The title is SDR but we are looking for driven individuals who want to help us sell Heron into our existing and new industry vertical, whether you have past sales experience or not. The focus of the role will be traditional outbound sales, but can also include a range of go-to-market (GTM) activities like marketing and partnerships - whatever it takes to grow pipeline. You'll get to work alongside Heron's co-founders and other experienced, proven sellers and learn directly from them. This role is an amazing way to break into software sales and progress into an Account Executive or a similar role in the future.
No prior full-time experience required: if you come from a commercial background - or have a track record of being seriously competitive at anything - and want to play a meaningful role in the growth of a fast-moving company, we'd love to hear from you.
Hear about the role from Chase - one of our SDR’s here.
Note: this is a sales role, so if you're applying, don't just send us your CV. Get creative and sell us on you!
The opportunity
Huge untapped revenue potential: Heron is growing quickly despite historically under-investing in sales. We now serve 190+ customers and are growing faster than ever. You will help lead the charge as we continue to grow, and share in that growth by earning commission on sales that you source.
Personal growth opportunities: as we grow, we're able to offer Herons larger and different opportunities. Looking at the SDRs we've hired before: one is now a senior seller, and another works in sales while also leading go-to-market efforts across marketing and partnerships. Depending on your ambitions, this role could develop in many ways.
An environment where you can do your best work: it's a cliché, but we truly believe it. Underpinning our rapid growth is a lean, scrappy and committed team of ~60 across New York and London. We have a very flat structure where you'll work directly with our founders and other leaders in the company every day. For someone early in their career in tech, it's an unmatched opportunity to join an established, but still small and fast-growing startup.
This is a hands-on role focused on growing revenue and bringing in new customers. Examples of what you might do:
Prospect, qualify, and book demos with new customers via email, LinkedIn, cold call, in-person and other outbound channels
Support and eventually lead customer demos and trials, from initial setup through to handoff or close
Follow up diligently after calls and demos - whether that's sending recaps, chasing next steps, or coordinating internal follow-ups
Track pipeline progress and share learnings with the team to improve our go-to-market approach
Experiment with other go-to-market approaches, including paid marketing, partnerships, and anything else that might help us drive pipeline and revenue
Ultimately we want motivated and ambitious individuals who:
Want to sell
Don’t have a ton of sales experience already
Want to work in a fast-paced impact-focused environment
What kind of person could this be?
Entrepreneurial recent graduate - maybe without much formal or full-time experience, but demonstrated sales acumen and ability to hustle in other contexts (e.g. student businesses, side projects, internships, competing at a high level in sport)
Commercial generalist in a startup or professional services/consulting with some exposure to sales or customer work - now looking to double down on a sales and growth role
Anyone else who fits the above criteria
Regardless of specific background, our ideal hire will be:
Execution-focused: you move fast, follow through, and get things done without a lot of hand-holding
Commercially sharp: you understand what makes a customer tick and enjoy the challenge of selling into a new market
Clear communicator: you're direct, thoughtful, and good at tailoring your message to your audience
Curious and coachable: you're hungry to learn, ask good questions, and improve every week
Above all else, we value people who want to make an impact in their work. Here are some of the behaviours that we expect of all Herons:
Scrappy and creative: when faced with an obstacle, you will either overcome it by pure determination (i.e., by hand), or find an unconventional approach or 'hack' to navigate it.
Persistent: you may not always find the right answer or person immediately, but you're motivated to keep on trying until you do so. You'll go the extra mile - including Flying to Gainesville - if that's what it takes.
Pilot not passenger: at a fast-growing company like Heron we need people who jump on opportunities unprompted and drive them to a great outcome, rather than folks who wait to be told what to do.
Excited to work in a fast-paced, high-growth, team-based environment: we aim to move quickly and decisively, but together. You'll be a great team player and do what it takes for the team to succeed.
