Business Development Representative (BDR)

Location: Chicago, IL
Schedule: Hybrid (minimum 3 days per week in our Chicago office)

About the Role

We are looking for a highly motivated Business Development Representative (BDR) to join our growing sales organization. This person will be on the front lines of our go-to-market motion, responsible for generating qualified opportunities for our sales team by engaging CFOs, GCs, Corporate Secretaries, Equity Administrators, and capital-markets executives at some of the most innovative companies in the world.

You'll be responsible for creating qualified pipeline through thoughtful research, outreach, strong discovery, and clear communication. This is a Chicago-based role, and candidates must be able to work in our Chicago office at least three days per week.

Role Requirements

• Intrinsically motivated self-starter, willing to do whatever it takes to be successful in growing Vinyl Equity

• Strong written and verbal communication skills; you ask precise questions and articulate complex ideas simply

• Ability to manage structured outbound outreach to senior executives (CFO, GC, Corporate Secretary, Equity Admin)

• Build and maintain a healthy top-of-funnel pipeline using targeted email, phone, LinkedIn, and industry research

• Comfort operating within a fast-paced, high-growth environment where processes evolve quickly

• Demonstrated discipline with CRM hygiene, follow-up, and detailed documentation

• A growth mindset and willingness to iterate, learn, and improve daily

• Ability to collaborate closely with the sales team to support strategic deal cycles

• Represent Vinyl Equity with professionalism and industry fluency in every interaction

• Must be based in Chicago and able to be in-office 3+ days per week

• Bachelor's degree

Nice to Haves

• Prior BDR or other customer-facing experience

• Familiarity with HubSpot

• Experience selling into financial services, fintech, SaaS, or B2B enterprise accounts

• Exposure to equity management, corporate governance, or capital markets

• Experience at a high-growth startup

You could be a great fit if

• You communicate with clarity: succinct, direct, and confident with senior audiences

• You enjoy guiding prospects through the early stages of their buying process by identifying pain, impact, and urgency

• You are curious, intellectually engaged, and eager to become an expert in capital markets, equity operations, and compliance workflows

• You take pride in operational excellence, including precise CRM updates, tight follow-ups, and well-structured outreach sequences

• You're motivated by fast growth and excited by the pace, autonomy, and opportunity that comes with an early-stage startup

• You bring persistence and grit, and you are energized by hitting ambitious pipeline goals

• You thrive in environments where creativity and problem-solving are essential to success

• You're energized by the idea of helping introduce real innovation into an industry that has largely stood still for nearly three decades

• You're comfortable with (and thrive in) ambiguity. This role will be essential in defining how Vinyl goes to market, but will require agency to ensure that we take nothing for granted and leave no stones unturned. There is no concrete playbook for outbound sales in this industry. We're defining it.

You may not be a great fit if

• You dislike prospecting. This role requires consistent outbound sourcing.

• You prefer to leave product knowledge to others. Our expectation is that our entire GTM team will develop deep product and market fluency.

• You resist structured documentation or CRM hygiene.

• You prefer slow-changing environments or rigid process definitions.

• You are uncomfortable engaging senior executives early in the sales process.

• You prefer to fit into a structured commercial environment with predetermined outbound clarity.

Our Philosophy

A few principles that guide how we operate at Vinyl Equity:

• We value high-agency ownership, first-principled thinking, thoughtful communication, and a bias toward action

• We believe small, exceptionally talented teams outperform larger teams with average talent

• We aim to demonstrate both product and industry expertise in every interaction with prospects and customers

• Creativity, drive, innovation, and consistency win in otherwise stagnant industries

• Act with high integrity without compromise

Compensation and Benefits (for U.S.- based full-time employees)

• Base: $50,000–$75,000

• OTE: $75,000–$95,000 (uncapped commission, paid quarterly)

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance

• 401k

• Flexible PTO

• Hybrid work schedule

• Equity-based compensation