Outbound Sales Development Manager

Socket.dev; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 90,000 - 135,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

20 vacation days

3 reboot days

Birthday off

Volunteer time

Job summary

Smokeball is seeking an outbound SDR Manager to lead a team of up to six early-career SDRs focused on creating new pipeline through outbound prospecting. You will coach, listen to calls, review emails, and craft prospecting strategies, using AI tools like Claude to sharpen research and personalization without losing authenticity.

You’ll build a high-velocity, results-driven culture with strong Salesforce/Outreach discipline, partnering with AEs to drive coordinated account-based outbound

Qualifications

• 3+ years leading outbound-focused SDR/BDR teams with proven pipeline-generation results.
• Experience coaching cold calling, email prospecting, objection handling, personalization, account research, and multi-channel outreach.
• Strong working knowledge of performance management through leading and lagging indicators.

Responsibilities

• Own team performance against meetings, qualified opportunities, pipeline, and conversion goals.
• Build a strong cold-calling culture — coach openings, discovery, objection handling, and meeting conversion.
• Partner with AEs to develop coordinated account-based outbound strategies.
• Help SDRs prioritize high-value accounts using ICP fit, intent signals, and engagement data.
• Develop and optimize sequences, messaging, and cadences across phone, email, social, and video.
• Leverage Claude and AI for research, personalization, call prep, coaching, and team productivity.
• Recruit, onboard, ramp, and develop SDR talent as we grow.
• Maintain strong Salesforce/Outreach discipline for accurate reporting and pipeline attribution.

Skills

Leadership

Coaching

Outbound prospecting

AI fluency

Multi-channel outreach

Tools

Outreach

6sense

Apollo

Salesforce

Gong

Claude

Job description

About the role:

We're looking for a hands-on, player-coach Outbound SDR Manager to lead, coach, and develop a team of up to six early-career SDRs. This team is 100% focused on creating new pipeline through outbound prospecting — identifying the right accounts, finding the right people, and turning cold prospects into qualified opportunities.

This role is for someone who loves outbound sales and developing talent. You'll be comfortable listening to calls, reviewing emails, building prospecting strategies, analyzing conversion data, and coaching SDRs in real time. We also embrace AI as a force multiplier — this leader should be highly proficient with AI tools, particularly Claude, and help SDRs use AI to sharpen research, personalization, and productivity without sacrificing authenticity.

What you'll do:

• Own team performance against meetings, qualified opportunities, pipeline, and conversion goals
• Build a strong cold-calling culture — coach openings, discovery, objection handling, and meeting conversion
• Partner with AEs to develop coordinated account-based outbound strategies
• Help SDRs prioritize high-value accounts using ICP fit, intent signals, and engagement data
• Develop and optimize sequences, messaging, and cadences across phone, email, social, and video
• Leverage Claude and AI for research, personalization, call prep, coaching, and team productivity
• Recruit, onboard, ramp, and develop SDR talent as we grow
• Maintain strong Salesforce/Outreach discipline for accurate reporting and pipeline attribution

What you bring:

• 3+ years leading outbound-focused SDR/BDR teams, with proven pipeline-generation results
• Strong experience coaching cold calling, email prospecting, objection handling, personalization, account research, and multi-channel outreach.
• Experience managing performance through both leading and lagging indicators
• Working knowledge of Outreach, 6sense, Apollo, and Salesforce (Clay a plus; Gong strongly preferred)
• Real AI fluency — especially with Claude — applied to outbound and sales productivity
• Comfort operating in a fast-paced, experimentation-driven sales org
• Experience prospecting into law firms a huge plus!

What success looks like:

Not activity volume, a team that consistently generates qualified, meaningful pipeline by targeting the right accounts with the right message at the right time. Your SDRs will be thoughtful in messaging, disciplined in account strategy, proficient with AI, and ready for the next step in their careers.

Compensation

The pay range for this role is:
$90K Base | $135K OTE

What's in it for you?

Competitive Salary

Work-Life Balance: 20 vacation days, 3 reboot days, birthday off, volunteer time, and more!

Benefits: Excellent medical, dental, vision coverage. 401(k) match, & monthly wellness stipend

Parental leave

Office lunch and loads of snacks

And of course...the SWAG!!

Want to Know More?

Why do we do what we do? Where did the name ‘Smokeball’ come from? What are our values? Learn more here!

*Smokeball values diversity & inclusion and is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. Smokeball considers all individuals seeking employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, marital status, ancestry, physical or mental disability, veteran status, gender identity, sexual orientation, or any other legally protected characteristic.