Director of Global Sales Development & Technology

Cognex Corporation • Natick, MA

6d • Hybrid

About The Position

Cognex is a leader in industrial machine vision, offering advanced optics, image sensors, and AI software. We are committed to an inclusive and equitable work environment with a 'Work Hard, Play Hard, Move Fast' culture. This is a hybrid role, requiring 3 days in the office and 2 days at home. As we grow, we are seeking a visionary leader, technologist, and change agent to transform our global sales development team into a best-in-class outbound and ABM execution engine. Reporting to the Head of Marketing, this role is based at our corporate headquarters in Natick, MA.

Requirements

• 12+ years in Marketing/Revenue Operations or Inside Sales, with significant leadership experience in $1B+ B2B tech companies, driving ABM strategies.
• Proven experience managing and scaling global SDE/SDR teams across multiple regions, with a baseline of handling teams of 15+ reps.
• Deep hands-on experience owning and evolving sales development stacks (e.g., Outreach, Salesloft, ZoomInfo, 6sense, Clay, Gong, etc.) with a track record of deploying AI/automation to lift rep efficiency.
• Demonstrated success building tight, metrics-driven partnerships with Sales leaders and Demand Generation heads.
• Expert-level capability in Power BI or similar BI tools, with the ability to turn complex datasets into actionable business narratives.
• Deep understanding of Salesforce’s AI and Data Cloud capabilities and ability to architect complex, automated workflows.
• Proven track record of leading organizations through significant technical shifts, specifically moving from human-heavy processes to automated, AI-driven models.
• Comfortable leading global teams and possessing the executive presence to present complex data and technical trade-offs to the leadership team and the board.

Responsibilities

• Lead, scale, and transform the global team of Sales Development Engineers (SDEs) into a high-performing outbound and Account-Based Marketing (ABM) powerhouse.
• Build deep alignment with Sales leadership and the Head of Global Demand Generation.
• Own the SDE technology stack and its AI evolution, leveraging automation and AI to optimize outbound processes and enhance team productivity.
• Manage, mentor, and scale the global team of 18 sales development professionals, instilling modern outbound methodologies and account-centric hunting excellence.
• Partner closely with Sales leadership and the Head of Global Demand Generation to coordinate outbound plays, define target accounts, and ensure seamless alignment between marketing intent and SDE outreach.
• Align outbound SDE sequences with active marketing campaigns, ensuring a seamless, high-touch experience for target accounts.
• Redefine account-centric frameworks, shifting the global team from traditional inbound response models to a sophisticated, unified account-centric framework (e.g., buying group identification and account penetration).
• Own the specialized SDE toolset (e.g., Outreach, Salesloft, 6sense, Gong, etc.) and define efficient processes and SLAs with core platforms like Salesforce CRM and Account Engagement.
• Architect and embed artificial intelligence into the outbound workflow to optimize email personalization, predictive sequencing, and automated multi-channel nurturing, while automating the inbound workflow.
• Connect AI-driven intent architectures with core SDE platforms to automatically trigger high-priority outbound plays when target accounts display active buying signals.
• Collaborate with Demand Gen and Marketing Operations to establish shared account-scoring models that combine fit, engagement, and third-party intent data.
• Create unified cross-functional dashboards to measure account-tier penetration, pipeline contribution, global SDE productivity, and overall campaign ROI.

Benefits

• Health insurance
• Dental insurance
• Vision insurance
• 401(k) retirement plan with company matching
• Employer-paid disability
• Family leave
• Life insurance
• Paid time off (including holidays)
• Optional voluntary benefits
• Recognition programs
• Wellness programs
• Annual bonus plan based on company and individual performance or a sales incentive plan
• Equity under the Cognex Equity Program

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director
• Education Level: No Education Listed