Competitive compensation, including commission and equity (note that the upper end of the salary range advertised includes commission)
Based full-time and in-person in our NYC office, with frequenr travel to customers (across the country) and approximately annual company retreats
Your choice of top-of-the-line equipment to fit out your desk in our office
Competitive benefits package: health, dental, vision with partial coverage for dependents; 401K; uncapped PTO; parental leave
Free mental health support via Spill - on-demand access to therapy
Weekly company lunches and breakfasts
Applicants from any background and gender are welcome and we have a zero tolerance policy on discrimination
1 or 2 initial 'get to know you' conversations
Sales Interview - a task which roughly represents the work we would expect from you
Team interviews - 2-3 hours in-person, mix of skills-based and behavioral interviews
References
We are Heron Data, a Series A stage company based in New York and London.
At Heron, we use the latest advances in AI and LLMs to eliminate the underwriting tax on small businesses and help SMBs get access to financial services. Our software handles emails, analyzes attachments, and takes actions like updating CRMs or requesting more info to execute workflows end-to-end for our customers. We serve a range of businesses, including some of the world's largest fintechs, banks, specialty finance companies and commercial insurers.
Our largest product automates underwriting for small business lenders and other specialty finance companies. We eliminate cumbersome manual processes and enable our customers to provide their services with much greater speed, precision, and fairness.
We are a rapidly growing company with 190+ customers in financial services and beyond who trust us to be embedded in critical processes - without us, their businesses stop. We analyse hundreds of thousands of documents and over 20 million individual bank transactions every day for our customers. We continue to grow into more segments and workflows and we think there's much more we can do!
We are a lean, scrappy and committed team with a flat structure and collaborative culture. Our team brings together a wealth of experience from great tech companies including Facebook, Spotify, Revolut and many other startups from around the world.
With team members from five different continents, we embrace multiculturalism and diversity. From company events to everyday interactions, we make sure everyone feels welcome and accommodate all cultural and dietary requirements.
Since our launch in September 2020, at the end of the S20 batch, we've experienced a lot of growth! Today, we have $13M in ARR. Read more about our mission here.
We're hiring a Chief of Staff to work directly with our Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Johannes, and help run Heron. You'll be part of Business Operations, working across finance, people operations, business reviews, and quarterly planning. You'll take responsibility for both ongoing work and specific projects, from preparing a budget to improving how we hire, plan, and track progress.
Business Operations helps the company run well. We work with every team to understand how the business is doing, decide what needs attention, and make sure decisions lead to action.
As Chief of Staff, you'll see how a company is run day to day and help improve it. You might work with finance on a forecast, prepare a business review, help teams agree on their priorities for the next quarter, or improve how new employees join the company. You'll also take on projects such as assessing a new market or business line.
Some work will change week to week. Other responsibilities will be yours to keep running well over time. As you learn the business, you can take on more responsibility and help shape how Heron operates.
Your work will include a mix of regular responsibilities and projects, such as:
Finance: work with our finance team on budgets, forecasts, and financial reporting. Understand revenue, costs, and spending, and help teams make informed decisions.
People operations: help with hiring plans, onboarding, and the processes that support employees and managers.
Business reviews: bring together company and team metrics, explain what's changed, and help the leadership team identify issues and agree on next steps. Follow up on decisions and actions.
Quarterly planning: help teams set priorities, agree on goals, and plan the people and budget they need. Track progress and help resolve competing priorities.
Company and customer analysis: answer questions about how the business is performing and where we can improve.
Internal processes and systems: improve how work gets done across the company, and keep those processes running reliably.
Other company priorities: lead projects from start to finish, including entering a new market or launching a new business line when those are priorities.
We don't expect you to have worked in all these areas before. This role suits someone who learns quickly, enjoys a range of work, and is happy to handle both analysis and the practical details of running a company.
Our ideal hire has 2–4 years of experience in analytical work, such as consulting, banking, or a strategy or operations role at a startup. You want to help build a company and can take an unfamiliar problem, break it down, and see it through. If your background is different but you think you'd be a good fit, tell us why. What matters most is that you're excited about the day-to-day work of running a business, as well as planning what comes next.
Regardless of background, you'll be:
Good at breaking down problems: you turn complex questions into manageable parts and use data to support your decisions.
Organized and reliable: you keep track of deadlines, follow through on decisions, and make sure recurring work gets done well.
A clear communicator: you can explain your thinking to engineers, customers, and the board, whether in a conversation, written memo, or presentation.
