Sales Development Representative (SDR)

Why You'll Love This Role:

As a Sales Development Representative (SDR) you will work across Newsela’s Sales organization to support aggressive growth by researching, prospecting through calls and emails, and qualifying leads in order to build pipeline for our Account Executives. Our SDR’s 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.