Sales Development Representative

SKF • Waukegan, IL

15d • $77,000 - $87,000 • Onsite

About The Position

The Sales Development Representative (SDR) plays a key role in driving pipeline growth and new customer acquisition by identifying, engaging, and qualifying current and potential customers. This role is designed to build a strong internal talent pipeline and develop future sales and business leaders.

Requirements

• 0–3 years of experience in sales, customer-facing, or technical roles
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills
• Ability to learn technical products and industrial applications
• Self-motivated, goal-oriented, and highly coachable
• Curiosity and willingness to learn
• Resilience and persistence in a high-activity role
• Strong organizational and time management skills
• Team-oriented mindset with ability to collaborate cross-functionally

Nice To Haves

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Engineering, or related field
• Experience with CRM tools (Salesforce or similar)

Responsibilities

• Identify and prospect target customers aligned with SKF’s strategic segments
• Execute outbound outreach campaigns (phone, email, LinkedIn, events)
• Qualify inbound and outbound leads to generate sales-ready opportunities
• Conduct discovery conversations to understand customer needs and applications
• Schedule qualified meetings and hand off opportunities to Account Managers or Sales Engineers
• Collaborate with Sales, Marketing, and Application Engineering to support growth initiatives
• Maintain accurate activity, pipeline, and customer data in CRM systems
• Build knowledge of SKF products, applications, and industry markets
• Engage current and potential customers through phone, email, LinkedIn, events, and coordinated field activity to identify needs, qualify opportunities, and create a positive first impression of SKF.
• Conduct structured discovery conversations to understand customer applications, business drivers, reliability challenges, and timing for potential opportunities.
• Support account development by scheduling qualified meetings, preparing clear handoff notes, and ensuring the appropriate Account Manager, or Application Engineering resource is engaged at the right time.
• Maintain disciplined follow-up with customers, including timely responses, meeting recaps, action items, and next steps documented in CRM.
• Escalate customer needs, technical questions, pricing requests, service issues, or high-potential opportunities to the appropriate internal owner while maintaining visibility until resolution.
• Partner closely with OEM Sales, Sales Operations and Enablement, Marketing, Application Engineering, Customer Service, Product Line, and Distribution/Aftermarket teams to support pipeline growth and customer development.
• Coordinate with Account Managers and Application Engineers to align outreach activity, account context, customer messaging, and opportunity handoff expectations.
• Work with Marketing and Sales Enablement to execute targeted campaigns, support trade show follow-up, and convert market intelligence into actionable prospecting activity.
• Collaborate with Application Engineering and Product Line teams to build technical understanding and connect customers with the right SKF expertise when application-specific support is needed.
• Contribute to a consistent internal operating rhythm by sharing customer insights, lead status, activity updates, and CRM data that help improve forecasting, prioritization, and sales execution.
• Communicate clearly and professionally with customers, prospects, and internal stakeholders, tailoring messages to the audience and business context.
• Prepare concise customer outreach, meeting agendas, follow-up notes, and opportunity summaries that support effective handoffs and next-step alignment.
• Provide regular updates on prospecting activity, lead status, customer feedback, and pipeline progress through CRM, weekly updates, and manager check-ins.
• Translate customer insights, objections, and market signals into actionable feedback for Sales, Marketing, Sales Enablement, and Product Line teams.
• Support leadership visibility by maintaining accurate reporting on activity levels, qualified opportunities, conversion progress, and emerging customer or market trends.

Benefits

• Generous PTO policy
• 13 paid holidays
• Comprehensive healthcare options
• Opt out payment
• Company paid life insurance
• STD
• LTD
• Supplemental benefits include critical illness coverage
• Tuition reimbursement
• Employee discount programs
• STVS (Short Term Variable Salary) or Sales Incentive based on company performance
• 401K program with 10% employer contribution: 100% match up to 5% of your elected contribution (100% Vested) plus an additional 5% company contribution

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level