BDR Manager

Job Description

About The Team

Adaptive ML is a frontier AI startup building a Reinforcement Learning Operations (RLOps) platform that enables enterprises to specialize large language models and deploy them reliably into production workflows with measurable impact
.
Our Sales team is responsible for bringing Adaptive Engine to the world's most ambitious enterprises. We identify, engage, and close organizations that are ready to move beyond generalist LLMs—helping them understand how our reinforcement learning platform help deliver enterprise agents into production and deliver business outcomes. As an early-stage team, we operate with the urgency and ownership of founders: building our playbook, refining our process, and scaling what work
s.
The founding team previously worked together to develop state-of-the-art open LLMs. We raised a $20M seed round led by Index Ventures and ICONIQ in early 2024 and are live with our first enterprise customers, including Manulife, AT&T, Deloitte and more to be announc
ed.
About The
Role
As the BDR Manager at Adaptive ML, you will build and lead the team responsible for creating the top of our enterprise sales pipeline. You'll own the strategy, execution, and results of our outbound generation efforts—ensuring a consistent flow of qualified opportunities for our Account Executives to c
lose.
This is a hands-on leadership role. You'll hire and develop a team of high-performing BDRs, design the playbooks and campaigns they run, and coach them daily on messaging, prospecting techniques, and pipeline discipline. You'll also stay close to the work yourself—implementing new tools, testing new approaches, and leading by example when it ma
tters.
You'll partner directly with the Head of Sales and GTM leadership to align outreach strategy with our target accounts, refine ideal customer profiles, and ensure the BDR motion is tightly integrated with the broader sales process. As an early leader on our go-to-market team, you'll have significant influence over how Adaptive ML builds its pipeline engine and scales its commercial organi
zation.
This is an in-person role based at our Toronto or New York
office.
Your Respons
ibilities
Recruit, hire, onboard, and develop a team of BDRs, creating a high-performance culture rooted in accountability, learning, and coll
aboration;Design and own the outbound and inbound prospecting strategy, including target account lists, sequencing, messaging frameworks, and channel mix across email, phone, and
LinkedIn;Set clear individual and team targets for activity, qualified meetings, and pipeline generated, and hold the team accountable to hit
ting them;Coach BDRs daily through call reviews, 1:1s, and real-time feedback to continuously improve outreach quality and convers
ion rates;Partner with the Head of Sales to align BDR coverage and prioritization with account segmentation, territory plans, and reve
nue goals;Experiment with tools, automation, and AI-assisted workflows to scale outbound efficiency and improve lea
d quality;Analyze outreach metrics and pipeline data to identify what's working, diagnose what isn't, and iterate quickly on strategy an
d tactics;Collaborate with marketing on campaign alignment, event follow-up, and content that supports prospectin
g efforts;Ensure the team can credibly articulate the value of Adaptive Engine and our reinforcement learning platform to senior technical and business sta
keholders;Build and maintain a structured career development path for BDRs, preparing top performers for progression into closing roles or other
functions.
Your (ideal)
background
The background below is only suggestive of the experiences we believe could be relevant. We welcome applications from candidates with diverse backgrounds; do not hesitate to get in touch if you think you could be a great fit, even if the below doesn't fully d
escribe you.
4–6+ years of experience in sales development, business development, or inside sales, with at least 1–2 years managing or leading a team
of BDRs/SDRs;Experience in enterprise software, SaaS, or AI/ML—selling to technical buyers or into complex organizations is a
strong plus;A track record of building or scaling a BDR function and consistently hitting or exceeding pipeline genera
tion targets;Proven ability to hire, coach, and develop early-career sales talent—you take pride in helping
people grow;Fluency with sales tools and tech stack (e.g., HubSpot, Apollo, Sales Navigator, Outreach) and a data-driven approach to managing
performance;Strong understanding of outbound prospecting best practices, including account-based strategies and multi-channe
l sequencing;Ability to quickly grasp and coach others on technical concepts—you don't need to be an ML engineer, but you should be comfortable in technical conversations about
AI and LLMs;Independence, resourcefulness, and comfort with ambiguity—you've operated in fast-moving startup environments and know how to build process without slowing
things down;A collaborative mindset and the ability to work cross-functionally with sales, marketing, and p
roduct teams;Genuine passion for generative AI and enthusiasm for bringing a highly technical produ
ct to ma
rket.
Benefits
Comprehensive medical (health, dental, and vis
ion) insurance;401(k) plan with 4% matching (
or equivalent);Unlimited PTO — we strongly encourage at least 5 w
eeks each year;Mental health, wellness, and personal develo
pment stipends.