Senior Sales Development Representative (SDR)

Senior Sales Development Representative Company: Scholarly Location: Denver metro area preferred; open to remote Compensation: $80,000 – $130,000+ total cash compensation (base + performance bonus), based on experience and performance About Scholarly Scholarly is building the next generation of AI-powered software for higher education with a faculty-first focus. As institutions face a wave of digital transformation, our mission is to become the AI-native system of record for faculty data. Our platform unifies fragmented workflows into a single, intelligent system – powering annual reviews, promotion & tenure, appointment tracking, and more – while eliminating manual data entry and improving decision-making for institutions. We’re a mission-driven, product-focused team shaping the future of higher education. Position Overview Scholarly is seeking a Senior Sales Development Representative to drive top-of-funnel growth and help shape our outbound sales engine. This is an ideal role for an experienced SDR who thrives in fast-paced environments, can bring structure and creativity to outbound prospecting, and wants to have a direct, visible impact at a fast-growing startup. This role is a mix of hands-on prospecting, strategic pipeline development, and playbook building. You’ll own outreach to senior higher education leaders – partnering with provosts, deans, associate deans, IT leaders, and faculty affairs offices – while also refining the messaging, sequences, and targeting strategies that let the rest of the sales team scale behind you. We’re looking for someone who is comfortable switching between a high-volume outbound cadence, a thoughtful personalized email to a provost, and an internal strategy session on pipeline optimization. This role will have the opportunity to grow into an Account Executive position with strong performance. Key Responsibilities Prospecting & Pipeline Generation Conduct strategic research to identify and prioritize prospects within higher education institutions, including provosts, deans, associate deans, VP of Faculty Affairs, and IT leadership. Execute multi-channel outbound campaigns – cold calls, personalized emails, LinkedIn outreach, and event-based touchpoints – to generate qualified pipeline. Engage with prospects to understand their institutional needs, challenges, and goals related to faculty data management, workflows, and administrative efficiency. Clearly communicate the value proposition of the Scholarly platform, with a deep understanding of key features, competitive differentiators, and customer pain points. Qualify leads and schedule product demos and discovery meetings for Account Executives and company leadership. Maintain accurate and up-to-date records of all interactions and pipeline activity in HubSpot. Strategy & Playbook Development Build and continuously improve outbound sales playbooks – messaging templates, objection handling guides, targeting criteria, and outreach sequences. Analyze outreach performance data to refine strategies, improve conversion rates, and identify new market opportunities. Stay current on trends in higher education, EdTech, and AI to inform prospecting strategies and conversation positioning. Internal Collaboration & Leadership Collaborate closely with Account Executives, Marketing, and Product to align on messaging, ideal customer profiles, and campaign strategy. Provide market feedback to the product and engineering teams based on prospect conversations to help shape future product developments. Manage stakeholder communications with clarity, confidence, and a bias for action. Qualifications Bachelor’s degree required. 2+ years of experience in sales development, business development, or a related sales role; bonus points for experience in the education technology or higher education sector. Proven track record of meeting or exceeding pipeline generation and meeting-setting targets. Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build rapport and engage with senior-level stakeholders. Strong organizational skills and attention to detail; able to manage high-volume outreach without sacrificing quality. Self-motivated and goal-oriented, with a passion for achieving targets and driving results in a fast-paced environment. Proficiency with CRM software (HubSpot is our CRM) and sales engagement tools (e.g., ZoomInfo, Starbridge, LinkedIn Sales Navigator). Exceptional written and verbal communication skills; comfort communicating with executive-level contacts in higher education. Comfort with technical concepts such as SaaS platforms, AI, and data integrations (not required to be technical, but must be fluent in discussing a software product). Passion for higher education, EdTech, or mission-driven software preferred. Why Join Scholarly Take on a highly visible, high-impact role that directly drives company growth. Successful Senior SDRs will have the opportunity to advance into Account Executive or other sales leadership roles. Work directly with the founders and senior leadership team. $80,000 – $130,000+ total cash compensation (base + performance bonus) depending on experience and results. Health, dental, and vision insurance. Equity in a fast-growing startup. Flexible work environment with hybrid options. Opportunity to grow into a leadership role as the company scales. The chance to be part of a mission-driven startup making a significant impact in higher education.