Comfortable with data: you use spreadsheets and Structured Query Language (SQL), and prefer to get the numbers yourself.
Keen to use artificial intelligence (AI): you want to use AI regularly to automate parts of your work and find answers faster.
Able to form and explain a view: you have opinions and can support them with evidence.
Trustworthy with sensitive information: you'll handle confidential financial, employee, and company information, so we need good judgment and discretion.
We value people who care about doing useful work. We expect everyone at Heron to be:
Resourceful: when something gets in the way, you find a way to solve it, whether that means doing the work by hand or trying a different approach.
Persistent: you keep looking for the right answer or person, even when it takes several attempts. You're willing to put in the extra effort, including flying to Gainesville if that's what the work needs.
Willing to take initiative: you spot opportunities and take responsibility for getting the work done without waiting to be asked.
Ready to work quickly and with others: we move quickly and make decisions together. You help your teammates and do your part to make the team successful.
Competitive compensation, including equity
A full-time role based in New York City, where the team works in person
Your choice of high-quality equipment for your desk in the office
Occasional travel for retreats and to work with the team
Competitive benefits: health, dental, and vision coverage, with partial coverage for dependents; a 401(k) plan; uncapped paid time off; and parental leave
Free mental health support through Spill, with on-demand access to therapy
Weekly company lunches
Applicants of all backgrounds and genders are welcome. We do not tolerate discrimination.
Initial conversation (20 minutes): we'll discuss what you're looking for, what Heron offers, and whether the role is a good fit.
Take-home task and review (about 3 hours in total): you'll complete a task similar to the work you'd do in the role, then discuss it with members of our team.
Team interviews (typically 4, scheduled together): a mix of case exercises and questions about your experience, with teammates and founders. You'll learn about the people you'd work with and how we solve problems. We'll learn how you think, communicate, and work with others.
References: 2 people you've worked with who can tell us about your work, contributions, and working style.
Heron is a Series A company based in New York and London.
We use AI, including large language models, to automate document processing. Our software handles emails, analyzes attachments, and completes tasks such as updating customer relationship management (CRM) systems or requesting more information. Our customers include some of the world's largest financial technology companies, banks, specialty finance companies, and commercial insurers.
Our largest product automates underwriting for small business lenders and other specialty finance companies. It removes time-consuming manual work so customers can provide their services faster, more accurately, and more fairly.
Over 190 customers in financial services and other industries rely on Heron for essential parts of their work. We analyze tens of thousands of documents and over 20 million individual bank transactions each day. We're expanding into more areas of lending, banking, and insurance, and see plenty more we can do.
We're a small, committed team with a flat structure, and we work closely together. Our team has experience at companies including Facebook, Spotify, and Revolut, as well as startups around the world.
Our team members come from five continents. We want everyone to feel welcome, both at company events and in everyday work, and accommodate cultural and dietary requirements.
We launched in September 2020 at the end of the S20 batch. Today, we have over $13M in annual recurring revenue.
