Sales Development Representative

Sales Development Representative (SDR)

Focal makes outdoor electric heaters for restaurant groups and hospitality operators — so outdoor spaces stay welcoming, comfortable, and open for business year-round. We have a product that works, early customers across the Bay Area, and a clear path to scaling into larger accounts and new geographies. Now we're building the team to make that happen.

This is an SDR role with real ownership. You'll research and qualify target accounts, run first-touch outreach, and hand off warm, well-prepped leads to the sales team. Outreach is personalized and account-specific — you'll have real context on every conversation you start.

What You'll Work On

Account Research & List Building

• Identify and prioritize restaurant groups, hotel operators, and hospitality venues that match our customer profile — starting in the Bay Area, expanding across California and beyond as we scale
• Look beyond direct accounts too — general contractors, designers, and project managers who work across multiple restaurants and hospitality venues can be some of the most valuable relationships to build.
• Find the right decision-makers at each account — VP Operations, Facilities Director, GM, or Owner — and build out verified contact information

Outbound Outreach

• Run personalized first-touch outreach through the right channel for each account — this isn't a spray-and-pray role, every account gets a tailored approach
• If you're Bay Area-based, we encourage in-person outreach where it makes sense — a well-timed walk-in to a restaurant is often more effective than a cold email
• Book intro meetings and qualify prospects against our criteria before handing off to sales

Market Intelligence

• Monitor signals for new restaurant construction and build activity — permit filings, architect announcements, group expansion news
• Flag early-stage opportunities where Focal can get into conversations before a space is built out
• Keep a current picture of who's opening what, where, and when across our target geographies

Pipeline & CRM

• Log all activity and account status in CRM; keep records clean and attribution accurate
• Prepare account briefs and context so every handoff to sales is warm and well-informed
• Contribute to a consistent view of pipeline health and what's coming down the line

Who You Are

We're looking for someone who is

• Comfortable initiating — you don't wait to be introduced, you find the right person and reach out
• Meticulous about research — outreach is only as good as the intel behind it
• A clear, concise writer — personalized messages that get responses
• Organized and self-directed; you manage a full outreach cadence without being chased
• Genuinely curious about the restaurant and hospitality scene in the Bay Area and beyond
• Comfortable building process in a scrappy environment — this is an early role at an early company

Background

• 1–3 years in an SDR, BDR, outbound sales, or similar role
• CRM experience helpful (Attio, or similar)
• Familiarity with LinkedIn Sales Navigator, enrichment tools (Apollo, ZoomInfo, Clearbit), or construction tracking tools is a plus

Why Focal

A market built on real experiences. Restaurant groups and hospitality operators are in the business of bringing people together. You'll get to work with operators who care about creating great experiences, at any scale.

You're in early. Every meeting you book is a direct contribution to revenue. This isn't a number in a funnel report — you'll see your work turn into real customers.

Small team, direct feedback. You'll work closely with the leadership team. No layers, no bureaucracy. Good work is visible immediately.

Compensation & Details

Commitment: Contract, and open to full-time as fit evolves

Compensation: Flat fee structure (not hourly) + variable comp tied to qualified pipeline and meetings booked

Location: Remote – Bay Area preferred. Our office is in San Francisco.

Start Date: Immediate — looking to move quickly

Benefits: Benefits available for full-time employees — possible future state

How to Apply

Send a short note and your resume to View email address on click.appcast.io. Tell us briefly why you're excited about this role, what kind of research or outbound work you've done before, and name one Bay Area restaurant group or hotel you think would be a strong Focal account and why.