Sales Development Representative (Remote, CA)

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. As the first SDR dedicated to our Core product, you will play a foundational role in driving district-wide impact, with a focus on high-stakes opportunities like California English Language Arts (ELA) and Core curriculum adoptions. 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.
• Spearhead SDR outreach for our Core product, targeting key state initiatives and complex adoption cycles (such as CA ELA and Core curriculum adoptions).
• Proactively research and identify district curriculum adoption timelines, uncovering where school districts are in their evaluation and purchasing cycles.
• 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 and shape the go-to-market playbook for Core product initiatives.
• 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.
• Utilize data insights and maintain 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.
• Experience navigating the California K-12 district landscape and a proven track record of understanding district buying cycles and curriculum adoption timelines.
• Experience or background in 6–12 Secondary ELA and ELD (English Language Development) instruction or curriculum adoption is a major plus.
• Background in supporting ELLs (English Language Learners) and MLLs (Multilingual Learners) through instruction, targeted interventions, or curriculum integration is highly desirable.
• 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 use creativity when partnering with team members to ensure flawless execution.
• Experience 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.

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.

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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