SDR Team Lead

SDR Team Lead — Germany

📍 Cologne | Full-time | Office-first

Team description

SumUp's outbound sales team is the engine behind new merchant acquisition across Europe — and Germany is one of our most important growth markets. This is a rare opportunity to be the first person on the ground in our brand-new Cologne office, building the outbound function for Germany from the ground up.

You'll lead a small team of SDRs, shape the playbook, and directly influence how SumUp scales in one of Europe's most competitive SMB markets. If you're energised by building something new, coaching people to do their best work, and owning real outcomes — this role was made for you.

What you'll do

• Lead daily team rituals — pipeline reviews, coaching sessions, and stand-ups — keeping the team focused and moving
• Raise SDR performance through hands-on coaching on cold calling, sequencing, and objection handling, modelling the behaviours you expect
• Define target accounts, territories, and call pitch in close collaboration with sales leadership
• Build and iterate on call pitches, outbound sequences, giving feedback on the lead list, and tracking what works and adjusting quickly
• Hire and ramp SDRs in Cologne as the team grows, helping establish SumUp's presence in the German market
• Evaluate and embed AI-assisted prospecting tools into the team's workflow as they're rolled out

You'll be great for this role if…

• Proven experience in outbound sales, including cold calling, sequencing, and objection handling
• Experience leading or coaching a sales team, whether formally or informally
• Fluency in German (native or near-native) and strong communication skills in English
• Comfort building outbound processes from scratch, without a ready-made playbook to follow
• Strong analytical thinking — able to read pipeline data, spot gaps, and act on them quickly
• Ability to operate with autonomy in a new environment while staying closely aligned with remote leadership

Why you should join SumUp

🌎 Opportunity to work in a truly global, multicultural team from our open, vibrant Cologne office, located in the heart of the city. This involves an office-first setup

🌈 Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion: be part of a workplace that values and promotes diversity, fostering an inclusive environment where everyone's perspectives are respected and embraced

🚀 Enrolment onto our Virtual Stock Option programme: you will own a stake in SumUp's future success

📚 A dedicated annual L&D budget of €2000 for your individual development, which can be used to attend conferences and/or advance your career through further education

🏖 Generous time off: enjoy 28 days of paid leave plus public holidays and special leave days

🚗 Commute made easy: subsidised mobility options like discounted transport tickets or bike leasing

💪 Stay active: access to fitness via Urban Sports Club, mostly covered by SumUp

💰 Financial health: a corporate pension scheme with SumUp contributing an extra 20% on top of your contribution

🎁 Employee perks: get discounts across products and services via our Corporate Benefits platform

🌴 Break4me: 1-month sabbatical after 3 years of service

🔗 Referral Bonus: earn additional rewards by referring talented individuals to join the SumUp team

About SumUp

Be empowered to do more that matters.

At SumUp, we're on a mission to empower small businesses across the globe by providing simple and affordable tools that allow them to thrive. Today, over 4 million businesses in 37 markets rely on SumUp as their financial partner to manage payments, finance and customer relationships.

Our commitment to small businesses is reflected in our diverse team of over 3,000 SumUppers from over 90 nationalities, united by global collaboration and an innovative mindset. Our core values lay the foundation for who we are and what we stand for, shaping our work culture and driving our success. We foster inclusivity and a continuous learning culture, providing a safe space for personal and professional growth. Our differences make us unique and strong as we strive to create an environment where everyone belongs and feels supported, no matter how they identify.

SumUp is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity employer, actively seeking and embracing diversity in our workforce. We don't make hiring or employment decisions based on race, colour, religion or religious belief, ethnic or national origin, nationality, sex, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, age or any other basis protected by applicable laws or prohibited by company policy. Our commitment extends beyond recruitment to creating a safe and respectful workplace where harassment of any form is strictly prohibited. Discover more about our culture and opportunities on our careers website, and follow our journey on LinkedIn, Instagram, and TikTok.

Job Application Tip

We recognise that candidates feel they need to meet 100% of the job criteria in order to apply for a job. Please note that this is only a guide. If you don’t tick every box, it’s ok too because it means you have room to learn and develop your career at SumUp.