Sales Development Representative (Remote, US) New Remote - US

Newsela Inc.; Northern (KY); Hybrid; USD 68,000 - 92,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health & Wellness

Work From Home

401(k)

Job summary

Newsela, a leading education technology company, is hiring a Sales Development Representative for a fully remote role in the United States. You will drive prospecting, qualify district needs, and collaborate with Account Executives to convert leads into opportunities across large school districts.

The role targets candidates with 3+ years in K-12 education or 1+ year in EdTech inside sales, aligned territory management, and comfort with CRM tools.

Qualifications

• 3+ years in K-12 education or 1+ year inside sales experience in EdTech.
• Strong prospecting, email cadences, and high-volume outreach.
• Ability to partner with Account Executives and manage district accounts.
• Familiar with CRM and sales tools.

Responsibilities

• Drive high-volume outbound prospecting through email cadences and daily phone outreach to school decision-makers.
• Qualify district needs and transition leads into opportunities for the Strategic Sales team.
• Partner with an Account Executive to align on territory strategy and book meetings.
• Collaborate with Sales to enhance performance and share best practices.
• Represent Newsela to districts, advocating differentiated instruction and curriculum supplementation.
• Review calls and refine outreach strategies based on data.

Tools

Salesforce

Salesloft

Outreach.io

Job description

Remote - US

Why You'll Love This Role:

Sales Development Representatives (SDRs) generate qualified pipeline by engaging leaders and partnering with some of the largest school districts in the country. They are energized by research and account planning, using a deep understanding of the K-12 landscape to personalize outreach, navigate complex district structures, and lead thoughtful, meaningful cold calls that uncover real district priorities. SDRs collaborate closely with Account Executives, communicate proactively, and take ownership of every opportunity from first touch through handoff. The ideal SDR is intrinsically motivated, highly organized, intellectually curious, and thrives in a collaborative environment where preparation, continuous learning, and purposeful outreach drive results.

This is a fully remote role and an exciting opportunity to have an impact on student outcomes!

What You'll Be Doing:

• Drive high-volume outbound prospecting through strategic email cadences and targeted daily phone outreach to key school decision-makers, including administrators and instructional coaches.
• Uncover and qualify district needs through consultative conversations, transitioning high-potential leads into qualified opportunities for the Strategic Sales team.
• Partner with a dedicated Account Executive (AE) to align on territory strategy, coordinate outreach, and book introductory meetings.
• Collaborate within the Sales organization to inform strategy and processes that enhance overall sales performance.
• Contribute to a highly supportive team environment, backed by robust sales training, enablement, marketing, and operations.
• As the initial point of contact with prospects, represent the future of education by empowering districts to supplement their curriculum with differentiated instruction.
• Review calls with the SDR team, share best practices, and iterate on outreach strategies, including crafting customized talk tracks and hyper personalized email outreach.
• Utilizes data insights and maintains meticulous CRM data hygiene to track cadences, prioritize active leads, and ensure efficient pipeline management.

About You:

• 3+ years in K-12 education (as a teacher, administrator, leader, or similar role) OR 1+ year of inside sales experience (K-12 EdTech inside sales experience highly preferred), with a proven track record of engaging prospects to secure qualified meetings.
• Ability to be a strategic thought partner to Account Executives (AEs), continuously researching and staying up-to-date on your region as a territory expert, tracking account activity, and managing hundreds of school accounts across designated states.
• Demonstrate intellectual curiosity and adaptability by actively seeking feedback, mastering Newsela’s full product suite, and refining your approach daily.
• Demonstrate a high intrinsic drive, excellent time management and organization, and a proactive approach to managing your daily responsibilities.
• Familiar with sales platforms such as Salesforce, Salesloft, and/or Outreach.io.
• A strong communicator who can empathize with the unique challenges of our K-12 buyers, translating those insights into compelling value propositions.
• Thrive in a fast-paced environment and uses creativity when partnering with team members to ensure flawless execution.
• Experiencing using AI tools to drive greater efficiency and productivity.
• Legally authorized to work in the US.

All offers of employment are contingent upon the successful completion of a background check as part of our pre-employment process.

This position is classified as salaried non-exempt and is eligible for overtime in accordance with applicable state and federal laws.

Why You’ll Love Working At Newsela:

• Health & Wellness: Comprehensive medical benefits with employer contribution to premiums and to HSA accounts. Additional benefits such as gym reimbursement, pet insurance, free access to the Calm app, Rocket Lawyer and more to help you stay healthy: mind, body, and soul.
• Work From Home: We are a fully remote company. We provide a monthly tech stipend to support your WFH needs!
• Supporting ALL Families: Inclusive benefits to support you and your family, including parental leave, fertility support, adoption, and more!
• Financial Wellbeing: Invest in your future with our 401(k) plan, which includes a employer match to help you build long-term financial security.
• Time Off: Flexible PTO, paid sick time off, company holidays plus winter break (Dec 24th - Jan 1st).
• Professional Development: Newsela offers an annual learning and development allowance to employees to attend external training sessions, classes, workshops, conferences, and educational materials to foster professional growth within their current role and career aspirations at Newsela.
• Make A Difference: No matter your role or department, the work you do each day helps share the future of education and improves the lives of students and teachers.

About Newsela:

Newsela is a leading education technology company dedicated to meaningful classroom learning for every student. We deliver integrated, AI-powered solutions designed to unlock student engagement, empower teachers, and drive meaningful learning outcomes. Our suite of products supports knowledge and skill development, writing practice, daily instruction, assessment, and data-informed decision-making across K–12 classrooms. Grounded in learning science research, Newsela’s solutions integrate content, assessment, and analytics to help educators track progress, understand student outcomes, and deliver high-impact instruction that supports every learner.

Compensation Breakdown:

• Base compensation: $55,000
• On-Target Commission (OTC): $25,000
• On-Target Earnings (OTE): $80,000

Final compensation will be determined based on the candidate’s individual skills, qualifications, and experience. Total compensation for this role also includes incentive stock options and benefits. This role will also will also be eligible for variable compensation.

On-Target Earnings (OTE) Range

$80,000 - $80,000 USD

Very high-level short responses / bullet points are perfectly fine - We just want a snapshot to get a better understanding of your experience and can dive deeper in live discussion.