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Candidly

SDR - Contract

contractor Remote

AI overview

Join a fast-scaling fintech startup as an outbound SDR, responsible for generating SQLs through high-volume prospecting and collaborating closely with Account Executives.

Company Description

Candidly was founded in 2016 to flip the script on what it means to plan, borrow, repay, and save for college. Today, we’re the category leader with the market’s most comprehensive AI-driven student debt and savings optimization platform. We partner with hundreds of top employers, financial institutions, and retirement record keepers, positioning Candidly to serve more than 35 million Americans. 

We’re already achieving incredible results — to date, we’ve helped our users get on track to eliminate more than $1.8B in student debt and pay off their loans 175,000 years quicker — and we’re seeking movers, shakers, innovators, and problem solvers to help take our mission even further. 

Candidly is a high-growth, Series B startup, funded by leading investors including Altos Ventures, Aflac, Salesforce Ventures, UBS, Equal Opportunity Ventures, Impact Engine, Rethink Impact, Unum, and Cercano Management. Our fully remote, international team of 70 (and counting) includes alumni from Google, UBS, Twitter, Plaid, Prudential, LendingTree, Morgan Stanley, Deutsche Bank, and more.

Contract Role Overview

This is a contract SDR role focused on driving outbound pipeline during a defined engagement period. This role is not eligible for company benefits and does not guarantee conversion to a full-time position.

  • Duration: 3 months, with potential to extend based on performance
  • Hours: 40 hrs per week
  • Location: US-based, fully remote

Job Description

This is not an inbound SDR role.

Candidly is a fast-scaling, Series B fintech, and SDRs are the engine of our outbound growth. We’re hiring hungry, competitive, metrics-driven SDRs whose primary responsibility is to hunt, create demand, and generate SQLs through disciplined outbound execution.

You will focus almost entirely on outbound prospecting via phone and LinkedIn, supported by email and events. Inbound leads are owned and worked by Account Executives — your job is to manufacture pipeline, not wait for it.

If you’re excited by high call volume, relentless LinkedIn outreach, weekly SQL targets, this is the role for you.

What You'll Do

Outbound Prospecting

  • Execute high-volume outbound prospecting with a primary focus on:
    • Phone calls
    • LinkedIn outreach
  • Consistently hit or exceed:
    • 600+ outbound dials per week
    • Defined LinkedIn connection, message, and follow-up targets
  • Prospect into accounts ranging from SMB employers to Fortune 50 enterprise and institutional partners
  • Target HR, benefits, finance, and operations decision-makers with urgency-driven messaging

SQL Creation & Qualification

  • Qualify outbound-sourced prospects into Sales Qualified Leads (SQLs)
  • Book discovery calls and demos that meet clear qualification criteria
  • Be held accountable to weekly SQL creation targets
  • Ensure SQLs are clean, well-qualified, and positioned to convert downstream

Account Intelligence & Personalization

  • Use GTM tools to research accounts, identify intent signals, and map buying committees
  • Personalize outreach for priority accounts and strategic verticals
  • Tailor messaging to resonate with benefits, financial wellness, and compliance-driven buyers

Collaboration & Handoffs

  • Partner closely with Account Executives and Partner Enablement Managers on:
    • Target account lists
    • Account penetration strategies
    • Strategic outbound plays
  • Deliver high-quality handoffs with strong notes, context, and qualification

Execution & Hygiene

  • Maintain exceptional Salesforce hygiene, including:
    • Accurate activity logging
    • Clean lead and SQL statuses
    • Detailed call notes and summaries
  • Operate in a metrics-first environment with tight feedback loops
  • Consistently exceed:
    • 600-1,000 touches (inclusive of emails, linkedin, calling)
    • Qualified Meetings:
    • 20–25/month = solid 
    • 25–30/month = strong
    • 30–35/month = top-quartile
    • 35+ consistently = elite

What Success Looks Like

  • Consistent weekly creation of high-quality SQLs
  • Strong SQL → opportunity conversion
  • High outbound productivity across calls and LinkedIn
  • Trusted partnership with AEs and Partner teams

Qualifications

  • 1–3 years experience in an SDR, BDR, or high-activity outbound sales role (SaaS, fintech, or HR tech preferred)
  • Proven comfort with high-volume cold calling
  • Strong LinkedIn prospecting experience
  • Confident, clear communicator on the phone and in writing
  • Highly resilient — comfortable with rejection and pressure
  • Competitive, coachable, and hungry to win
  • Data-driven mindset; thrives in a metrics-first environment
  • Experience using CRM and sales engagement tools (Salesforce and Apollo required; SalesNav strongly preferred)
  • Highly organized with strong follow-through
  • Experience prospecting into HR, benefits, fintech, or Enterprise
  • Familiarity with employee benefits, financial wellness, or retirement ecosystems
  • Startup or high-growth company experience

Background and EEOC

Candidly offers for employment are conditioned upon satisfactory completion of our employment screening process (including, but not limited to, a review of past employment and education records, background investigation, and/or credit check & fingerprints).

Candidly strives to foster an environment where every employee can succeed. As an Equal Opportunity Employer we do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, age, non-disqualifying physical or mental disability, veteran status, or any other basis covered by applicable law. All employment is decided on the basis of qualifications, merit, and business need.

 Candidly

Candidly is an AI-driven student debt and savings optimization platform that addresses the full lifecycle of education expenses, from planning and preparing for college, to borrowing and repaying student debt, to saving for a financially sound tomorrow. The platform can be delivered as an employee benefit or it can be integrated or embedded into a partner’s native experience as part of their financial wellness solution. Candidly partners with leading employers, financial institutions, 401(k) and 403(b) record keepers and more, including UBS, Fiserv, and Salesforce. Founded in 2016, Candidly is backed by leading venture capital and strategic investors including Aflac, Equal Opportunity Ventures, Impact Engine, Rethink Impact, Salesforce Ventures, UBS, Unum, and Vulcan Capital. For more information, visit https://getcandidly.com/about/

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