Hiring SDRs is usually not hard. Hiring SDRs who consistently create qualified conversations and book meetings (without burning your brand on LinkedIn) is.

A strong Sales Development Representative job description does two things at once:

• It attracts candidates who understand modern outbound (conversation-led, signal-based, multi-channel).
• It sets measurable expectations so onboarding and coaching are clear from day one.

Below is a copy-ready job description sales development representative template you can paste into your ATS, plus optional add-ons for outbound vs inbound, AI-assisted workflows, and LinkedIn-first teams.

How to use this SDR job description template

Before you copy and paste, fill in five fields. This keeps the JD specific enough to filter for the right talent.

• ICP focus: (industry, company size, key titles)
• Primary channel mix: (LinkedIn, email, phone, events, inbound)
• Definition of qualified: (your qualification framework and minimum evidence)
• Handoff point: (what must be true before an AE gets the meeting)
• Success metrics: (booked meetings, held rate, AE acceptance, qualified conversation rate)

If your team runs LinkedIn-first outbound, it’s also worth linking candidates to your operating principles (for example, conversation quality over raw volume). Kakiyo has several practical playbooks you can reference internally, such as SDR sales: from outreach to booked meetings.

Copy/paste: Sales Development Representative job description (ATS-ready)

Replace anything in brackets.

Job Title: Sales Development Representative (SDR)
Location: [Remote / Hybrid / On-site in City]
Team: Sales / Revenue
Reports to: [SDR Manager / Head of Sales / RevOps]
 
About [Company]
[1–3 sentences on what you do, who you help, and why it matters.]
 
The role
As a Sales Development Representative at [Company], you will create and qualify sales opportunities by starting relevant, personalized conversations with our ideal buyers. You will work closely with [Account Executives / Marketing / RevOps] to convert interest into qualified meetings and pipeline.
 
This is a performance role with clear outcomes. You will be measured on conversation quality, qualification evidence, meeting quality, and execution consistency, not just activity volume.
 
What you’ll do (responsibilities)
- Build and maintain a prioritized list of target accounts and prospects aligned to our ICP.
- Run outbound prospecting across [LinkedIn / email / phone / other] to start conversations with the right buyers.
- Personalize first touches using credible context (role, company initiatives, triggers, and relevant proof).
- Qualify prospects in-thread by collecting evidence across fit and intent (and documenting it clearly).
- Route and schedule qualified meetings with the right Account Executive(s).
- Maintain accurate CRM records and handoff notes so AEs can run effective first meetings.
- Coordinate with Marketing on messaging feedback loops (what’s resonating, objections, and emerging segments).
- Test and iterate messaging based on results (A/B tests, learnings, and prompt/message improvements).
- Follow our outreach policies (brand, compliance, pacing, and opt-out requests).
 
What success looks like (performance expectations)
Within your first [30–90] days, you will:
- Ramp to a consistent weekly output of qualified conversations and booked meetings.
- Hit agreed quality thresholds (AE-accepted meetings, low no-show rate, clear qualification evidence).
- Demonstrate repeatable list-building, personalization, and follow-up discipline.
 
Key metrics (example scorecard)
- Qualified conversation rate: % of replies that meet our “qualified” definition.
- Meetings booked: # of meetings scheduled from your conversations.
- Meetings held rate: % of booked meetings that actually occur.
- AE acceptance rate: % of meetings accepted as “quality” by AEs.
- Speed to first meaningful response: time from inbound lead or reply to a relevant SDR response.
- Data quality: completeness and accuracy of CRM notes, fields, and handoff context.
 
What we’re looking for (requirements)
- [0–2 / 2–4 / 4+] years in sales development, business development, or a similar prospecting role.
- Strong written communication and the ability to be concise and buyer-relevant.
- Comfort with discovery and lightweight qualification in short-form conversations.
- Ability to run a repeatable workflow: list building, outreach, follow-up, qualification, scheduling, and documentation.
- Familiarity with sales tooling such as CRM systems and prospecting tools.
 
Nice to have
- Experience selling to [persona] in [industry].
- Experience with LinkedIn-first outbound and Sales Navigator.
- Comfort working with AI-assisted workflows (prompting, testing, QA, and iteration).
 
