SDR Manager at Happl in London, England, GB

We’re building the next generation of employee benefits infrastructure.

At Happl, we help global teams design, manage, and scale benefits that actually work for their people by using AI, across flex allowances, benefits, insurance, recognition, and wellbeing, all in one intelligent platform.

Happl is backed by leading investors such as YCombinator, 6Degrees Capital, and more, known for backing leading companies such as Deel, Rippling, Airbnb, Coinbase, Dropbox, and most recently was awarded a place in the UK’s top 100 startups for 2026.

About the role

As SDR Manager at Happl, you’ll build and lead the team that fills our pipeline before a single Account Executive ever picks up the phone. You’ll hire, coach, and manage a growing team of SDRs, while staying hands-on yourself, prospecting alongside them, refining the playbook, and setting the standard for what great outbound looks like at Happl.

You’ll work closely with leadership and our Account Executives, sitting right at the top of the funnel. That means owning pipeline coverage targets, translating positioning and messaging into sequences that actually land, and making sure every qualified conversation your team creates is one an AE is excited to pick up.

We’re at the point where our GTM motion is being built, not inherited. That means this role isn’t about running an existing machine, it’s about building the outbound engine from the ground up: the process, the tooling, the team, and the culture that will define how Happl generates pipeline as we scale.

What you’ll be doing

• Hiring, onboarding, and coaching a team of SDRs, building the outbound function from the ground up
• Owning outbound pipeline generation targets, working with Leadership to set coverage goals that support the wider revenue plan
• Carrying a personal book of prospecting alongside the team, staying close to the front line and modelling the standard you expect
• Running regular 1:1s, call reviews, and coaching sessions that sharpen how the team prospects, qualifies, and books meetings
• Building and refining outbound playbooks, sequences, and messaging across email, LinkedIn, and cold calling
• Tracking SDR KPIs, activity volume, meetings booked, pipeline generated, and conversion through to opportunity (SQO).
• Partnering with Marketing on lead scoring, MQL handoff, and closing the loop on what’s converting and what isn’t
• Working with AE’s & Marketing on ICP refinement, territory planning, and account segmentation
• Handling the trickier objections and prospecting scenarios that need a senior touch
• Using AI tools like Claude and ChatGPT to speed up prospecting research, sequence writing, and call preparation across the team
• Building the recruiting pipeline for future SDR hires as the team grows
• Reporting on team performance and pipeline health to Leadership
• Building a culture of accountability and hustle, celebrating the wins and coaching hard through the misses
• Owning the handoff between SDRs and AEs, making sure every qualified meeting lands cleanly and with the right context

What we’re looking for

• 3+ years as an SDR or BDR in a B2B SaaS environment, with a track record of hitting or exceeding pipeline targets
• Some experience leading, mentoring, or informally managing other SDRs — or a clear readiness to step into your first management role
• A sharp coaching instinct — you can listen to a call or read a sequence and know exactly what to fix
• Comfortable in CRM and sales engagement tools, with a data-driven approach to activity, conversion, and pipeline metrics
• AI-native instinct — you already use tools like Claude and ChatGPT to speed up prospecting, research, and sequence writing
• Excellent written and verbal communicator, able to train others on messaging, positioning, and objection handling
• Competitive and resilient — you understand the highs and lows of outbound and know how to keep a team motivated through both
• Experience building or scaling an SDR function from an early stage is a strong advantage
• Familiarity with the HR technology or employee benefits space is a bonus, but not a requirement
• Entrepreneurial and hands-on — happy to be in the trenches with your team, not just directing from above

If you don’t meet every requirement but feel this role fits your trajectory, we’d still love to hear from you.

What to expect

This is a player-manager role, not a purely strategic one. You’ll be judged on your team’s pipeline output and on the work you put in yourself, the calls you make, the sequences you write, the deals you help create. That combination is deliberate: the best coaching comes from staying close to the work, not standing above it.

Outbound isn’t always a straight line. Some weeks the pipeline will flow easily; others will need a change in messaging, targeting, or approach to get moving again. You’ll need to read what’s working, adjust quickly, and keep the team’s energy up while you do it.

In return, you’ll get to build Happl’s SDR function from close to the ground floor, shaping the playbook, the process, and the team that will scale with the company. If you want ownership over how a sales team runs, not just a seat inside one, this is that opportunity.

Why join Happl

• Be part of building something that genuinely matters, the future of how companies support their people
• Competitive salary and commission that reflects the impact you’ll have
• Real equity, a meaningful stake in what we’re building together
• Hybrid working from day one, with the trust and flexibility to do your best work
• Your own Happl account, use the platform you’re helping to build and shape
• Private Health Insurance, because we genuinely care about how you’re doing
• Dental insurance, including family cover
• A personal Wellbeing budget to spend however wellbeing works for you, no questions asked
• A dedicated L&D budget to grow in the direction that excites you
• Pension

About the Interview

• Call 1: 20-min Intro call with Ben S (Head of Operations)
• Call 2: 30-min deep dive with Andrew & Keith (AE & Finance)
• Call 3: 30-min deep dive with Ben T (CEO & Founder)

Additional Details

Location: London, Holborn

Team: Sales & GTM

Working arrangement: Hybrid (3+ Days in Office)

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