Business Development Representative, West

Critical Start5 months ago
Phoenix, AZ, United States
On-site
Full-time
Junior Level (1-3 years)

Job Description

Business Development Representative

The Business Development Representative (BDR) plays a central role in building qualified pipeline through AI-driven outbound. This role blends strategic intent analysis with modern AI-powered research, personalization, and automation to generate meaningful conversations with target accounts, not just volume, across an assigned territory and named account list. This position sits at the intersection of Marketing, Sales, Partners, and Operations. The ideal candidate understands how intent signals, buyer behavior data, and strategic timing unlock opportunities that matter, and thrives in a fast-moving environment where owning a workflow, identifying high-value targets independently, and creating thoughtful, conversion-ready outreach are core to success.

We're looking for someone who:

  • Brings a self-starter mindset with an entrepreneurial, strategic approach to pipeline development
  • Leads with a team-first mentality, knowing the best results come from collaboration across Marketing, Sales, and Operations
  • Is energized by quality pipeline creation and precision outbound that drives real engagement
  • Balances strategic account-based research with programmatic outreach cadences, consistently prioritizing signal over volume and account penetration over activity metrics
  • Leverages AI tools (including Claude Cowork, intent platforms, and automation) for research, analysis, personalization, content drafting, workflow optimization, and productivity
  • Partners closely with Demand Generation teammates to coordinate campaigns, event follow-up, and outbound execution
  • Seeks opportunities to optimize workflows, automate repeatable tasks, and increase speed-to-lead
  • Thinks buyer-first: researching pain points, industry context, and business timing before reaching out
  • Owns the metrics that matter: engagement quality, response rates, meeting quality, and pipeline influence

This is an excellent opportunity for someone looking to contribute to a fast-growing cybersecurity company, deepen their understanding of buyer psychology and security operations, and build a strong foundation in data-driven marketing and sales enablement.

What You Will Be Doing?

  • Strategic Outbound & Pipeline Generation
    • Design and execute precision outbound sequences using email, LinkedIn, and targeted calls, informed by intent data, firmographics, and behavioral signals
    • Research and prioritize target accounts using a blend of AI-driven insights, technographic data, recent news, and security incidents (breaches, vulnerability patterns, hiring trends)
    • Build account-level playbooks that identify buyer personas, pain points, and strategic timing windows rather than relying on generic blast sequences
    • Partner with Sales to identify target accounts, co-develop account penetration plans, and validate messaging resonance with target personas
  • Intent Analysis & Signal-Based Targeting
    • Analyze and interpret intent signals (6sense, ZoomInfo, firmographic shifts, security events) to identify high-confidence buying moments
    • Build custom audience segments based on multi-signal analysis (intent + industry + company size + recent security news + competitive triggers)
    • Document signal patterns and engagement outcomes to continuously refine targeting and timing assumptions
    • Share prospect and market insights with Marketing leadership to influence campaign positioning, messaging, and ICP refinement
  • AI-Powered Research & Personalization
    • Use Claude and AI tools to conduct rapid, in-depth company and persona research prior to outreach
    • Generate personalized talk tracks, objection-handling frameworks, and email variations tailored to industry, company stage, and buyer role
    • Develop first-pass email copy, LinkedIn messaging, and call scripts that demonstrate genuine buyer knowledge and strategic relevance
    • Build reusable Claude prompts and workflows for account research, competitive analysis, and persona development
  • Campaign & Event Coordination
    • Collaborate with Demand Generation teammates to co-build and execute outreach around campaigns, webinars, events, and competitive takeout plays
    • Own 100% follow-up on inbound and event leads with speed and precision, ensuring timely routing and adherence to meeting SLA expectations
    • Drive registrations and attendance for partner-led events (Microsoft, VARs, MSSPs) and support post-event conversions
    • Document engagement patterns from campaigns and events to inform targeting and messaging strategies
  • Workflow Automation & Continuous Optimization
    • Build and refine Claude Agents to automate research tasks: monitoring breach incidents, tracking competitive moves, identifying intent signals, and surfacing account triggers
    • Create reusable workflows within Groove/Clari for account penetration sequences, meeting-request cadences, and event follow-up
    • Maintain and continuously test templates, talk tracks, and snippets to improve response rates and engagement quality
    • Document best practices, conversion patterns, and outreach learnings for team adoption and ongoing optimization
  • Data & Analytics
    • Log all outbound and event activities accurately in Salesforce to maintain clean lead, contact, and account data hygiene
    • Analyze engagement metrics (open rates, reply rates, response sentiment, meeting conversion) to assess messaging quality and target relevance
    • Track leading indicators: accounts researched, sequences launched, conversations initiated, and pipeline influenced
    • Provide weekly updates on outbound activity, engagement quality, pipeline creation, and key learnings
  • Collaboration & Stakeholder Support
    • Work with Account Executives and channel partners to understand territory priorities and identify expansion and new logo opportunities
    • Support Sales with research, talk tracks, and strategy documents for target accounts
    • Partner with Marketing Operations and Demand Generation on execution, data quality, and feedback loops
    • Share prospect intelligence and market trends with Marketing leadership to influence strategy and positioning

What You Will Bring?