Compensation
[Base salary + variable, or range. Include commission plan notes at a high level.]
 
Benefits
[List benefits, or link to benefits page.]
 
Equal opportunity
[Company] is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to building an inclusive environment for all employees.
 
How to apply
[Instructions.]

Add-on blocks (choose what fits your motion)

Use the blocks below to make your JD more precise without making it longer.

Add-on: Outbound SDR (LinkedIn-first) responsibilities

Paste this under “What you’ll do” if outbound is the core motion.

• Build account lists and buying group maps for [ICP segment], including multiple stakeholders per account.
• Start conversations on LinkedIn that earn replies through relevance, not generic pitch messages.
• Use a micro-commitment approach (small questions, fast value, low-friction next steps).
• Handle common objections in-thread and either progress the conversation or disqualify quickly.
• Maintain safe pacing and follow platform policies. (For teams using Sales Navigator, see LinkedIn’s Sales Navigator guidance for best practices.)

Add-on: Inbound SDR responsibilities

Paste this if you support inbound leads.

• Respond quickly to inbound requests and route hot leads with minimal friction.
• Qualify with consistency, capture evidence, and book meetings only when the right criteria are met.
• Coordinate with Marketing on lead feedback (quality signals, missing fields, and scoring gaps).

Add-on: AI-assisted SDR workflows

Use this if your team uses AI for drafting, testing, or running conversations.

• Collaborate with AI tools to draft first touches and follow-ups while ensuring messages stay on-brand and accurate.
• Contribute to a prompt library and participate in structured testing (prompt variants, messaging themes, and performance review).
• Know when to override automation and escalate to a human-led interaction (complex objections, pricing, legal, sensitive topics).

If your team is actively adopting AI in sales, it helps to set expectations that “AI is a lever, not a crutch.” A good internal reference is AI and sales: where humans stay essential.

Make your JD measurable: responsibilities mapped to outcomes

One of the most common hiring mistakes is listing tasks without defining what “good” means. This lightweight table makes expectations observable.

KPI section you can paste (with clear definitions)

Candidates (and new hires) perform better when the scoreboard is unambiguous. Here’s a JD-friendly KPI definition block.

For a deeper KPI scorecard and how to review it weekly, see Sales Development Representative: KPIs that matter.

Optional: a tighter “Requirements” section (filters for modern SDRs)

If your inbound is strong and your outbound needs to be elite, consider swapping generic requirements for capability-based filters:

• Ability to write short, specific messages that reference real context.
• Ability to ask good questions and qualify without sounding like a checklist.
• Ability to run a consistent operating rhythm (daily outreach, follow-up, documentation, review).
• Comfort with experimentation (A/B tests, learning logs, iteration).

Frequently Asked Questions

What should a sales development representative job description include? A strong SDR job description includes a clear role summary, responsibilities by channel, qualification expectations, success metrics (KPIs), required skills, and the handoff definition to AEs.

What are the most important SDR metrics to list in a job description? Include metrics that protect quality, not just output, such as qualified conversation rate, meetings booked, meetings held rate, and AE acceptance rate.

How do I tailor an SDR job description for outbound vs inbound? For outbound, emphasize list building, personalization, follow-up discipline, objection handling, and safe pacing. For inbound, emphasize speed-to-lead, consistent qualification, and routing.

Should I mention AI in an SDR job description in 2026? Yes, if your team uses AI. Keep it specific: what the SDR will do (prompt iteration, testing, QA, overrides) and what must remain human-led (judgment, escalation, trust-building).

Want to scale LinkedIn conversations without sacrificing quality?

If your SDR team is spending too much time juggling threads, rewriting follow-ups, and manually qualifying every reply, Kakiyo can help.

Kakiyo’s platform autonomously manages personalized LinkedIn conversations from first touch to qualification to meeting booking, with features like prompt customization, A/B prompt testing, intelligent scoring, and human override control so your team keeps governance while scaling.

Explore Kakiyo here: Kakiyo | AI LinkedIn Conversations That Qualify & Book Meetings