Sales Development Representative - EAST

Kai; United States; On-site; USD 60,000 - 100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity

Medical, dental and vision coverage

401(k)

Competitive compensation

Job summary

Kai is seeking a Sales Development Representative to initiate conversations with senior security leaders and book meetings that build Kai’s pipeline. You will engage CISOs and security leaders on AI-powered attack challenges, exploring exposure management and vulnerability backlogs while learning the security market from inside a growing team.

This role emphasizes curiosity, resilience, and coachability, with opportunities to advance into closing roles as you develop multi-channel outreach

Qualifications

• 2–3 years of experience in sales development, business development, or a similar customer-facing role.
• Comfort starting conversations with senior executives and persistence after a rejection.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Curiosity about security and AI, with a willingness to learn quickly.
• Experience with Salesforce, sales engagement tools, and LinkedIn Sales Navigator.
• Team-first attitude with growth ambition into a closing role.

Responsibilities

• Run multi-channel outreach to Director-level and above security leaders by phone, email, and LinkedIn.
• Turn inbound interest, event leads, and marketing campaigns into qualified meetings for Account Executives.
• Hold credible first conversations about vulnerabilities, exposure management, and AI-driven threats.
• Qualify opportunities and hand off to Account Executives with clear context.
• Research target accounts and personas to personalize outreach and identify entry points.
• Collaborate with Account Executives, marketing, and sales leadership on territory planning, campaigns, and events; log activity and pipeline data in CRM.
• Report results to Sales Development Manager on a weekly, monthly, and quarterly basis.
• Stay current on Kai’s platform, outcomes, competitors, and cybersecurity trends.
• Consistently meet or exceed meeting and pipeline targets.

Skills

Sales development

Prospecting

Communication

Salesforce

LinkedIn Sales Navigator

Tools

Sales engagement tools

LinkedIn Sales Navigator

Job description

Kai is the AI company rebuilding cybersecurity for the machine-speed era. Founded bysecond timefounders and trusted by Fortune 500 enterprises,Kai is building a future where security has nocategories, no silos, and nohumanspeed bottlenecks.TheKaiAgentic AI Platformreplaces fragmented, human-limited workflows with agentic AI systems that continuously contextualize, assess, reason,and execute security work atmachine speed-makinghuman defenders, superhuman.

Why Join Kai

• Well-funded: With $125M raised, we have the capital, runway, and resolve to rebuild cybersecurity from first principles.
• Proven: We've earned the trust of Fortune 500 and Global 1000 companies, and we're just getting started. Their confidence in Kai reflects what we've built: an AI-powered cybersecurity platform that performs at the scale and speed the enterprise demands.
• Experienced founders: Our founding team consists of second-time entrepreneurs, each with over 20 years of experience in the cybersecurity industry. Their proven expertise and vision drive our ambitious goals.
• World-class leadership team: Our Heads of AI, Engineering, and Product bring extensive experience from some of the world’s most influential companies, ensuring top-tier mentorship, direction, and vision.
• Frontier AI Applied Research Team: Our researchers operate at the leading edge of agentic AI systems, translating breakthrough capabilities into real-world cybersecurity applications.
• Generous compensation: We offer highly competitive salaries, equity options, and a supportive work environment. Your contributions will be valued and rewarded as we grow together.

About The Role:

As a Sales Development Representative, you’ll be the first conversation many CISOs and security leaders have with Kai. You’ll start conversations with senior security leaders about one of the most urgent problems in cybersecurity: how to keep up with AI-powered attacks. You’ll book the meetings that build Kai’s pipeline. This role is a good fit for someone who is curious, resilient, and coachable, and who wants to learn the security market from the inside alongside a team that is rebuilding how defense works.

What You’ll Own:

• Run multi-channel outreach to Director-level and above security leaders by phone, email, and LinkedIn, using Kai’s playbooks and your own research.
• Turn inbound interest, event leads, and marketing campaigns into qualified meetings for Account Executives.
• Hold credible first conversations about vulnerability backlogs, exposure management, and AI-driven threats like Mythos, and uncover the challenges each prospect faces.
• Qualify opportunities and hand them off to Account Executives with clear context: pain points, current tools, stakeholders, and timing.
• Research target accounts and personas to personalize outreach and find the right entry points.
• Work closely with Account Executives, marketing, and sales leadership on territory planning, campaigns, and events. Log all activity and pipeline data accurately in the CRM.
• Report weekly, monthly, and quarterly results to the Sales Development Manager.
• Stay current on Kai’s platform, customer outcomes, competitors, and cybersecurity trends.
• Consistently meet or exceed meeting and pipeline targets.

What You Bring:

• 2-3 years of experience in sales development, business development, or another customer-facing role. Cybersecurity or enterprise SaaS experience is a plus.
• Comfort starting conversations with senior executives, and the persistence to keep going after a “no.”
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Curiosity about security and AI, and a willingness to learn quickly.
• Experience with Salesforce, sales engagement tools, and LinkedIn Sales Navigator.
• A team-first attitude and the drive to grow into a closing role

Individual pay reflects job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training. Alongside base salary, this role includes equity, medical, dental and vision coverage, 401(k), and more.

Kai is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate based upon race, religion, color, national origin, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, reproductive health decisions, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability, genetic information, political views or activity, or other applicable legally protected characteristics.

By submitting your application, you acknowledge that Kai will process your personal data in accordance with Kai's Privacy Policy .

This role requires working onsite five days per week at our San Jose, CA office.

Are you legally authorized to work in the United States?

Will you now or in the future require sponsorship for employment (e.g., visa sponsorship such as H-1B) ?