Sales Development Representative at Ascend in San Francisco, CA

Summary: Ascend is transforming the global insurance industry by combining AI automation with embedded fintech. As a Sales Development Representative, you will play a key role in driving growth and expanding the company's footprint across the Mid-Market and SMB segments through effective outreach and prospecting efforts. Responsibilities: - Develop a deep understanding of the problems our customers face, how Ascend solves them, and how to communicate that value to prospective customers - Learn and ask questions about how we operate as an SDR team, as a GTM function, and as a business more broadly - Jump into prospecting, cold calling, cold emailing, and booking demos with guidance and coaching from other team members - Work with your manager on a strategic initiative that you will own, build, and implement across the team (for example: defining new outreach strategies or figuring out ways to implement AI into the team's workflows) - Identify and establish a repeatable process to meet weekly, monthly, and quarterly goals, and build structure around your workflows to ensure consistency - Experiment with different outreach strategies, messaging, cadences, and channels, and attend industry events - Collaborate with marketing and the broader GTM function to identify new opportunities and push the team forward - Leverage data and reporting to find areas for improvement and optimization, both individually and across the sales development function - Give feedback to, and receive feedback from, other team members to ensure consistent learnings, and mentor new SDRs as they join Required Qualifications: - Proven history of effective cold calling - Strong drive for constant improvement - Creative approach to outreach - Strong communication skills: comfortable speaking on the phone, clear in writing, and able to adapt messaging to the moment - A learner's mindset: self-motivated, resourceful, and excited to learn new strategies, messaging, and tools - A creative thinker: eager to experiment with new outreach ideas and constantly looking for ways to improve efficiency and impact - Flexible and agile: excited by the pace of a startup environment and able to adapt quickly to shifting priorities - The ultimate team player: you thrive in collaboration and are energized by team wins above all else Preferred Qualifications: - SDR experience in SaaS is preferred (but open to ambitious people who break that mold and are eager to grow in their sales career) - Experience with Salesforce, Outreach, LinkedIn Sales Navigator, Apollo, or Clay - Exposure to startup environments and comfort with navigating ambiguity Required Skills: SDR experience, Salesforce, Outreach Important Skills: LinkedIn Sales Navigator, Apollo, Creative thinking Nice-to-Have Skills: Learner's mindset, Flexible, agile Benefits: Competitive base salary and meaningful equity, 100% health premiums covered for you and your dependents, 401k with employer matching options, A fast growing team with an emphasis on promoting from within 80% of all hires in the last 12 months have already been promoted!, Unlimited PTO, Monthly company-paid commuter benefit options, Parental and family leave, Lunch provided when in office, Dog-friendly office!