","descriptionPlain":"THE ROLE\n\nWe're hiring a Chief of Staff to work directly with our Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Johannes, and help run Heron. You'll be part of Business Operations, working across finance, people operations, business reviews, and quarterly planning. You'll take responsibility for both ongoing work and specific projects, from preparing a budget to improving how we hire, plan, and track progress.\n\n\n\n\nTHE OPPORTUNITY\n\nBusiness Operations helps the company run well. We work with every team to understand how the business is doing, decide what needs attention, and make sure decisions lead to action.\n\nAs Chief of Staff, you'll see how a company is run day to day and help improve it. You might work with finance on a forecast, prepare a business review, help teams agree on their priorities for the next quarter, or improve how new employees join the company. You'll also take on projects such as assessing a new market or business line.\n\nSome work will change week to week. Other responsibilities will be yours to keep running well over time. As you learn the business, you can take on more responsibility and help shape how Heron operates.\n\n\n\n\nWHAT YOU'LL WORK ON\n\nYour work will include a mix of regular responsibilities and projects, such as:\n\n - Finance: work with our finance team on budgets, forecasts, and financial reporting. Understand revenue, costs, and spending, and help teams make informed decisions.\n\n - People operations: help with hiring plans, onboarding, and the processes that support employees and managers.\n\n - Business reviews: bring together company and team metrics, explain what's changed, and help the leadership team identify issues and agree on next steps. Follow up on decisions and actions.\n\n - Quarterly planning: help teams set priorities, agree on goals, and plan the people and budget they need. Track progress and help resolve competing priorities.\n\n - Company and customer analysis: answer questions about how the business is performing and where we can improve.\n\n - Internal processes and systems: improve how work gets done across the company, and keep those processes running reliably.\n\n - Other company priorities: lead projects from start to finish, including entering a new market or launching a new business line when those are priorities.\n\nWe don't expect you to have worked in all these areas before. This role suits someone who learns quickly, enjoys a range of work, and is happy to handle both analysis and the practical details of running a company.\n\n\n\n\nWHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR\n\nOur ideal hire has 2–4 years of experience in analytical work, such as consulting, banking, or a strategy or operations role at a startup. You want to help build a company and can take an unfamiliar problem, break it down, and see it through. If your background is different but you think you'd be a good fit, tell us why. What matters most is that you're excited about the day-to-day work of running a business, as well as planning what comes next.\n\nRegardless of background, you'll be:\n\n - Good at breaking down problems: you turn complex questions into manageable parts and use data to support your decisions.\n\n - Organized and reliable: you keep track of deadlines, follow through on decisions, and make sure recurring work gets done well.\n\n - A clear communicator: you can explain your thinking to engineers, customers, and the board, whether in a conversation, written memo, or presentation.\n\n - Comfortable with data: you use spreadsheets and Structured Query Language (SQL), and prefer to get the numbers yourself.\n\n - Keen to use artificial intelligence (AI): you want to use AI regularly to automate parts of your work and find answers faster.\n\n - Able to form and explain a view: you have opinions and can support them with evidence.\n\n - Trustworthy with sensitive information: you'll handle confidential financial, employee, and company information, so we need good judgment and discretion.\n\n\nHOW WE WORK\n\nWe value people who care about doing useful work. We expect everyone at Heron to be:\n\n - Resourceful: when something gets in the way, you find a way to solve it, whether that means doing the work by hand or trying a different approach.\n\n - Persistent: you keep looking for the right answer or person, even when it takes several attempts. You're willing to put in the extra effort, including flying to Gainesville if that's what the work needs.\n\n - Willing to take initiative: you spot opportunities and take responsibility for getting the work done without waiting to be asked.\n\n - Ready to work quickly and with others: we move quickly and make decisions together. You help your teammates and do your part to make the team successful.\n\n\nWHAT YOU CAN EXPECT AS A HERON\n\n - Competitive compensation, including equity\n\n - A full-time role based in New York City, where the team works in person\n\n - Your choice of high-quality equipment for your desk in the office\n\n - Occasional travel for retreats and to work with the team\n\n - Competitive benefits: health, dental, and vision coverage, with partial coverage for dependents; a 401(k) plan; uncapped paid time off; and parental leave\n\n - Free mental health support through Spill, with on-demand access to therapy\n\n - Weekly company lunches\n\n - Applicants of all backgrounds and genders are welcome. We do not tolerate discrimination.\n\n\nABOUT THE INTERVIEW\n\n 1. Initial conversation (20 minutes): we'll discuss what you're looking for, what Heron offers, and whether the role is a good fit.