SDR Director

Location: United States Who We Are KLDiscovery is a leading global provider of best-in-class eDiscovery, information governance, and data recovery solutions, serving AmLaw 100 firms, Fortune 500 corporations, and government agencies. Our technology-enabled services and software help these law firms, corporations and agencies solve complex data challenges. Our Nebula and RelOne platforms deliver SaaS-based legal technology underpinned by managed services and professional services. The company, with offices in 26 locations across 17 countries helps clients with their litigation, regulatory compliance, internal investigation and data recovery and management needs all around the world. Serving clients for over 30 years, KLDiscovery offers data collection and forensic investigation, early case assessment, electronic discovery and data processing, application software and data hosting for web-based document reviews, and managed document review services. In addition, through its global Ontrack Data Recovery business, KLDiscovery delivers world-class data recovery, email extraction and restoration, data destruction and tape management. KLDiscovery has been recognized as one of the fastest growing companies in North America by both Inc. Magazine (Inc. 5000) and Deloitte (Deloitte’s Technology Fast 500.Additionally, KLDiscovery is an Orange-level Relativity Best in Service Partner, a Relativity Premium Hosting Partner and Relativity’s 1 st Service Provider partner, and maintains ISO/IEC 27001 Certified data centers. The Director, Sales Development owns KLDiscovery's sales development function end-to-end, leading the Manager(s), Sales Development who in turn lead the Sales Development Representatives (SDRs) serving as the first point of engagement for new eDiscovery opportunities. Demand is driven by triggering legal events and existing relationships, but it also requires a disciplined, scalable top-of-funnel motion to expand current client relationships and win new ones across segments. The Director designs, builds, and scales that motion — and the managers who run it — so Account Executives and strategic sellers can focus on the highest-value conversations. This is a strategic leadership role for a results-oriented sales leader who builds leaders as deliberately as they build pipeline. Within Revenue Operations, the Director owns SDR strategy, forecasting, and performance reporting across segments, and sets the standards that Sales Operations and the Manager(s), Sales Development execute against. The Director, Sales Development is accountable for: Achieving and exceeding team and segment pipeline targets Building and maintaining strong relationships with Sales, Client Solutions, and Revenue Operations leadership Maximizing team performance, motivation, and retention across the sales development organization, and building team depth so results do not depend on a few individual managers or reps Upholding performance and quality standards in line with best practice, procedures, and priorities, including MEDDPICC-based qualification discipline Owning the sales development team budget Promoting the KLDiscovery values and value proposition How This Role Fits KLD’s revenue team works as one connected chain: Sales Development opens and qualifies opportunities, Account Executives convert them, Sales Directors lead and inspect the segment, and Client Solutions and Client Success carry clients through delivery and expansion. Qualification follows MEDDPICC and Challenger methodology, Salesforce is the system of record, and territory and account ownership follow KLD’s rules of engagement. The Director, Sales Development owns the first link end-to-end: setting the strategy, standards, and management structure that generate and qualify opportunities to the MEDDPICC standard so Account Executives receive pipeline they can convert, across every segment the function serves. Key Responsibilities Lead and Develop the Team Hire, develop, and retain Sales Development Managers. Build a high-performing leadership bench through structured onboarding, clear performance expectations, and a defined path to senior sales leadership roles. Coach managers to a consistent standard. Lead regular one-on-ones with the Manager(s), Sales Development and periodically audit call and email reviews to ensure consistent application of MEDDPICC and Challenger methodology across teams. Set and manage performance standards across the function. Define quota, activity, and quality expectations for managers and their teams; measure results across segments; and hold managers accountable for addressing under-performance promptly and directly. Build team depth. Develop the manager bench and plan succession for key leadership roles so sales development results are not concentrated in a small number of teams. Drive Pipeline Own demand-trigger strategy. Ensure managers and their teams track HSR second requests, major litigation filings, and regulatory investigations, and