Manager, Sales Development - Chicago, IL
Kong · Hybrid · Springfield, IL
Open 2 days
Same role, also open in Hybrid · Austin, TX
- Base
- $105K–$151K
- OTE
- Not disclosed
- Posted
- 2d ago
Still open · checked 14h agoon Kong's careers page
The job
- What you'd do
- Lead a team of reps who find new customers across the Americas and plan how to bring in more possible deals. The job is hybrid, based in Chicago.
- What you'd sell
Helps companies connect and secure their apps and AI tools
When a big company links its apps to AI tools, it usually wires each connection up by hand. The problem is, every hand-wired link has to be checked and locked down, and one weak link lets strangers in. Kong routes all that traffic through one checkpoint, so the company can secure it without fixing each link alone.
In plain English, from their own job posts. Something wrong? Tell me · More Developer & IT tools companies →
- Who you'd sell to
- Not stated in the posting.Ask: “Who's the economic buyer, and who else is in the deal?”
- Where deals come from
- Not stated in the posting.
The Braun Read
Ask hard questionsToo much is left unsaid. Make them answer before you invest.
- Pay
- Base is listed but not OTE. Ask what the variable is and how many people hit it.
- Transparency
- Shares 1 of 5. Mentions territory. Ask about quota, attainment, deal size and sales cycle.
- Time on market
- Open 2 days.
- Company hiring
- Ramping up: posted 19 sales roles in the last 30 days. That many open roles can also mean churn. Ask how many reps are still there from last year.
Based only on what the posting says. Lights are a starting point for your first call, not a final judgment.
Questions to ask on the first call
Built from what this posting leaves out. How they answer tells you as much as what they say.
- 1.
What percentage of fully ramped reps hit quota last year?
OTE is what you could earn. This is how likely you are to earn it.
- 2.
What's the OTE, and what did the median rep earn last year?
Base is what you're guaranteed. OTE and the median show the upside.
- 3.
Who's the economic buyer, and who else is in the deal?
Selling to a CFO and selling to a developer are different jobs.
- 4.
What's the annual quota, and how was it set?
A quota built from real data is a target. Otherwise it's a hope.
- 5.
Where does pipeline come from: inbound, SDRs, or me?
Before You Apply
Find out where you fit, and where you don't, before you hit submit.
Why I built it this way ↓
Most résumé tools try to make you look like a match. I'd rather help you find out if you are one.
Nothing made up.
Nothing goes on your résumé that you didn't do. If a line would need a number you didn't give me, I ask. I don't guess. On Braun Board it's checked in code, not just promised.
Curiosity before conclusions.
If the job wants something your résumé doesn't show, I ask before I assume. Plenty of sellers have done the thing and just never wrote it down.
Sorting, not selling.
Some jobs won't line up with what you've done. Finding that out before you apply isn't a loss. It's an hour back, spent on a job that fits.
No score.
A match score tells you how well you copied their words. It doesn't tell you whether you'd be good at the job, or happy there.
It's the same way I teach selling. We don't control who says yes. We do control where we spend our time, and whether everything we say is true.
Josh
More on this1 Is the job worth it?
Ask hard questions. Too much is left unsaid. Make them answer before you invest.
No red lights. 1 thing the posting doesn't say, worth asking on the first call.
See the full Braun Read2 Where you fit
Upload once, see where you fit on any job.
Sign in and add your résumé. I'll show you where you line up, ask before I assume, and never add anything you didn't do.
Sign in →What people say about working at Kong ↓
Got an offer from Kong? Not sure about it?Ask me. I read every message myself. · JoshAsk Josh
Rather talk it through? Call or text me: 954-695-0844 (text)
Full posting
Are you ready to unlock intelligence?
If you don’t think you meet all of the criteria below but are still interested in the job, please apply. Nobody checks every box - we’re looking for candidates that are particularly strong in a few areas, and have some interest and capabilities in others.
About the role:
As one of the Sales Development leaders , you will oversee a team of inbound and outbound Sales Development Representatives (SDRs). Your mission is to drive the growth of our sales pipeline across the AMER region. This role requires a dynamic leader that is comfortable building and executing. You are passionate about career development and scalable success. Lastly, you are hands-on and excited about fostering an in-office culture and your best work is done cross-functionally.
What you'll be doing:
- Lead and develop a high-performing team of SDRs.
- Hire the best talent in the industry. Shape development programs for career progression to keep talent engagement and doing great work at Kong.
- Maintain operational rigor across all elements of the business. Drive a predictable business.
- Drive a positive and collaborative culture that inspires teamwork and professional growth.
- Find a successful balance in a hybrid in-office environment
- Create a reporting and feedback loop with stakeholders on team performance, KPIs, customer insights, roadblocks, and pipeline forecasts.
- Work within an ecosystem of leaders across Sales, Revenue Operations, Marketing, Customer Success, and Partnership teams to design and execute a go-to-market plan for pipeline generation.
- Excel in change management as the company strives to meet critical and aggressive revenue milestones
- Maintain a strong pulse on the market. Facilitate a feedback loop between Sales and other departments.
- Identify opportunities to innovate. Be a catalyst to positive change.
What you'll bring:
- 5+ years of experience in B2B SaaS.
- 1+ years of experience building and managing a high-performing Sales or Sales Development Org in B2B SaaS.
- Exceptional communication skills with an ability to give and receive feedback thoughtfully.
- Experience in high-growth, fast-paced startup environments, preferably with hybrid remote and in-office teams.
- Experience building and leading high-performance sales teams, selling a complex technical product.
- Subject matter expert in building pipeline programs and efforts to drive revenue.
#LI-JS2
About Kong:
Kong Inc., the AI Connectivity Company, is building the connectivity layer of AI. Trusted by the Fortune 500® and AI-native startups alike, Kong’s unified API and AI platform enables organizations to secure, manage, accelerate, govern, and monetize the flow of intelligence across APIs and AI traffic — on any model, any cloud. For more information, visit www.konghq.com http://www.konghq.com.