Sales Development Representative - San Francisco

Cursor

San Francisco, CA

On-siteCareer-pivot friendly

Who this role is best for

A natural match if you have 1–2 years of experience in SDR/BDR roles at SaaS or developer tools companies and are comfortable with outbound prospecting.

Best fit for

Candidates with 1–2 years in SDR/BDR roles at SaaS or developer tools firms
— “1–2 years of experience in a sales, customer-facing, or business development role. SDR/BDR experience at a SaaS or developer tools company is a strong plus”
Individuals who take ownership of their pipeline and are proactive in generating leads
— “You're a relentless self-starter who takes ownership of your pipeline and doesn't wait to be handed leads”
People who are excited about AI's impact on software development and can explain technical concepts clearly
— “You're curious about how software gets built and excited by the idea that AI is fundamentally changing the craft”

Things to consider

This role requires high-volume outbound prospecting and may not be suitable for those who prefer inbound leads
— “This isn't a role for someone who waits for leads to come in”
The position demands resilience and the ability to handle frequent rejection without personalization
— “You have thick skin and genuine resilience. You don't take rejection personally and you bounce back fast”

How to stand out

Highlight experience with outbound prospecting and technical sales in your resume and interview responses
— “Generate qualified pipeline for our Account Executive team through high-volume outbound prospecting”
Showcase your ability to research and map stakeholders in engineering and leadership roles
— “Research target accounts and map stakeholders across Engineering, Product, and Leadership to identify the right entry points”
Emphasize your capacity to extract meaningful insights from market interactions and feedback
— “Bring market intelligence back to the team: what resonates, what objections are coming up, what messaging is landing”
Demonstrate a clear understanding of how AI impacts developer productivity and tools
— “develop a deep understanding of how Cursor transforms developer productivity”
Show your ability to build and refine sales playbooks based on your learnings
— “Help build the playbook. As an early SDR, your patterns and learnings will shape how this function scales”

Pace · Fast PacedCollaboration · MediumAutonomy · MediumDecision Impact · Individual

Derived from job-description analysis by Serendipath's career intelligence engine.

What success looks like

generating qualified pipeline
partnering with AEs

Typical background

1-2 years of sales or customer-facing experience

Skills & requirements

Required

Sales DevelopmentProspectingDiscovery ConversationsAccount Strategy

Preferred

Enterprise SalesDeveloper Tools

Stack & domain

SalesCustomer-facingBusiness DevelopmentCommunicationProblem-solvingTeam PlayerAI

About the role

Original posting from Cursor via Ashby

Our mission is to automate coding. The first step in our journey is to build the best tool for professional programmers, using a combination of inventive research, design, and engineering. Our organization is very flat, and our team is small and talent dense. We particularly like people who are truth-seeking, passionate, and creative. We enjoy spirited debate, crazy ideas, and shipping code.
ABOUT THE ROLE
As a Sales Development Representative at Cursor, you'll be the tip of the spear for pipeline generation, the first voice a prospective customer hears, and the person who earns their attention before an Account Executive ever gets on a call. You'll work across the full range of our commercial segments, from fast-moving startups to mid-market engineering organizations, identifying the right buyers and creating the conditions for meaningful sales conversations.
This isn't a role for someone who waits for leads to come in. You'll build pipeline from scratch, learn how great engineering teams think, and develop a deep understanding of how Cursor transforms developer productivity. It's the fastest way to learn enterprise sales at one of the most exciting companies in AI.
What you'll do
Generate qualified pipeline for our Account Executive team through high-volume outbound prospecting, including cold calls, personalized emails, LinkedIn, and creative multi-channel sequences
Research target accounts and map stakeholders across Engineering, Product, and Leadership to identify the right entry points
Conduct discovery conversations that go beyond surface-level qualification, understand how development teams work, what's slowing them down, and where Cursor fits
Partner closely with AEs to develop account strategies, hand off opportunities cleanly, and stay looped in as deals progress
Hit and exceed weekly activity targets and monthly qualified meeting goals
Represent Cursor's brand and product with conviction; you'll be many prospects' first impression of the company
Bring market intelligence back to the team: what resonates, what objections are coming up, what messaging is landing
Help build the playbook. As an early SDR, your patterns and learnings will shape how this function scales
You may be a fit if
You have 1–2 years of experience in a sales, customer-facing, or business development role. SDR/BDR experience at a SaaS or developer tools company is a strong plus
You're a relentless self-starter who takes ownership of your pipeline and doesn't wait to be handed leads
You write and speak with clarity. You can explain a complex product simply and tailor your message to a technical audience
You're curious about how software gets built and excited by the idea that AI is fundamentally changing the craft
You're organized and data-driven: you track your activity, learn from your numbers, and iterate quickly
You have thick skin and genuine resilience. You don't take rejection personally and you bounce back fast
You want to grow into an Account Executive role and are willing to put in the reps to get there

Source: Cursor careers (Ashby)