The Role:
As a Sales Development Representative (SDR), you will play a critical role in driving the company’s revenue by managing and qualifying marketing-qualified leads (MQLs) into sales opportunities. This position involves working closely with the marketing and sales teams to identify prospects, nurture leads, and ensure seamless transitions to the sales team. The ideal candidate has strong communication skills, an understanding of sales processes, and experience with lead management in a fast-paced environment. This role requires four days a week in our Chicago office.
Key Responsibilities:
Lead Management & Qualification:
- Handle and qualify all Marketing Qualified Leads (MQLs) provided by the marketing team within predetermined Service Levels Agreements.
- Make outbound calls and campaigns to potential Morningstar Prospects.
- Engage with leads via phone calls, emails, and LinkedIn to understand their needs and pain points.
- Research potential leads and personalize outreach based on their business needs and challenges.
- Use lead scoring criteria to prioritize leads based on their readiness to buy.
- When needed or time allows, conduct outbound sales-led campaigns to engage prospects and generate new opportunities.
Pipeline Development:
- Create and manage a pipeline of potential opportunities, nurturing leads through the early stages of the sales funnel.
- Set up meetings, demos, and sales calls between qualified prospects and Account Executives or sales managers.
- Stay organized and track all lead interactions using the company’s CRM system (e.g., Salesforce).
Collaboration:
- Work closely with marketing to provide feedback on lead quality and align on strategies to improve MQL flow and conversion.
- Partner with the sales team to ensure a seamless handoff of leads and provide context for ongoing conversations.
Reporting & Analytics:
- Regularly report on lead metrics such as conversion rates, outreach success, and pipeline growth.
- Provide insights and recommendations for improving the qualification process and increasing conversion rates.
- Track and monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) such as number of calls, emails, meetings set, and opportunities generated.
Continuous Improvement:
- Stay updated with industry trends, market conditions, and competitor offerings to refine messaging and approach.
- Provide feedback to the marketing team regarding the quality of MQLs and suggest improvements for lead generation campaigns.
- Proactively seek out learning opportunities to improve product knowledge, sales techniques, and industry expertise.
Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree. Preferred concentrations are Business, Marketing, Communications, or a related field is preferred.
- Experience in customer facing roles, sales, business development, preferably in a B2B or SaaS environment.
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with a focus on active listening and the ability to ask the right questions.
- Strong organizational and time-management skills to handle multiple prospects and tasks.
- Familiarity with CRM tools (e.g., Salesforce) and sales engagement platforms
- Ability to work in a fast-paced, dynamic environment with a strong sense of urgency.
- Data-driven mindset with the ability to analyze lead data and draw actionable insights.
Compensation and Benefits
At Morningstar we believe people are at their best when they are at their healthiest. That’s why we champion your wellness through a wide range of programs that support all stages of your personal and professional life. Here are some examples of the offerings we provide:
Financial Health
100% 401k match up to 6% of salary
Stock Ownership Potential
Company provided life insurance - 1x salary + commission
Physical Health
Comprehensive health benefits (medical/dental/vision) including potential premium discounts and company-provided HSA contributions (up to $500-$2,000 annually) for specific plans and coverages
Additional medical Wellness Incentives - up to $300-$600 annual
Company-provided long- and short-term disability insurance
Emotional Health
Trust-Based Time Off
6-week Paid Sabbatical Program
6-Week Paid Family Caregiving Leave
Competitive 8-24 Week Paid Parental Leave
Adoption Assistance
Leadership Coaching & Formal Mentorship Opportunities
Annual Flex Stipend - $1000 annually to cover personal education & well-being expenses
Tuition Reimbursement
Social Health
Charitable Matching Gifts program
Dollars for Doers volunteer program
Paid volunteering days
15+ Employee Resource & Affinity Groups
Total Cash Compensation Range
$55,725.00-85,458.33Inclusive of annual base salary and target incentive
Morningstar's hybrid work environment gives you the opportunity to collaborate in-person each week as we've found that we're at our best when we're purposely together on a regular basis. In most of our locations, our hybrid work model is four days in-office each week. A range of other benefits are also available to enhance flexibility as needs change. No matter where you are, you'll have tools and resources to engage meaningfully with your global colleagues.
001_MstarInc Morningstar Inc. Legal EntitySkills Required
- Internal candidates must have a proven track record of exceeding goals and at least six months at Morningstar.
- Internal candidates must be in good standing with the company and demonstrate professionalism, a positive attitude, and alignment with company values.
- External candidates must have a bachelor's degree; Business, Marketing, Communications, or a related field is preferred.
- Experience in customer-facing roles, sales, or business development, preferably in a B2B or SaaS environment.
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, including active listening and effective questioning.
- Strong organizational and time-management skills.
- Familiarity with CRM tools such as Salesforce and sales engagement platforms.
- Ability to work in a fast-paced, dynamic environment with a strong sense of urgency.
- Data-driven mindset with the ability to analyze lead data and draw actionable insights.
What the Team is Saying
Morningstar Compensation & Benefits Highlights
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Leave & Time Off Breadth — Time-off policies include flexible PTO and a paid sabbatical every four years, often highlighted as a standout perk. Feedback suggests this structure supports strong work–life balance and meaningful breaks.
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Parental & Family Support — Policies advertise a global minimum of 16 weeks for primary caregivers, up to 8 weeks for secondary caregivers, and at least six weeks of paid caregiving leave. These offerings signal above-average support for family and caregiving needs.
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Retirement Support — Retirement programs feature employer 401(k) contributions/matching, with some postings citing a 75% match on up to 7% of pay. Feedback suggests these offerings are a strong pillar of the package.
Morningstar Insights
What We Do
We are a global investment research and financial data company with 40-plus offices across North America, Europe, Australia, and Asia. Our products and services are used daily by individual investors, financial advisors, asset managers, retirement plan providers, and institutional investors. We provide data, research, and analysis across managed investment products, publicly listed companies, private capital markets, debt securities, and real-time global market data. The financial system can have real barriers—hidden information, friction that can slow decisions, and forces that can limit transparency and access. We work to remove them, bringing independent research, connected data, and investor-first tools to a system that needs more clarity. The people doing this work span research, technology, design, product, sales, and functional areas. We build many of our products in-house, so the work can connect directly to the tools investors use to make real financial decisions.
Why Work With Us
Morningstar’s missing is to empower investor success. We can only do that if our people feel empowered. That means finding people who think independently, bring a wide range of backgrounds with analytical rigor and genuine intellectual curiosity to the work.
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Hybrid Workspace
Employees engage in a combination of remote and on-site work.
Across most of our offices globally, employees work four days a week in the office and one day from home. We recognize that life doesn't always fit a fixed schedule and offer programs that can help provided increased workplace flexibility.