\n\n 2. Take-home task and review (about 3 hours in total): you'll complete a task similar to the work you'd do in the role, then discuss it with members of our team.\n\n 3. Team interviews (typically 4, scheduled together): a mix of case exercises and questions about your experience, with teammates and founders. You'll learn about the people you'd work with and how we solve problems. We'll learn how you think, communicate, and work with others.\n\n 4. References: 2 people you've worked with who can tell us about your work, contributions, and working style.\n\n\nABOUT HERON\n\nHeron is a Series A company based in New York and London.\n\nWe use AI, including large language models, to automate document processing. Our software handles emails, analyzes attachments, and completes tasks such as updating customer relationship management (CRM) systems or requesting more information. Our customers include some of the world's largest financial technology companies, banks, specialty finance companies, and commercial insurers.\n\nOur largest product automates underwriting for small business lenders and other specialty finance companies. It removes time-consuming manual work so customers can provide their services faster, more accurately, and more fairly.\n\nOver 190 customers in financial services and other industries rely on Heron for essential parts of their work. We analyze tens of thousands of documents and over 20 million individual bank transactions each day. We're expanding into more areas of lending, banking, and insurance, and see plenty more we can do.\n\nWe're a small, committed team with a flat structure, and we work closely together. Our team has experience at companies including Facebook, Spotify, and Revolut, as well as startups around the world.\n\nOur team members come from five continents. We want everyone to feel welcome, both at company events and in everyday work, and accommodate cultural and dietary requirements.\n\nWe launched in September 2020 at the end of the S20 batch. Today, we have over $13M in annual recurring revenue.","compensation":{"compensationTierSummary":"$150K – $220K • Offers Equity","scrapeableCompensationSalarySummary":"$150K - $220K","compensationTiers":[{"id":"bf52461a-bb72-44d2-84cb-112f03b1f788","tierSummary":"$150K – $220K • Offers Equity","title":null,"additionalInformation":null,"components":[{"id":"c0c65468-2396-4409-a05a-2530924654fc","summary":"$150K – $220K","compensationType":"Salary","interval":"1 YEAR","currencyCode":"USD","minValue":150000,"maxValue":220000},{"id":"cf44f7d4-1b37-4bab-b31d-e97e8652ddb3","summary":"Offers Equity","compensationType":"EquityPercentage","interval":"NONE","currencyCode":null,"minValue":null,"maxValue":null}]}],"summaryComponents":[{"compensationType":"Salary","interval":"1 YEAR","currencyCode":"USD","minValue":150000,"maxValue":220000},{"compensationType":"EquityPercentage","interval":"NONE","currencyCode":null,"minValue":null,"maxValue":null}]}},{"id":"d129e651-53d2-421d-a862-a0d6ca9498c1","title":"Head of Sales","department":"GTM & Sales","team":"GTM & Sales","employmentType":"FullTime","location":"NYC","shouldDisplayCompensationOnJobPostings":true,"secondaryLocations":[],"publishedAt":"2026-08-05T21:15:57.623+00:00","isListed":true,"isRemote":null,"workplaceType":null,"address":{"postalAddress":{"addressRegion":"New York","addressCountry":"United States","addressLocality":"New York"}},"jobUrl":"https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/herondata/d129e651-53d2-421d-a862-a0d6ca9498c1","applyUrl":"https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/herondata/d129e651-53d2-421d-a862-a0d6ca9498c1/application","descriptionHtml":"We're looking for our first Head of Sales to build, lead, and scale new logo revenue at Heron. Heron sells AI software that automates document-heavy underwriting and back-office workflows for specialty finance - SMB funders, brokers, equipment finance and commercial insurance companies. We're past $13M in ARR and growing quickly; this role owns the road to $40M and beyond. You'll partner day-to-day with Jamie (co-founder and CRO) and work closely with product and engineering to build and lead the sales org as we grow.
Two things to know before you apply: this is a full-time, in-person role in our NYC office (most of the team is in every day), and it's a hands-on, player-coach seat - you'll carry a quota yourself while scaling the team.
This is a hands-on (\"player-coach\") role focused on driving revenue and building the sales function, including specifically:
Lead our existing team of AEs and SDRs - a small, high-slope group who came into sales from non traditional backgrounds - and hire, onboard, and coach the next wave as we scale
Develop and refine Heron's sales motion (ICP, messaging, pricing, deal structure, sales stages)
Partner closely with founders, product, and engineering to translate customer pain into clear value propositions
Build and manage pipeline, forecasts, and revenue targets with a strong bias toward accuracy and accountability
Establish and refine our sales processes, tooling, and metrics (CRM, reporting, enablement materials)
Help shape broader go-to-market strategy across sales, partnerships, and potentially customer success
This role is a great fit if you want back into the messy, high-ownership stage: ~$13M on the way to $50M, deals where product sits at the table with you, a young team you get to shape. It's the wrong fit if what you're after is a mature brand, a finished playbook, remote flexibility, or a pure people-management seat.
