Are you ready to power the World's connections?
If you don’t think you meet all of the criteria below but are still interested in the job, please apply. Nobody checks every box - we’re looking for candidates that are particularly strong in a few areas, and have some interest and capabilities in others.
About the role:
As a Kong SDR Manager, you will lead a team of up to eight SDRs. The ideal candidate is a hands-on, credible leader who is knowledgeable, approachable, and leads by example—without ego. India will be your primary region of focus (~4 SDRs, supporting up to ten Account Executives); however, you may also be called upon to support additional territories across Asia, ANZ, and Japan as business needs require.You will help build a high-performing, close-knit team that collaborates seamlessly with fellow SDRs, Account Executives, and cross-functional leaders—while developing top performers into President’s Club contenders and future Account Executives.This role will be based in India (Mumbai or Bangalore), and reporting directly to APJ’s SDR Leadership.
What You’ll Do:
- Lead & Inspire: Build and sustain a high-performance culture where SDRs are motivated, engaged, and supported in their career growth.
- Manage & Develop: Directly manage a team of up to 8 SDRs, providing coaching, enablement, and career readiness training to prepare them for AE roles and beyond.
- Drive Pipeline: Own your team’s contribution to APJ pipeline targets, ensuring consistent attainment of meetings, opportunities, and conversions.
- Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner closely with AEs, Marketing, and RevOps to ensure effective territory coverage, messaging alignment, and lead conversion.
- Enablement & Playbook Execution: Leverage proven methodologies and playbooks to optimize performance, while tailoring strategies to Kong’s unique positioning.
- Coach for Readiness: Deliver regular call reviews, pipeline coaching, and AE-readiness programs to accelerate SDR development.
- Data-Driven Leadership: Track KPIs, analyze team performance, and implement process improvements to maximize efficiency and results.
- Champion Tools & Processes: Drive effective use of Salesforce, Outreach, LinkedIn Sales Navigator, and other prospecting tools.
What We Are Looking For:
- 1+ years of management experience leading SDR/BDR or inside sales teams in tech/SaaS.
- Proven success building and scaling high-performance SDR teams.
- Strong background in coaching, enablement, and AE readiness.
- Experience at a playbook-driven company (e.g., where structured, repeatable processes are central to success) is highly valuable.
- Versatility across people leadership, cross-functional collaboration, and process optimization.
- Fluent in English
- Excellent communication and leadership skills with the ability to foster a culture of accountability, motivation, and growth.
- Passion for working in a fast-paced, scale-up environment on the path to IPO.
Why Join Kong?
- Be part of a company defining the future of connectivity in the AI-driven era.
- Shape and lead the SDR function in APJ at a critical stage of growth.
- Competitive compensation, benefits, and paths for career progression.
- Join a team that values transparency, collaboration, and innovation.#LI-VO1
#LI-DNP
About Kong:
Kong Inc., a leading developer of cloud API technologies, is on a mission to enable companies around the world to become “API-first” and securely accelerate AI adoption. Kong helps organizations globally — from startups to Fortune 500 enterprises — unleash developer productivity, build securely, and accelerate time to market. For more information about Kong, please visit www.konghq.com or follow us on X @thekonginc.
