Sales Development Representative

Requisition Number: 72099

The company built on breakthroughs. ​
Join us.​

Corning is one of the world’s leading innovators in glass, ceramic, and materials science. From the depths of the ocean to the farthest reaches of space, our technologies push the boundaries of what’s possible. ​

How do we do this? With our people. They break through limitations and expectations – not once in a career, but every day. They help move our company, and the world, forward. ​

​At Corning, there are endless possibilities for making an impact. You can help connect the unconnected, drive the future of automobiles, transform at-home entertainment, and ensure the delivery of lifesaving medicines. And so much more.​

​Come break through with us.

Our Optical Communications segment has recently evolved from being a manufacturer of optical fiber and cable, hardware and equipment to being a comprehensive provider of industry-leading optical solutions across the broader communications industry.This segment is classified into two main product groupings – carrier network and enterprise network. The carrier network product group consists primarily of products and solutions for optical-based communications infrastructure for services such as video, data and voice communications. The enterprise network product group consists primarily of optical-based communication networks sold to businesses, governments and individuals for their own use.

Role Purpose

Corning Optical Communications is seeking a motivated and results-driven Sales Development Representative (SDR) to join our dynamic team. The SDR will play a critical role in identifying, qualifying, and driving new business opportunities that contribute to pipeline growth and revenue.

The SDR role focuses on identifying and qualifying valuable contacts and project information, managing inbound and outbound prospecting, engaging marketing qualified leads, handling objections, and securing meetings for territory sales managers. It also includes Business Development Representative (BDR) functions, expanding into proactive outbound engagement and opportunity creation to build a stronger sales pipeline. Collaboration with field sales, marketing, market development, and product line management is essential to uncover opportunities, support sales, and enhance customer engagement.

This role offers a unique career path into territory Sales, Marketing and/or other customer-facing roles within Corning Optical Communications.

Key Responsibilities

Pipeline Generation:

• Identify and qualify new business opportunities from marketing-generated prospects, target accounts and prospect lists. Research and collect valuable insights of markets and target accounts, company financials, contacts and projects. Engage with prospective customers to uncover needs, build relationships, and secure introduction meetings for sales managers. Ensure opportunities are properly qualified, attributed, and passed to sales managers for progression and conversion.

Marketing Support:

• Execute prospect outreach of demand-generating marketing initiatives for key business segments: Telecom Service Providers Enterprise IT and network operations Public Safety networks Collaborate with sales managers, marketing managers, and other key partners for effective outreach, lead qualification criteria, reporting and feedback loops to enhance conversion outcomes.

Customer Interaction/Outreach:

• Utilize prospecting databases to collect target contacts and project information. Follow up on marketing prospects to uncover qualified opportunities. Develop creative strategies and messaging to connect and convert target prospects. Navigate customer conversations with critical listening skills, discovery questions and overcoming objections. Attend national/regional tradeshows to support marketing and sales efforts with prospects, including lead capture and post-event follow-up. Interact with customers and external partners during field visits/events with your assigned sales managers. Use digital engagement tactics (LinkedIn messaging, personalized automation sequences, and real-time chat interactions) to accelerate opportunity development.

Education/Skills Required:

• Bachelor’s degree
• Experience working cross functionally across teams
• Experience in sales or customer support within software and/or IT industry

Desired:

• Familiarity with Salesforce, LinkedIn Sales Navigator, and outreach automation tools Self-motivated and goal-oriented Strong listening and communication skills Team player with a collaborative mindset Adaptable and capable of creative problem-solving Curious and eager to learn Resilient in handling rejection and overcoming challenges Proficiency in more than one language Experience in B2B markets and/or telecommunications industry Educational background in sales/communications or engineering

This position does not support immigration sponsorship.

The range for this position is $60,410.00 - $83,065.00 assuming full time status. Starting pay for the successful applicant is dependent on a variety of job-related factors, including but not limited to geographic location, market demands, experience, training, and education.

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A job that shapes a life.

Corning offers you the total package.

Your well-being is our priority. Our compensation and benefits package supports your health and wellness, financial aspirations, and career from day one.

• Company-wide bonuses and long-term incentives align with key business results and ensure you are rewarded when the company performs well. When Corning wins, we all win.
• As part of our commitment to your financial well-being, we provide a 100% company-paid pension benefit with fixed contributions that grow throughout your career. Combined with matching contributions to your 401(k) savings plan, Corning’s total contributions to your retirement accounts can reach between 7% and 12% of your pay, depending on your age and years of service.
• Our health and well-being benefits include medical, dental, vision, paid parental leave, family building support, fitness, company-paid life insurance, disability, disease management programs, paid time off, and an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) to support you and your family.
• Getting paid for our work is important, but feeling appreciated and recognized for those contributions motivates us much more. That’s why Corning offers a recognition program to celebrate successes and reward colleagues who make exceptional contributions.