Sales Development Manager – Ascent Program

Workday; Salt Lake City (UT); Hybrid; USD 101,000 - 179,000; Full time

Job summary

Workday is seeking a Sales Development Manager – Ascent Program to shape the global Sales Development organization and drive early career talent. You will own strategy and operations for attracting, hiring, developing, and retaining SDRs, coordinating with Talent Acquisition, Sales Enablement, Finance, and regional SDR leads.

You will build curricula, define competencies, drive ROI and mentorship programs, and enable a high-growth sales engine with AI-enhanced tools across regions.

Qualifications

• 4+ years of experience in Sales Development and 2+ years as an Account Executive
• 2+ years mentoring/coaching experience
• Strong ability to align early career programs and hiring goals with Workday's growth strategy

Responsibilities

• Lead SDR internship program globally, define curricula, core competencies, and measure ROI
• Partner with Talent Acquisition to design sourcing strategy and manage requisitions
• Bridge Talent Acquisition and Sales Enablement for onboarding and readiness across regions
• Create experiential learning pathways and embed AI-driven tools into SDR workflows
• Standardize SDR resources and document sales strategies and workflows

Skills

Sales Development

Account Executive

Mentoring

Strategic Alignment

Stakeholder Engagement

Education

Bachelor's degree

Job description

We’re obsessed with making hard work pay off, for our people, our customers, and the world around us. As a Fortune 500 company and a leading AI platform for managing people, money, and agents, we’re shaping the future of work so teams can reach their potential and focus on what matters most. The minute you join, you’ll feel it. Not just in the products we build, but in how we show up for each other. Our culture is rooted in integrity, empathy, and shared enthusiasm. We’re in this together, tackling big challenges with bold ideas and genuine care. We look for curious minds and courageous collaborators who bring sun‑drenched optimism and drive. Whether you're building smarter solutions, supporting customers, or creating a space where everyone belongs, you’ll do meaningful work with Workmates who’ve got your back. In return, we’ll give you the trust to take risks, the tools to grow, the skills to develop and the support of a company invested in you for the long haul. So, if you want to inspire a brighter work day for everyone, including yourself, you’ve found a match in Workday, and we hope to be a match for you too.

About The Team

The Sales Development organization is the engine at the top of the funnel for all of Workday's Sales engagements. Our Sales Development Representatives (SDRs) prospect target accounts, generate quality opportunities, and foster meaningful relationships between accounts and Account Executives. Through multiple channels, the team connects with potential customers and drives growth at Workday by building high‑value pipelines through strategic customer engagement and opportunity generation. To support this, the organization is currently focused on cultivating a robust pipeline of early career talent, establishing transparent pathways for advancement, and equipping SDRs and Account Executives for future success. Our culture prioritizes high accountability, integrity, and fun, maintaining rigorous standards for our work while enjoying the process.

About The Role

As the Sales Development Manager – Ascent Program, you will play a pivotal role in shaping the future of Workday's Sales Development organization on a global scale.

You will own the strategy and operations behind how Workday attracts, hires, develops, and retains early career talent for the Sales Development function. This is a strategic leadership role with global scope, and your work will directly impact the quality and readiness of Workday's Field Sales pipeline for years to come. You will serve as the central connector between Talent Acquisition, Sales Enablement, Finance, Revenue Strategy & Operations, Global People Business Partners, and Regional SDR Leads, ensuring alignment and seamless collaboration across every stage of the Sales early career talent lifecycle.

In this role, you will be responsible for:

• Managing all SDR Interns and serving as the global lead and strategic owner for the SDR Internship program. Orchestrate all aspects of the intern experience, including building foundational curricula, defining core competencies, and evaluating overall program ROI and conversion metrics. Developing and scaling peer‑to‑peer mentoring and 'onboarding buddy' programs across global regions.
• Partnering with Talent Acquisition to design and implement a talent sourcing strategy for recruiting high‑performing early career candidates into the Sales Development organization. Managing the day‑to‑day operations of the early career hiring process globally, including tracking open requisitions, monitoring interview and hiring status, supporting hire ahead forecasting, and serving as the central point of contact for opening all requisitions.
• Bridging the gap between Talent Acquisition and the Sales Enablement team to ensure new hires are onboarded and enabled effectively across all regions, partnering closely with Sales Enablement leadership on readiness programming. Championing long‑term retention and internal mobility by establishing clear, transparent career milestones for early career SDRs.
• Partnering with Sales Enablement and People & Purpose to design experiential learning pathways that accelerate time‑to‑productivity in cross‑functional roles and continuously audit and evolve the early career curriculum to focus on job critical skills, while embedding AI‑driven sales enablement tools into daily SDR workflows. Collaborating cross‑functionally with Sales Enablement, Talent Acquisition, Finance, Revenue Strategy & Operations, Global People Business Partners, and Regional SDR Leads to ensure consistency, alignment, and impact across all early career programs
• Standardize global SDR resources and centralized knowledge bases, ensuring transparent, jargon‑free documentation of sales strategies, CRM governance, and cross‑functional workflows.