refine KLD’s capture framework based on what converts. Own qualification standards enterprise-wide. Require every opportunity across every segment to meet MEDDPICC criteria before handoff to an Account Executive, protecting pipeline coverage accuracy at scale. Expand named accounts and the installed base across segments. Within territory rules of engagement, direct managers and their teams to multi-thread stakeholders (General Counsel’s office, litigation support, procurement) and to surface Nebula and AI Case Explorer attach opportunities with Sales and Client Solutions. Own law firm channel strategy. Set the strategy for engagement with firms eligible for KLD’s matter demand-generation incentive programs, track participation across the portfolio, and surface referral-ready relationships to senior sales leadership. Forecasting, Reporting, and Process Ownership Forecast SDR-sourced pipeline across segments. Consolidate forecasts of meetings, qualified opportunities, and expected conversion from each manager; flag gaps early to the VP, Revenue Operations and Sales Leadership; and own corrective action. Report on function performance. Partner with Sales Operations on Salesforce dashboards covering activity, stage conversion, handoff acceptance, qualification quality, and sourced pipeline across every segment, and present insights and recommendations to senior sales leadership in recurring business reviews. Own SDR strategy and process. Partner with Sales Operations on lead routing, handoff criteria, SLAs with Account Executives, qualification standards, and territory rules. Own the SDR playbook, direct managers' adherence audits, and refine the playbook based on performance data. Uphold data quality and drive change. Partner with Sales Operations to set CRM hygiene standards enterprise-wide, direct managers to audit adherence, roll out workflow and tooling changes (Salesforce, ZoomInfo, engagement platforms), and use conversion data to inform quotas, territories, and headcount planning across the function. Partner across functions and influence senior stakeholders. Work with Revenue Operations, Sales Operations, Regional Sales Leadership, Account Executives, Client Solutions, and Marketing leadership on coverage, handoff, feedback loops, and campaigns, representing the sales development function in cross-functional and executive planning. Own the team budget. Plan, manage, and track spend against approved targets for the sales development function. What Success Looks Like Every team, across every segment, consistently delivers pipeline and closed-won opportunities MEDDPICC-qualification rate and handoff acceptance at or above 80% enterprise-wide, not just meeting volume Growth in multi-threaded contacts and documented Nebula / AI Case Explorer attach opportunities Tracked, active law firm relationships in matter demand-generation programs Consolidated SDR forecast accuracy within ±10% across all segments, with timely, accurate reporting and CRM data quality at 90% completeness on required fields A fully staffed, well-ramped sales development organization — managers and SDRs alike — with strong engagement, low attrition, and clear progression into Account Executive, management, and other senior roles Spend within the approved team budget Qualifications Required 10+ years of sales development, business development, or sales experience, including 5+ years managing people managers or leading multiple quota-carrying teams Proven record of meeting or exceeding pipeline and team targets across multiple teams or segments, and of hiring, developing, and retaining both individual contributors and managers Experience building forecasts and performance reports from Salesforce (or a comparable CRM) and defining and enforcing sales processes such as lead routing and handoffs across multiple teams Excellent written and verbal communication skills; able to engage and influence legal, procurement, and executive stakeholders Analytical mindset with the ability to translate litigation, regulatory, and M&A signals into organizational strategy Bachelor’s degree or equivalent practical experience Preferred Experience building or scaling a sales development organization across multiple teams or segments, including structure, hiring plan, processes, metrics, and onboarding Background in legal technology, eDiscovery, or complex B2B/enterprise software, including exposure to corporate legal departments or law firms Working knowledge of MEDDPICC and/or Challenger Sale, with experience coaching managers and sellers to apply them at scale Experience in or alongside Revenue Operations or Sales Operations, with dashboarding skills and signal-based prospecting or sales engagement tools MBA, JD, or equivalent qualification Our Mission & Values Our Mission: We bring clarity, trust, and meaning to data for clients navigating legal matters worldwide. These four values guide how we operate, make decisions, and work together every day. Client is Always in the Room