Worldwide Business Development Manager

Description

Upwind is a next-generation Cloud Security Platform that leverages runtime context to identify and prioritize critical risks, providing precise insights and efficient cloud security management. Unlike traditional tools, Upwind uses runtime data proactively for risk prioritization and posture insights, ensuring teams focus on what truly matters. With industry-leading efficiency and eBPF-powered sensors, Upwind delivers comprehensive capabilities, including agentless cloud posture discovery, real-time threat protection, and integrated API security. From misconfigurations to malware defense, Upwind ensures end-to-end, cost-effective cloud infrastructure protection. At Upwind, you’ll have the opportunity to think creatively, explore new ideas, and use your skills to make a meaningful impact on our growth.

We are seeking a Worldwide Business Development Manager (BDR Manager) to lead our global Business Development Representative team and drive pipeline growth for our cybersecurity solutions. In this player-coach role, you will both manage a team of BDRs across multiple regions and engage in hands-on outbound prospecting yourself. You will partner closely with Sales and Marketing leadership to turn marketing leads into sales opportunities and generate new business worldwide. Success in this position will be measured by your ability to build a high-performing team, consistently meet aggressive lead generation targets, and contribute directly to pipeline creation​.

Responsibilities 

• Lead, mentor, and motivate a worldwide team of Business Development Representatives, providing coaching and support to help them exceed individual and team targets​
• Foster a positive, competitive culture through training, regular team meetings, and creative incentives (e.g. gamification) to keep the team engaged and performing at a high level​
• Set clear performance goals and KPIs for the BDR team, and oversee daily activities to ensure key metrics are met or exceeded​
• . Monitor outreach activity (calls, emails, social touches), lead conversion rates, and pipeline contribution on an ongoing basis. Prepare and present regular reports on team performance – including meeting counts, conversion statistics, and pipeline status – providing transparency to leadership on progress toward targets​
• Own and optimize the team’s use of Salesforce CRM for lead and opportunity management. Ensure all BDR activities and prospect data are properly documented in Salesforce for accurate tracking and forecasting. Maintain data hygiene and leverage CRM dashboards to analyze performance trends, enabling data-driven adjustments to strategy​
• Continuously refine the outbound prospecting process and playbook to improve efficiency and results. Optimize outreach cadences, email sequences, call scripts, and targeting strategies based on what the data shows to increase meeting set rates and opportunity conversion​
• Administer the BDR tech stack (Salesforce, sales engagement tools, etc.) and introduce best practices and new techniques to maximize pipeline growth​
• Work closely with Sales and Marketing on campaigns and lead flow, and with Sales on ensuring a smooth hand-off of qualified opportunities. The BDR team under your guidance will be the “glue” between marketing and sales – carrying the baton from marketing lead to sales-qualified opportunity​
• .You will collaborate with regional sales directors and sales operations to optimize territory coverage, messaging, and targeting for global markets
• Act as a player-coach by personally engaging in outbound prospecting to high-priority accounts. Lead by example with your own outreach – via phone, email, and social media – to schedule meetings and create pipeline, in addition to guiding the team.
• Provide ongoing coaching, feedback, and training to BDRs to improve their skills (cold calling, objection handling, product pitching, etc.). Conduct regular 1:1s and team trainings to develop the team’s capabilities and prepare top performers for next career steps. Recognize achievements and address performance gaps quickly with actionable improvement plans.
• Use data and KPIs to identify bottlenecks or areas for improvement in the lead generation funnel. For example, analyze outreach cadence effectiveness, email response rates, and campaign ROI to continually refine the BDR approach. Implement process changes or new tools as needed to boost productivity and results.

Requirements

• 3+ years of experience in Business Development/Sales Development (BDR/SDR) roles, with a proven track record of exceeding lead generation quotas​​
• Familiarity with B2B SaaS and technology sales; ability to quickly learn and understand technical concepts. Cybersecurity industry experience (selling or prospecting for security solutions in enterprise markets) - is a strong plus​
• Hands-on experience with modern sales tools and platforms. Must be proficient with Salesforce CRM for managing leads/opportunities and generating reports. Experience using sales engagement platforms like SalesLoft or Outreach.io for sequencing outreach, as well as prospecting tools such as ZoomInfo and LinkedIn Sales Navigator, is required​
• Demonstrated ability to drive pipeline growth and meet ambitious targets in a fast-paced sales environment. History of meeting and surpassing KPI benchmarks and delivering consistent quarter-over-quarter growth in pipeline or revenue contribution is expected.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English, with the ability to craft compelling outreach messages and to present results and strategies to stakeholders. Strong negotiation and presentation skills are valuable in working with both customers and internal teams​
• Strong leadership and people-management skills – capable of recruiting, training, and inspiring a team of early-career sales reps. Able to foster a culture of accountability, teamwork, and continuous improvement.