Inbound Sales Development Representative - German/French Speaker

Proton was founded in 2014 by scientists from CERN on a simple truth: privacy is a fundamental human right. Since then, we’ve built the world’s largest encrypted email service (Proton Mail) and expanded into Proton VPN, Proton Drive, Proton Pass, and Proton Calendar—tools used by millions globally to protect their freedom, fight censorship, and keep their data safe. In some situations, Proton has literally helped save lives!

We are profitable, independent (no VC control), and selectively hire from the top ~1% of applicants. Our 500+ team members across 50+ countries come from leading organizations and elite academic backgrounds. We move fast, keep hierarchy light, and prioritize impact over optics. If you want to do meaningful work with exceptionally high-caliber people, this is it. Join us and do work you can truly be proud of. Check our open-source projects here!

About the role

We are looking for a driven, fully fluent German and/or French speaking Inbound Sales Development Representative to join our Proton for Business team. In this role, you won’t just be processing leads; you’ll be the first point of contact for organizations ready to secure their digital infrastructure. You will manage high-volume inbound traffic, qualify high potential opportunities using the SPICED framework to generate new business for our Account Executives, and also take on a full sales cycle role, directly closing smaller, high-velocity business within our Prosumer/Small Office segment.

If you thrive in a fast-paced environment, love mastering complex tech stacks, and want to play a key role in driving growth for products you genuinely believe in, we want to hear from you.

Key responsibilities

1. Own the Inbound Pipeline: Manage and respond to all inbound requests submitted via Proton’s contact sales forms across our entire product suite.
2. Strategic Prioritization: Utilize our lead scoring system to categorize leads by intent (High, Medium, Low) and ensure strict adherence to our first response time SLAs.
3. Qualify & Convert: Conduct qualification discussions using the SPICED framework (Situation, Problem, Impact, Critical Event, Decision) to identify genuine business opportunities for Account Executives.
4. Close Deals: Independently close transactions for smaller requirements, turning high-volume inquiries into immediate revenue.
5. Metrics & Continuous Improvement – Own daily/weekly activity KPIs (call and email tasks, touches, meetings booked) and funnel metrics ( first response time, conversion rates, meeting‑to‑pipeline ratio). Use CRM dashboards to surface insights and iterate outreach scripts.
6. Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner closely with Product Business Units, Marketing, and Customer Success to ensure seamless handoffs and gather market feedback.
7. Cultural Ambassadorship – Model a high‑energy, resilient mindset; mentor newer BDRs on phone etiquette, objection handling, process flows and tool mastery.

Your profile

• Sales Driven: You have a proven track record in inbound sales or business development, preferably in SaaS or cybersecurity.
• Process Oriented: You understand the importance of SLAs and can manage time effectively to meet aggressive response targets without sacrificing quality.
• Qualified Communicator: You are business-fluent in English. Additional fluency in German and/or French is also a must.
• Tech Savvy: You are comfortable navigating CRMs (HubSpot experience is essential) and modern sales intelligence tools.
• Mission Aligned: You care about digital rights and privacy, making it easy to authentically advocate for Proton’s value proposition.
• Resilient & Adaptable: You can handle high volumes of inbound traffic while maintaining a personalized, consultative approach.

Technical & Tool Fluency

• Proficient with modern outreach stacks: Clay, Instantly, Gong, LinkedIn Sales Navigator, multichannel sequencing platforms, and a CRM (Salesforce, HubSpot, etc.).
• Comfortable working with simple reporting dashboards to track activity, conversion and forecast meeting volume.

Personal Attributes

• High‑energy & competitive – thrives on quota‑driven environments and loves beating targets.
• Resilient & tenacious – sees rejection as the data that will help us develop an expert understanding of where we win the most.
• Customer‑centric – quickly uncovers prospect pain points and frames the conversation around value.
• Tech‑savvy – embraces automation to eliminate manual grunt work and focus on high‑impact activities.
• Growth-Oriented – ready to take the next step in your sales career by not only qualifying deals, but closing them as well.

Bonus

• Experience selling security‑oriented SaaS or privacy‑focused products across various business segments.

Key competencies

Hard Skills

• Deal Qualification Mastery – Expert at effectively qualifying strong business opportunities based on product fit & ability to solve customer challenges
  Outreach Excellence – Confident phone presence, written communication skills, and objection navigation.
• Tool Mastery – Strong familiarity with Clay, Instantly, Gong, LinkedIn Sales Navigator, and CRM reporting.
• Data‑Driven Optimization – Ability to analyse response SLAs & conversion metrics and iterate tactics rapidly.

Soft Skills

• Disciplined & Motivated – Self‑starter who can build their day around effective prioritization for lead qualifying, follow-up, and deal closure.
• Coaching Mindset – Willing to share best practices and uplift newer teammates.
• Feedback‑Oriented – Actively seeks input from peers and managers to improve performance.
• Adaptable – Quickly pivots to new verticals, market shifts, or product updates.
• Collaborative – Works fluidly with Marketing, Product and Sales Ops to align on what good looks like for new business growth..

What we offer

• Work that Matters: millions of people trust Proton with their privacy. We answer only to our users — not advertisers, not investors with conflicting agendas, not governments. The work you do here is real, and the impact is measurable. (read more about our impact here)

• Stock Options: at Proton, we all have the opportunity to be owners of the company. From day one, you have a real stake in what we're building. When Proton wins, you win.

• Technology: you'll get the right hardware and the right software you need to do your best work.

• Learning & Development: we invest in your growth because sharp people make us better. Proton is one of the fastest ways to accelerate your career because you'll be thrown into real challenges, with real ownership, from day one.

• Employee Benefits: your wellbeing isn't an afterthought. We offer strong health coverage, solid retirement options, generous leave, and wellness support so you can bring your best self to work every day

• In-Person Collaboration: Amazing things happen when passionate, smart, and purposeful people get together in the same room. With offices across Geneva, Zürich, Barcelona, London and more, you'll spend most of your time collaborating face-to-face with people who genuinely care about what they're building

• Food: Lunch and snacks are on us every day in our offices so you can focus on the work and not on what's for lunch.

• Transport: getting to the office shouldn't cost you. We cover public transport, bike allowances, or parking, whichever works for you.

• Flexible Working: you own your schedule. Set hours that work for you and your team — because outcomes matter more than when the clock says you started.

Check our social media to learn more about Proton: 

LinkedIn ,Reddit ,X, YouTube

Our Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion

At Proton, we believe diversity drives innovation and strengthens our mission to provide privacy as a default for all. We are committed to fostering an inclusive environment where all individuals, regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, age, sexual orientation, physical ability, or socio-economic background, feel valued and empowered. We strive to create equal opportunities, promote open dialogue, and support continuous learning to ensure every voice is heard and respected.

If you need any extra support or reasonable adjustments during the hiring process, please let your talent partner know.

Candidate Privacy Notice

When you apply for a position, refer a candidate, or are considered for a role at Proton Technologies AG (Proton, we, us, or our), your information is stored in Greenhouse, in accordance with their Service Privacy Policy. This information is used to evaluate your suitability for the posted position. We also retain this information for consideration for future roles that you may apply for or that we believe may align with your background and skills.

If we no longer have a legitimate business need to process your information, we will either delete or anonymize it. Should you have any inquiries about how we use or manage your information, or if you wish to access, correct, or delete your data, please contact our privacy team at careers@proton.ch.

Proton does not accept unsolicited resumes from any sources other than directly from candidates. We will not pay a fee for any placement resulting from an unsolicited offer, even if the candidate is subsequently hired by Proton.