Manager, Sales Development- Higher Education

Salesforce; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 126,230 - 168,870; Full time

Job summary

Salesforce is looking for a Manager, Sales Development- EDU in Chicago to lead a high-energy BDR team focused on outbound prospecting and building a robust pipeline in the EDU market.

You’ll coach, hire, and develop early-career talent, drive GTM initiatives, and partner with Sales, Marketing, and Operations to achieve quota and revenue goals while optimizing processes for efficiency.

Qualifications

• 3+ years of sales leadership leading teams of 7+ quota-carrying reps.
• Proven track record of delivering pipeline and revenue goals.
• Demonstrated ability to identify and hire top talent.
• Passion for coaching and developing early career talent.
• Strong executive presence, communication, and presentation skills.
• Experience collaborating cross-functionally with Sales, Marketing, Strategy, and Enablement.
• Ability to plan and execute a Quarterly Go-To-Market (GTM) strategy and align to larger company priorities.
• Self-starter who thrives in a fast-paced, evolving environment.
• Experience as an individual contributor in B2B software sales, preferably Higher Education market.
• Bachelor’s degree strongly preferred.

Responsibilities

• Hire, onboard, and develop a diverse, high-performing team of BDRs.
• Lead with motivation to exceed quota through data-driven coaching and recognition.
• Drive outbound prospecting strategy to generate quality pipeline and revenue.
• Promote operational excellence by building optimized processes.
• Use data to identify performance gaps and develop corrective plans.
• Manage pipeline & forecast with regular tracking and reporting.
• Partner with Operations, Marketing, Programs, Strategy, and Sales Leadership.
• Align on business priorities and market strategy across teams.

Skills

Sales leadership

Pipeline goals

Coaching

Cross-functional

Data analysis

BDR experience

Executive presence

Communication

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Job description

To get the best candidate experience, please consider applying for a maximum of 3 roles within 12 months to ensure you are not duplicating efforts.

Job Category

Sales

Job Details

About Salesforce

Salesforce is the #1 AI CRM, where humans with agents drive customer success together. Here, ambition meets action. Tech meets trust. And innovation isn’t a buzzword — it’s a way of life. The world of work as we know it is changing and we're looking for Trailblazers who are passionate about bettering business and the world through AI, driving innovation, and keeping Salesforce's core values at the heart of it all.

Ready to level-up your career at the company leading workforce transformation in the agentic era? You’re in the right place! Agentforce is the future of AI, and you are the future of Salesforce.

Manager, Sales Development- EDU

Location: Chicago, Illinois

About Salesforce

Salesforce is the #1 AI CRM, where humans and agents drive customer success together. Here, ambition meets action. Tech meets trust. And innovation isn’t a buzzword — it’s a way of life. The world of work as we know it is changing and we're looking for Trailblazers who are passionate about bettering business and the world through AI, driving innovation, and keeping Salesforce's core values at the heart of it all.

Our Business Development teams are at the forefront of this mission — fueling growth by generating high-quality pipeline for our sales organization.

Role Overview

We’re looking for a high-energy, motivational leader to manage a team of Business Development Representatives (BDRs) focused on outbound prospecting and generating qualified pipeline within our EDU market segment.
In this role, you’ll act as both a talent multiplier and a business leader—building and developing a high-performing team by coaching, inspiring, and growing early career talent, while also driving operational excellence through strategic problem solving, business planning, pipeline and forecast management, and continuous performance improvement.

Your Impact

As a Sales Development Manager, you will:

• Be a talent multiplier: Hire, onboard, and develop a diverse, high-performing team of BDRs. Use coaching and regular feedback to help each team member grow into sales-ready talent for future Account Executive roles.

• Lead with motivation: Inspire your team to exceed quota through data-driven coaching, creative incentives, and recognition. Foster a culture of curiosity, accountability, and development.

• Drive business performance: Drive outbound prospecting strategy and execution to generate quality pipeline and revenue.

• Promote operational excellence: Build and optimize processes to maximize efficiency, productivity, and impact.

• Be a problem solver & strategic thinker: Use data to identify performance gaps and opportunities, and develop plans to address them quickly.

• Manage Pipeline & Forecast: Regularly track, analyze, and report on team and individual performance against goals; forecast pipeline and revenue contribution accurately.

• Operate cross-functionally: Partner with Operations, Marketing, Programs, Strategy, and Sales Leadership to align on business priorities, campaign follow-up, and market strategy.

• Partner with Operations, Marketing, Programs, Strategy, and Sales Leadership to align on business priorities, campaign follow-up, and market strategy.

Your Qualifications

• 3+ years of sales leadership experience leading teams of 7+ quota-carrying reps (preferably in business development, inside sales, or SDR/BDR environments).

• Proven track record of delivering on pipeline and revenue goals.

• Demonstrated ability to identify and hire top talent.

• Passion for coaching and developing early career talent.

• Strong executive presence, communication, and presentation skills.

• Experience collaborating cross-functionally with Sales, Marketing, Strategy, and Enablement.

• Ability to plan and execute a Quarterly Go-To-Market (GTM) strategy and align to larger company priorities

• Self-starter who thrives in a fast-paced, constantly evolving environment.

• Experience as an individual contributor in B2B software sales (preferably in the Higher Education market), with a strong track record of consistently meeting or exceeding quotas preferred

• Bachelor’s degree strongly preferred.

Unleash Your Potential

When you join Salesforce, you’ll be limitless in all areas of your life. Our benefits and resources support you to find balance and be your best, and our AI agents accelerate your impact so you can do your best. Together, we’ll bring the power of Agentforce to organizations of all sizes and deliver amazing experiences that customers love.

Accommodations

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Posting Statement

Salesforce is an equal opportunity employer and maintains a policy of non-discrimination with all employees and applicants for employment. What does that mean exactly? It means that at Salesforce, we believe in equality for all. And we believe we can lead the path to equality in part by creating a workplace that’s inclusive, and free from discrimination. Know your rights: workplace discrimination is illegal. Any employee or potential employee will be assessed on the basis of merit, competence and qualifications – without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender expression or identity, transgender status, age, disability, veteran or marital status, political viewpoint, or other classifications protected by law. This policy applies to current and prospective employees, no matter where they are in their Salesforce employment journey. It also applies to recruiting, hiring, job assignment, compensation, promotion, benefits, training, assessment of job performance, discipline, termination, and everything in between. Recruiting, hiring, and promotion decisions at Salesforce are fair and based on merit. The same goes for compensation, benefits, promotions, transfers, reduction in workforce, recall, training, and education.

In the United States, compensation offered will be determined by factors such as location, job level, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. Certain roles may be eligible for incentive compensation, equity, and benefits. Salesforce offers a variety of benefits to help you live well including: time off programs, medical, dental, vision, mental health support, paid parental leave, life and disability insurance, 401(k), and an employee stock purchasing program. More details about company benefits can be found at the following link: https://www.salesforcebenefits.com. For Illinois based roles, the base salary hiring range for this position is $126,230 to $168,870.