Manager, Business Development Representatives - Southern Europe

About the role

Proofpoint is a global leader in human- and agent-centric cybersecurity. We protect how people, data, and AI agents connect across email, cloud, and collaboration tools. Over 80 of the Fortune 100, 10,000 large enterprises, and millions of smaller organizations trust Proofpoint to stop threats, prevent data loss, and build resilience across their people and AI workflows. Our mission is simple: safeguard the digital world and empower people to work securely and confidently. Join us in our pursuit to defend data and protect people. How We Work: At Proofpoint you'll be part of a global team that breaks barriers to redefine cybersecurity guided by our BRAVE core values: Bold in how we dream and innovate Responsive to feedback, challenges and opportunities Accountable for results and best in class outcomes Visionary in future focused problem-solving Exceptional in execution and impact Proofpoint is seeking a Business Development leader who can scale a high-performing BDR organisation while modernizing our outbound engine with AI, automation, and data-driven systems. In this role, you will own the strategy, leadership, and day-to-day execution of the BDR team operating across Southern EMEA, driving quality pipeline, refining processes, and building an environment where innovation and discipline coexist. You will work closely with both Account Management and Marketing to define and execute a successful account-based sales strategy. You will combine traditional BDR excellence with next-generation AI workflows to enhance research, personalization, and productivity. Your leadership will empower BDRs to work smarter, convert faster, and open conversations with senior decision-makers across multiple markets. Your Day-to-Day Leadership & Team Development Hire, onboard, and develop top-tier BDR talent while fostering a culture of accountability, performance, and innovation. Drive team success by coaching BDRs on core sales skills, enterprise prospecting, objection handling, messaging, and consultative outreach. Deliver consistent performance by refining KPIs, activity frameworks, compensation levers, and progression paths. Outbound Strategy & Execution Define and optimize outbound strategies across email, phone, social, events, and multi-threaded account-based workflows. Ensure the team consistently delivers high-quality sales opportunities that progress into meaningful pipeline and closed-won revenue. Partner closely with Sales to align on GTM strategy, ICP refinement, territory planning, and pipeline acceleration initiatives. Collaborate with Marketing on campaigns, lead flow, attribution, messaging, and conversion insights. Implement and scale AI-powered research, personalization, and processes to optimise BDR productivity and opportunity conversion rate Operational Excellence Oversee daily team operations to ensure a high-energy, metrics-driven environment. Maintain CRM accuracy and integrate automation that supports transparency, forecasting, and reporting. Deliver regular insights to Sales, Marketing, and leadership on performance, trends, and opportunities for improvement. Uphold best practices for enterprise outbound across regions, languages, and verticals.