security culture, cybersecurity skills shortage, and the long lead time and expense of hiring outside consultants. Collectively, we are a team of learn it alls, committed to a culture of respect, collaboration, ownership, and results.

What You’ll Do

Horizon3.ai is building a world-class outbound motion, and we’re looking for a Manager of Sales Development to help lead, coach, and scale our SDR organization. This role will be one of several frontline SDR leaders, each responsible for managing a pod of 7–10 SDRs, while operating as part of a broader, globally distributed team of roughly 30 SDRs.

As an SDR Manager, you’ll collaborate closely with peer managers across regions to drive consistency in execution, share best practices, and collectively deliver pipeline impact. This role is ideal for a hands‑on leader who loves developing talent, driving results, and operating with rigor in a fast‑growing cybersecurity company.

• Lead and develop the SDR team: Build, motivate, and manage a high-performing Sales Development Representative (SDR) team to consistently generate high-quality sales pipeline from target accounts.

• Develop high-impact sales skills: Coach SDRs on cold calling, objection handling, qualification, and multi-channel outreach to develop them into top sellers.

• Optimize SDR operations: Partner with RevOps, Enablement, and other cross-functional teams to continuously improve tools, processes, and playbooks for efficiency, consistency, and scalability.

• Cultivate a strong team culture: Celebrate success, learn from mistakes, ensure psychological safety, and use healthy competition and games to maintain high energy and performance.

• Drive performance and process: Own the SDR sales funnel end-to-end. Analyze data to forecast pipeline, refine strategies, and ensure accountability to targets and SLAs.

• Hire and onboard top talent: Recruit, onboard, and ramp new SDRs with clear expectations and structured training to ensure rapid productivity.

• Maintain a culture of excellence: Champion ownership, continuous improvement, and process discipline (including CRM hygiene and SLAs), while continually refining tools and playbooks.

• Provide market intelligence: Translate daily SDR conversations into actionable insights (objections, use cases, competitive intel) that inform GTM strategy, campaigns, and sales plays.

What You’ll Bring

• 2+ years of SDR management experience, ideally in a high-growth SaaS or cybersecurity environment, scaling and coaching high performing teams.

• Experience in cybersecurity, SaaS, or other technical B2B environments.

• Strong analytical skills with the ability to turn data into action.

• Strong knowledge and practical application of modern sales methodologies (MEDDIC, Challenger, SPIN, etc.)

• Hands‑on experience with Salesforce and Sales Engagement Platforms (Outreach, Salesloft, Apollo, etc.)

• Experience leveraging AI to drive productivity, insights, and coaching.

• Excellent communication, analysis and cross‑functional collaboration skills.

• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast‑paced environment.

• Must be located in the Chicago area.

Location

Chicago, IL - *We're office first with one day a week remote flexibility

Travel Required

This job may require up to 15% of travel to be successful.

Compensation and Values

At Horizon3, we believe that our people are our greatest asset, and our compensation philosophy reflects this core value. We are committed to fostering an environment where all employees feel valued, respected, and rewarded for their contributions. Our compensation structure is designed to be fair, competitive, and transparent, ensuring that every team member is recognized and compensated equitably across roles, levels, and locations.

In accordance with various State’s transparency regulations, we provide the following salary range information for this position:

• Total On‑Target Compensation: $150k - $160k OTE annually on a 60/40 split. The exact salary will be determined based on the selected candidate’s location, qualifications, experience, and relevant skills.

• Additional compensation: All full‑time roles are eligible for an equity package in the form of stock options.

Perks of Horizon3.ai

• Inclusive Team: We value diversity and promote an inclusive culture where everyone can thrive.

• Growth Opportunities: Be part of a dynamic and growing team with numerous career development opportunities.

• Innovative Culture: Work in a collaborative environment that encourages creativity and out‑of‑the‑box thinking.

• Hybrid & Remote Work: We embrace a mix of remote and hybrid work models depending on role and location, including our Chicago office, where some roles require regular in‑office presence.

• Competitive Compensation: We offer competitive salary, equity and benefits. Our benefits include health, vision & dental insurance for you and your family, a flexible vacation policy, and generous parental leave.

You Belong Here

Horizon3 is not just an equal opportunity employer - we are a community that values diversity, equity, and inclusion as fundamental principles of our culture and success. We are dedicated to fostering a workplace where everyone feels welcome and respected, regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, hair length or any other legally protected status by law.

Our commitment to diversity and inclusion means we strive to attract, develop, and retain a workforce that reflects the varied communities we serve. We believe that diverse perspectives drive innovation and strengthen our ability to create cutting‑edge cybersecurity solutions. At Horizon3, every team member is valued and supported in an environment that encourages personal and professional growth.

We welcome candidates from all backgrounds and experiences, and we encourage all qualified individuals to apply. Come be a part of Horizon3, where your unique contributions are recognized, and your potential is limitless.

Other Duties

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

Application Note

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