Our ideal hire will:
Have done our stage before
You were a member of or helped lead a sales org from under ~$12M to over $40M ARR (the more the better). We're equally interested if you were a top AE or front-line manager through that journey and have held sales leadership since - what matters is that you've seen the road we're on. A long career at big, mature companies without early-stage scar tissue is unlikely to be the right background. One more thing: revenue here means ARR.
Love selling and building at the same time
You're energised by being in the deals - especially early, messy ones - and you're excited to build structure after learning what actually works. You're comfortable wearing many hats and know how to prioritise impact over polish in the early days.
Have strong early-stage sales instincts
You know how to sell ambiguous, technical products without relying on heavy brand recognition or mature processes. You're thoughtful about deal qualification, pricing, and positioning, and you learn quickly from wins and losses.
Be scale-minded, but action-oriented
You don't over-engineer sales processes too early, but you do think ahead. You care about building something that will scale - and you know when it's time to formalise, document, and hire.
Be a clear, credible communicator
You can talk to technical and non-technical stakeholders alike, earn trust quickly, and clearly articulate value to customers, investors, and internal teams. Our buyers are C-level at specialty finance companies; you'll need to be credible with a CEO and a head of underwriting in the same meeting.
Here are some of the behaviours we expect of all Herons:
Scrappy and creative
When faced with a tough prospect, stalled deal, or unclear path forward, you find a way. You're resourceful, adaptable, and willing to try unconventional approaches.
Persistent
You don't give up when deals get hard or timelines slip. You follow up, dig deeper, and keep pushing until you get to a clear outcome. You'll go the extra mile - including showing up at their office - if that's what it takes.
Pilot, not passenger
You proactively identify opportunities, test ideas, and drive them to completion. You don't wait for perfect direction - you create momentum.
Excited to work in a fast-paced, high-growth - but kind - team environment
You thrive in environments with speed, ownership, and collaboration. You care deeply about the team's success and are willing to roll up your sleeves wherever needed.
Competitive compensation, including equity and upside tied to the revenue you build.
Based full-time, and in-person in our NYC office, with frequent travel to customers. Roughly annual company offsites.
Your choice of top-of-the-line equipment to fit out your desk in our office.
Competitive benefits package: health, dental, vision with partial coverage for dependents; 401K; uncapped PTO; parental leave.
Free on-demand access to therapy via Spill.
Weekly company lunches and breakfasts.
Applicants from any background and gender are welcome and we have a zero tolerance policy on discrimination.
Initial conversation with Jamie, our co-founder and CRO
In-person conversations and working sessions with our founders and the GTM team
References - we take these seriously and go deep
We are Heron Data, a Series A stage company based in New York and London.
At Heron, we use the latest advances in AI and LLMs to eliminate the underwriting tax on small businesses and help SMBs get access to financial services. Our software handles emails, analyses attachments, and takes actions like updating CRMs or requesting more info to execute workflows end-to-end for our customers. We serve a range of businesses, including some of the world's largest fintechs, banks, specialty finance companies and commercial insurers.
Our largest product automates underwriting for small business lenders and other specialty finance companies. We eliminate cumbersome manual processes and enable our customers to provide their services with much greater speed, precision, and fairness.
We are a rapidly growing company with 190+ customers in financial services and beyond who trust us to be embedded in critical processes - without us, their businesses stop. We analyse tens of thousands of documents and over 20 million individual bank transactions every day for our customers. We continue to grow into more segments and workflows: further into lending, banking, insurance. And we think there's much more we can do!
We are a lean, scrappy and committed team with a flat structure and collaborative culture. Our team brings together a wealth of experience from great tech companies including Facebook, Spotify, Revolut and many other startups from around the world.
With team members from five different continents, we embrace multiculturalism and diversity. From company events to everyday interactions, we make sure everyone feels welcome and accommodate all cultural and dietary requirements.
Since our launch in September 2020, at the end of the S20 batch, we've experienced a lot of growth! Today, we have over $13M in ARR. Read more about our mission here.