Alibaba.com-Sales Development Representative – Lead Strategy & Pipeline Management-Sunnyvale

Role OverviewAs a Sales Development Representative (SDR) for our U.S. Domestic expansion, you will be the engine of our merchant recruitment efforts. Your mission is to independently own and drive the end-to-end merchant acquisition pipeline — from identifying and sourcing high-intent leads to qualifying and converting them into active platform merchants. You will be responsible for sourcing across three core segments: Traditional Manufacturers, Master Distributors/Wholesalers, and Emerging B2B Brand Owners. The ideal candidate is a data-driven pipeline architect who takes full ownership of merchant recruitment KPIs and knows how to leverage lead-gen tools, manage outreach campaigns, and execute a multi-channel strategy to consistently deliver high-quality merchant sign-ups.Core Responsibilities Merchant Recruitment Ownership: Independently own the merchant recruitment funnel from lead sourcing to onboarding handoff. Set and hit merchant acquisition targets, and proactively identify strategies to improve conversion at every stage. Strategic Lead Sourcing & Acquisition: Identify and acquire high-quality merchant leads through third-party data providers, industry directories, and digital scrapers. Evaluate lead source quality to ensure alignment with our ICP (Ideal Customer Profile) for B2B trade. Multi-Channel Outbound Execution: Execute high-volume outreach campaigns via cold calling, personalized email sequences, and LinkedIn social selling. Own the full outreach cycle — from first touch to qualified hand-off or direct conversion. Data Analysis & Pipeline Optimization: Track and report on key recruitment metrics (Lead-to-Merchant conversion rate, Cost Per Acquisition, Outreach Response Rate). Continuously iterate on messaging and outreach tactics to improve performance.Market Intelligence: Proactively surface insights on merchant ecosystem dynamics, competitor recruitment activity, and emerging verticals. Feed learnings back to inform recruitment strategy. Lead Lifecycle Management: Own the lead management process within the CRM. Responsible for lead scoring, pipeline hygiene, and ensuring no high-potential merchant goes cold. Document all activity and progress systematically. Segmentation & Vertical Focus: Tailor outreach and recruitment strategies for different merchant personas — whether a traditional factory owner in the Midwest or a digital-native brand founder. Build specific messaging for verticals like MRO, Food Packaging, and Lifestyle Wholesale. Data Analysis & Pipeline Optimization: Track and report on key recruitment metrics (Lead-to-Merchant conversion rate, Cost Per Acquisition, Outreach Response Rate). Continuously iterate on messaging and outreach tactics to improve performance. Market Intelligence: Proactively surface insights on merchant ecosystem dynamics, competitor recruitment activity, and emerging verticals. Feed learnings back to inform recruitment strategy.Job RequirementsCandidate Profile SDR / Merchant Recruitment Experience: 5+ years of experience in an SDR, Inside Sales, or Merchant Acquisition role, preferably within SaaS, E-commerce, or B2B Marketplaces. Prior experience owning recruitment or sales KPIs independently is a strong plus. Lead-Gen Tech Stack Mastery: Proficiency with CRM systems (Salesforce/HubSpot) and lead-gen tools (e.g., ZoomInfo, Apollo.io, Lusha, or similar). Experience with automated outreach platforms is a major plus. The "Pipeline" Mindset: You don't just want to make calls — you want to build a system. You understand the funnel math and enjoy the challenge of increasing conversion rates at every stage. Domain Awareness: A foundational understanding of the U.S. wholesale and manufacturing landscape. Comfortable speaking the language of supply chains, margins, and distribution channels. Exceptional Communication: High energy and professional persistence. You can quickly articulate the value of digital B2B transformation to busy business owners and handle objections with confidence. Ownership Mentality: Comfortable operating independently without a senior BD team to hand off to. You take accountability for the number and proactively problem-solve when pipeline is at risk.The pay range for this position at commencement of employment is expected to be between $126,000/year and $234,000/year. However, base pay offered may vary depending on multiple individualized factors, including market location, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience.If hired, employee will be in an “at-will position” and the Company reserves the right to modify base salary (as well as any other discretionary payment or compensation program) at any time, including for reasons related to individual performance, Company or individual department/team performance, and market factors.