Head of Worldwide Sales Development

Upwind Security•San Francisco, CA

About The Position

Upwind is a next-generation Cloud Security Platform that leverages runtime context to identify and prioritize critical risks, providing precise insights and efficient cloud security management. We're in a period of significant growth - and every person we bring in changes the trajectory of the company. As Head of Worldwide Sales Development, you will own the global pipeline engine at Upwind. This is a high-impact, high-visibility leadership role responsible for building, scaling, and optimizing a world-class Sales Development Representative (SDR) organization across North America, EMEA, and APAC. You will partner directly with Sales, Marketing, and Revenue Operations to drive qualified pipeline at the velocity Upwind's growth demands. This role is equal parts builder and operator, you will set strategy, hire top talent, architect the motion, and roll up your sleeves to coach reps and refine processes in real time.

Requirements

5+ years of sales development or inside sales experience, with at least 3 years in a leadership role managing SDR or BDR teams.
Proven track record building and scaling outbound pipeline at a high-growth B2B SaaS or cybersecurity company.
Deep understanding of enterprise cloud security, CNAPP, or adjacent markets (CSPM, CDR, DevSecOps, identity security) strongly preferred.
Experience hiring and managing SDR managers and multi-regional teams; experience scaling teams.
Data-driven mindset with fluency in pipeline metrics, forecasting, and SDR performance benchmarks.
Strong executive presence and communication skills — you present to VPs and CEOs with the same clarity you coach a rep.
Hands-on operator who can think strategically and execute tactically, especially in a fast-paced, high-growth environment.

Responsibilities

Build & Lead the Global SDR Organization: Recruit, hire, onboard, and develop a high-performing team of SDRs and SDR Managers across regions.
Create clear career paths, performance frameworks, and coaching programs that maximize rep productivity and retention.
Foster a culture of accountability, curiosity, and continuous improvement.
Drive Pipeline Strategy & Execution: Own the global outbound pipeline number, working closely with regional sales leaders.
Design and iterate on multi-channel outbound motions (email, phone, social, events) tailored to ICP segments including security leaders, CISOs, DevOps, and cloud engineering teams.
Partner with Marketing on demand generation campaigns, content, and ABM programs to ensure tight inbound SLAs and conversion optimization.
Operationalize & Optimize: Build and maintain SDR playbooks, sequences, messaging frameworks, and talk tracks that resonate with cloud security buyers.
Establish and report on leading and lagging KPIs: activities, connects, pipeline contributions, etc.
Drive adoption and effective use of the SDR tech stack
Collaborate with Revenue Operations to ensure accurate forecasting, territory design, and SDR compensation planning.
Cross-Functional Partnership: Serve as a key bridge between Marketing and Sales — ensuring alignment on ICP targeting, messaging, and pipeline quality expectations.
Represent the SDR function in executive reviews, board updates, and go-to-market planning sessions.
Partner with Product Marketing to keep the team armed with current competitive intelligence, positioning, and messaging