Manager, Sales Development

NielsenIQ•Chicago, IL

3d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Manager Sales Development will lead NielsenIQ’ s Sales Development Representative (SDR) team within our SMB organization. This player-coach role is accountable for building and converting pipeline by developing a high-performing team, elevating outbound and inbound qualification practices, and partnering closely with Sales, Marketing, and Revenue Operations to drive consistent, high-quality opportunity creation.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree
5–8 years of experience in B2B sales development, lead generation, inside sales, or related roles
Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to influence and collaborate across a diverse set of stakeholders
Excellent research and problem-solving skills, including the ability to analyze, compare, evaluate, reconcile and derive actionable insights and next steps
Experience with sales technology and productivity tools such as Microsoft Accelerator, Microsoft Office, Salesforce and/or Microsoft Dynamics, LinkedIn Sales Navigator, ZoomInfo, and the ability to learn new tools quickly
Exceptional ability to actively listen to and effectively communicate with prospects and customers in a variety of mediums
Team player that exhibits a positive attitude, composure under pressure and willingness to think out of the box to drive results
Detail-oriented, methodical and process driven mentality

Responsibilities

Lead, coach, and hold accountability for the daily activities and results of a team of Sales Development Representatives (SDRs), ensuring achievement of individual and team performance targets
Serve as a player-coach and mentor on best-practice qualification, multi-channel prospecting, discovery, objection handling, and effective use of sales technology
Monitor reporting and dashboards to assess individual and team performance, identify bottlenecks, and implement improvements that increase conversion rates, pipeline contribution, and lead quality
Develop messaging, playbooks, and enablement materials that support persona-based outreach, consistent talk tracks, and stronger meeting-to-opportunity conversion
Oversee timely response and qualification of inbound inquiries, ensuring appropriate routing and clean handoffs to Sales based on readiness and fit
Support marketing-sponsored virtual and in-person events, including pre-event outreach to drive attendance and post-event follow-up to engage and qualify prospects
Establish and reinforce a daily, weekly, and monthly operating rhythm that maximizes prospecting efficiency (account research, prioritization, pre-call planning, and personalized outreach across key channels)
Track and drive attainment of key activity and outcome metrics (calls, emails, social touches, meetings set, meeting-to-opportunity conversion), and course-correct quickly when performance trends change
Ensure consistent CRM hygiene and SLA adherence by maintaining accurate records of lead status, outreach activity, and disposition in accordance with lead management processes
Partner with aligned Sales stakeholders to ensure lead quality, strengthen handoffs, and nurture high-potential leads through opportunity creation and pipeline progression
Analyze performance by vertical/segment and refine targeting, messaging, and plays to improve conversion and pipeline contribution
Collaborate with Sales, Marketing, and Revenue Operations on campaigns and process improvements that increase pipeline creation and team efficiency
Provide ongoing skills development through call reviews, live coaching, and targeted training that strengthens product knowledge, talk tracks, and career progression for SDRs