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Perplexity is seeking a Sales Leader to build and scale the enterprise Business Development Representative (BDR) organization. This is a second-line leadership role where you will inherit an existing BDR team, hire and coach BDR managers, and equip them to build high-performing teams that generate qualified pipeline for Account Executives.
You will be expected to be hands-on in the near term—working directly with BDRs and in the weeds of execution—while simultaneously setting strategy, developing the team, and building an organization that adapts to Perplexity's rapidly evolving business. The ideal candidate brings original ideas, moves rapidly from insight to execution, and knows when to scale, adapt, or stop an approach. You will build what works for Perplexity rather than importing a playbook from a previous company.
Key responsibilities include:
- Hire, onboard, and develop BDRs and BDR managers; establish clear expectations for team performance, coaching quality, hiring, and talent development
- Own the organization's contribution to sourced pipeline and qualified opportunities; hold managers accountable for pipeline quality and conversion, not activity volume alone
- Set sales development strategy across inbound and outbound motions; partner with Sales leadership on coverage, capacity planning, account prioritization, and resource allocation
- Build a culture of creative experimentation across targeting, vertical messaging, channels, campaigns, and AI-native workflows; give managers room to test ideas, measure results, and scale what works
- Lead with agility as products, buyer behavior, and business priorities evolve; translate new information into clear decisions and fast execution without creating unnecessary process
- Coach managers to build vertical fluency and product expertise so BDRs can engage credible buyers and connect the right Perplexity offering to each account
- Establish the management operating rhythm: manager 1:1s, pipeline and conversion reviews, coaching calibration, talent reviews, and a consistent performance scoreboard
- Partner with Sales, Marketing, RevOps, and Strategic Finance on campaign strategy, lead quality, routing, handoff standards, source attribution, headcount planning, and compensation design
- Stay close to calls, messaging, and buyer feedback to identify patterns and remove systemic blockers while empowering managers to own day-to-day execution
- Build a strong leadership bench and internal talent pipeline, developing BDRs into future Account Executives and managers into broader leadership roles
REQUIREMENTS:
- 8+ years in SaaS sales or business development, including 3+ years in sales development leadership
- Proven track record of building or scaling a multi-team pipeline generation organization in a high-growth environment, with measurable improvements in qualified pipeline, conversion, and productivity
- Demonstrated ability to hire, coach, and develop managers; build accountability through leaders; and improve performance without becoming the team's day-to-day manager
- Creative approach to pipeline generation, with examples of original campaigns, messaging, channels, or workflows you tested and translated into repeatable results
- Demonstrated agility in ambiguous, fast-changing environments; able to make sound decisions with incomplete information, learn quickly, and change course when evidence warrants it
- Strong commercial judgment and experience aligning sales development priorities with enterprise sales cycles, buyer needs, and revenue goals; prior closing experience strongly preferred
- Data-driven operating style with experience in funnel analysis, capacity planning, forecasting pipeline contribution, and distinguishing meaningful outcomes from vanity metrics
- Hands-on experience with modern prospecting tools, AI-native sales workflows, and CRM systems such as Salesforce, with a clear point of view on where automation improves execution and where human judgment matters
- Exceptional written and verbal communication; able to align senior cross-functional stakeholders and translate strategy into clear priorities for managers and their teams
- Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience
About Perplexity AI
AI / Data / Infrastructure — AI answer engine and search product for consumers and enterprises.