About You

Basic Qualifications (Required)

• 4+ years of experience in Sales Development AND 2+ years as an Account Executive
• 2+ years mentoring/coaching experience
• Skilled in strategic alignment, with the ability to ensure that early career programs, hiring goals, and talent development initiatives are aligned with the broader objectives of the Sales Development organization and Workday's growth strategy

Other Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field preferred (e.g., Business Administration, Organizational Development, or Marketing)
• Experienced in cross‑functional stakeholder engagement, with the ability to involve and align individuals and groups across multiple functions, understand the needs and concerns of different partners, and build consensus to ensure successful program outcomes. Skilled in strategic alignment, with the ability to ensure that early career programs, hiring goals, and talent development initiatives are aligned with the broader objectives of the Sales Development organization and Workday's growth strategy.
• Demonstrated proactive thinking, including the ability to anticipate challenges and opportunities in the early career talent landscape and take action in advance to address them. Skilled in solution planning, with the ability to identify challenges, generate potential solutions, and develop actionable plans to improve operational efficiency and address business needs across the early career hiring landscape.
• Understanding of project management principles, including the ability to plan, coordinate, and deliver programs within defined timelines, budgets, and quality standards. Experienced in developing risk mitigation strategies, including the ability to identify, assess, and proactively address potential risks that could impact program timelines, hiring goals, or talent quality. Understanding of governance management, including the ability to establish, oversee, and maintain policies, procedures, and frameworks that guide the operations and activities of early career programs across regions.
• Proficient in meeting facilitation, with the ability to lead productive discussions that encourage participation, foster open communication, and guide cross‑functional groups toward effective decisions. Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written, with the ability to adapt your style to different audiences and collaborate effectively across teams.

Workday Pay Transparency Statement

The annualized base salary ranges for the primary location and any additional locations are listed below. Workday pay ranges vary based on work location. As a part of the total compensation package, this role may be eligible for the Workday Bonus Plan or a role‑specific commission/bonus, as well as annual refresh stock grants. Recruiters can share more detail during the hiring process. Each candidate’s compensation offer will be based on multiple factors including, but not limited to, geography, experience, skills, job duties, and business need, among other things. For more information regarding Workday’s comprehensive benefits, please click here.

Primary Location: USA.GA.Atlanta

Primary Location Base Pay Range: $106,200 USD - $159,400 USD

Additional US Location(s) Base Pay Range: $100,900 USD - $179,300 USD

Our Approach to Flexible Work

With Flex Work, we’re combining the best of both worlds: in‑person time and remote. Our approach enables our teams to deepen connections, maintain a strong community, and do their best work. We know that flexibility can take shape in many ways, so rather than a number of required days in‑office each week, we simply spend at least half (50%) of our time each quarter in the office or in the field with our customers, prospects, and partners (depending on role). This means you’ll have the freedom to create a flexible schedule that caters to your business, team, and personal needs, while being intentional to make the most of time spent together. Those in our remote “home office” roles also have the opportunity to come together in our offices for important moments that matter.

With the assistance of applicable Fair Chance law, Workday will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Workday is an Equal Opportunity Employer including individuals with disabilities and protected veterans.

Workday is committed to providing reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals during our application process, in order to perform one or more essential functions of their job, as well as regarding the use of AI tools for employment decision‑making to any degree. Please see below for more details including how to request an accommodation as a qualified veteran, due to a disability or for religious reasons, or as otherwise provided under applicable law.

Workday prohibits taking adverse action against any candidate or employee for reporting a possible violation of this policy, requesting one or more work accommodations, exercising a privacy right, or cooperating in an investigation in accordance with applicable law. Any employee who retaliates against a candidate or employee for doing so may be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment, to the fullest extent allowable under applicable law.

If you require a reasonable accommodation, you may email [e-mail], as far in advance as possible.

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