Required Qualifications:

  • 2+ years of experience in a BDR, SDR, inside sales, demand generation, or related lead generation role
  • Demonstrated success building targeted outbound workflows and generating qualified meetings
  • Experience using Claude or similar AI tools for content generation, research, sequencing, and workflow efficiency
  • Strong ability to stay organized, self-directed, and independently prioritize daily execution against strategic goals
  • Proficiency with Salesforce, 6sense, Groove/Clari, LinkedIn Sales Navigator, and B2B intent tools
  • Excellent communication skills — clear, concise writing, strong verbal presence, and the ability to personalize messaging for different buyer personas
  • High attention to detail with the ability to analyze performance data and adjust strategy based on results and learnings
  • A genuine appetite to learn cybersecurity, MDR, security operations, competitive landscapes, and buyer pain points
  • Collaborative mindset with an eagerness to learn and genuine curiosity about how buyers think, operate, and make decisions

Preferred Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in business, sales, marketing, or a related field
  • Experience in B2B cybersecurity, adjacent industries, or SaaS environments
  • Background working in partner-led sales environments (Microsoft, VARs, MSSPs, or similar ecosystems)
  • Familiarity with account-based marketing (ABM) initiatives and execution
  • Experience with intent data platforms, technographic analysis, or firmographic segmentation
  • Track record of building and optimizing workflows, templates, and automation — comfort with a build-test-refine approach
  • Understanding of marketing and pipeline metrics (CAC, pipeline influence, engagement benchmarks)

What It's Like Working Here

Imagine a dynamic, enjoyable, and rewarding work environment. We are professionals, and the work we do holds immense significance, like saving our customers from potential disasters. However, we believe in not taking ourselves too seriously.

Prefer a casual dress code every day? No problem, as we find comfort enhances our thinking.

Our workplace in Plano, TX offers open offices, collaborative meeting spaces, phone rooms, and wellness rooms. In the breakroom, friendly competition arises with games like ping-pong, bubble hockey machine, foosball, or the gaming machine. What harm does a little healthy competition among friends do?

What does our Compensation and Benefits package entail?

  • Competitive salary with bonus potential

Skills:

Skills: Analysis Skills, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Automation, Benchmarking, Business Development, Business-to-Business (B2B), Campaigns, Communication Skills, Competitive Analysis/Strategy, Competitive Research, Computer Security, Customer/Client Research, Data Analysis, Data Quality, Demand Generation, Detail Oriented, Develop and Maintain Customers, Ecosystems, Entrepreneurship, Establish Priorities, Event Management, Gaming, Hockey, Inside Sales, Internet Security, Lead Generation, Leadership, LinkedIn, Market Trend Analysis, Marketing, Marketing Metrics, Metrics, Microsoft Product Family, Organizational Skills, Partner Sales, Performance Analysis, Persona/Avatar Development, Presentation/Verbal Skills, Psychology, Purchasing/Procurement, Sales, Sales Management, Sales Operations, Sales Pipeline, Sales Support, Salesforce.com, Scripting (Scripting Languages), Security Attacks, Service Level Agreement (SLA), Software as a Service (SaaS), Strategic Accounts, Strategic Analysis, Target Account Selling (TAS), Team Lead/Manager, Team Player, Testing, Time Management, Value-Added Resellers (VAR), Webinar, Writing Skills

About the Company:

Critical Start

Required Skills

Software as a Service (SaaS)
Benchmarking
Performance Analysis
Demand Generation
Salesforce.com
Computer Security
Leadership
Scripting (Scripting Languages)
Business Development
Data Quality
Inside Sales
Time Management
Testing
Security Attacks
Team Player
Presentation/Verbal Skills
Purchasing/Procurement
Psychology
Webinar
Establish Priorities
Gaming
Metrics
Sales Operations
Market Trend Analysis
Strategic Analysis
Develop and Maintain Customers
Competitive Research
Communication Skills
LinkedIn
Customer/Client Research
Hockey
Service Level Agreement (SLA)
Automation
Data Analysis
Sales Management
Analysis Skills
Target Account Selling (TAS)
Organizational Skills
Strategic Accounts
Sales Pipeline
Sales
Sales Support
Campaigns
Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Internet Security
Writing Skills
Partner Sales
Ecosystems
Detail Oriented
Marketing
Persona/Avatar Development
Marketing Metrics
Team Lead/Manager
Value-Added Resellers (VAR)
Competitive Analysis/Strategy
Entrepreneurship
Event Management
Lead Generation
Business-to-Business (B2B)
Microsoft Product Family