Founding Sales Development Representative - AI SaaS

We are searching for an ambitious and commercially curious Sales Development Representative to join a fast-growing, early-stage AI SaaS business in Leeds. This is more than a traditional SDR role, offering the opportunity to work directly with the Founder and Sales Lead, build qualified pipeline through intelligent, personalised outbound activity, and contribute towards the business’s wider go-to-market (GTM) activity.

• Up to £35,000 per annum, negotiable dependent on experience
• Uncapped commission with realistic earning potential of £15,000+
• Equity in a fast-growing technology business
• Based in Leeds - Hybrid working (3-4 office days per week)
• 25 Days Holiday + Bank Holidays
• Access to best-in-class software and tools to help you perform at your best
• Direct access to the Founder, structured progression towards product demonstrations and an Account Executive role, opportunity to contribute to marketing, LinkedIn content and wider GTM growth activity.

The Role

Working closely with the Founder and Sales Lead, you will create new sales opportunities by researching target markets, identifying relevant companies and decision-makers, and starting thoughtful commercial conversations across phone, email, LinkedIn and other outbound channels.

This is not a high-volume, script-led position built around sending identical messages. You will be expected to understand each market, personalise your approach and use commercial judgement to work out which organisations matter, who to contact and how best to engage them.

Your initial focus will be building qualified pipeline and booking high-quality meetings. As your product knowledge develops, you will have the opportunity to support demonstrations, engage with existing customers and progress towards owning more of the sales process. As part of a small startup team, you will also be encouraged to contribute beyond your core responsibilities, including marketing content, customer support and data-led projects.

Key Responsibilities:

• Research and identify companies that match defined target customer profiles.
• Build and prioritise target account lists using the company’s own platform and modern go-to-market tools.
• Identify relevant decision-makers, champions and commercial stakeholders within target organisations.
• Generate outbound opportunities through cold calling, email, LinkedIn and other appropriate channels.
• Create thoughtful, personalised outreach rather than relying on blanket messaging.
• Understand prospective customers’ current workflows, priorities and commercial challenges.
• Qualify opportunities and book high-quality meetings for the wider sales team.
• Follow up consistently and professionally, balancing tenacity with an intelligent, considered approach.
• Experiment with messaging, audiences and routes to market, sharing insight with sales, marketing and product colleagues.
• Maintain accurate, organised and useful CRM records and pipeline activity.
• Support occasional customer queries and data projects once fully trained on the platform.
• Contribute to LinkedIn content and wider go-to-market growth activity.

Candidate Profile

We are looking for a hardworking, resilient and entrepreneurial salesperson who wants to build a long-term career in technology sales. You will be comfortable initiating conversations with people you have never met, but equally capable of listening for signals, adapting your approach and pushing conversations forward professionally. You will be naturally curious about how businesses operate and why they buy. The right person will enjoy learning new technology, testing different approaches and working in an environment where they can take ownership, wear multiple hats and make a visible contribution to the company’s growth.

Key Skills & Experience:

• 1-2 years’ experience in outbound sales, business development, account management or another commercially focused role.
• Experience generating opportunities through cold calling, email, LinkedIn or wider outbound activity.
• Confidence speaking with new prospects and the resilience to manage rejection constructively.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to personalise outreach effectively.
• Commercial curiosity and a genuine interest in understanding different businesses, markets and buying drivers.
• A technology-led mindset and the ability to learn new platforms quickly.
• Familiarity with modern go-to-market tools such as CRMs, prospecting platforms, sequencing tools, enrichment software or LinkedIn Sales Navigator.
• Strong organisation and attention to detail, including the ability to maintain accurate CRM and pipeline data.
• A self-motivated, hardworking and tenacious approach, with the judgement to balance persistence and professionalism.
• The confidence to work effectively in a fast-moving startup environment where priorities may evolve.
• A genuine desire to learn, respond positively to feedback and improve continuously.
• Candidates must have a permanent and unrestricted Right to Work in the UK, residing within a commutable distance of Leeds. Please note that ourclient cannot offer visa sponsorship.

Experience within B2B SaaS, software, data or technology sales would be advantageous, as would exposure to an early-stage business or responsibility for generating your own pipeline. An interest in financial services, M&A, company data, AI-enabled sales tools, marketing or LinkedIn content creation would also be beneficial, although none of these are essential.

Our Client

Our client is an early-stage AI SaaS business developing an innovative platform that brings company discovery, market intelligence, contact data, commercial signals and pipeline workflows together in one place. The platform helps B2B teams identify which organisations to target, understand why they represent a relevant opportunity, find the right people to approach and collaborate around a shared commercial pipeline. Following early investment and customer growth, the business is now developing its commercial function and preparing for its next phase of growth.

If you have the required experience and are excited by the opportunity to build your sales career within an early-stage AI SaaS business, please apply today. Alternatively, for more information about the role, please contact Matt Pallister.

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