Gtm Role Descriptions

---
name: gtm-role-descriptions
description: >-
  GTM job descriptions, org structure, and compensation — role-by-role JD
  templates, revenue org charts by ARR stage, OTE/quota/comp plans, and posting
  channels. Includes GTM Engineer hiring (vs RevOps, SE, Growth Engineer). Grounded
  in Betts Recruiting, Bridge Group, RepVue, Pavilion, and Winning by Design POD
  design. Use when writing a job description, designing revenue org structure,
  setting sales comp, or hiring SDR/AE/RevOps/GTM Engineer/CS/Marketing roles.
  Triggers on: "job description", "JD for", "write a job post", "sales comp plan",
  "OTE quota", "revenue org chart", "hire SDR", "hire AE", "VP Sales job description",
  "RevOps role", "GTM Engineer", "hire GTM engineer", "org structure GTM".
license: MIT
compatibility: Claude Code, Codex, GitHub Copilot, Cursor, Gemini CLI, OpenCode, Goose, Hermes, Jesse, Windsurf, Zed
metadata:
  version: "1.5.0"
  author: LeadMagic
  category: founder-led
  tags: [hiring, job-description, compensation, org-design, revenue, gtm-roles, betts]
  related_skills: [founder-comp-playbook, gtm-recruiting, executive-compensation, job-posting-strategy, hiring-by-role, sales-team-building, gtm-leadership, first-hires-playbook, revops-tech-stack, employment-compliance, clay-toolkit, n8n-automation, hiring-agencies, revenue-team-onboarding]
  frameworks:
    - "Betts Recruiting — SaaS GTM hiring and role definitions"
    - "Bridge Group — SaaS Sales Metrics & Compensation Benchmarks"
    - "RepVue — Sales org transparency and comp data"
    - "Sam Jacobs (Pavilion) — Revenue leader comp and CRO Council standards"
    - "Pavilion — Revenue leader hiring standards"
    - "Winning by Design — POD structures and GTM org design"
    - "Mark Roberge — Sales Acceleration Formula hiring traits"
    - "RevOps Co-op — GTM systems and RevOps role boundaries"
    - "Clay — GTM Engineer market role definition (clay.com/careers)"
    - "Stacey Nordwall (Culture Amp / Pyn) — Culture-first onboarding and manager enablement for revenue teams"
    - "Pavilion — Compensation Planning 101 and GTM comp benchmarks (with Sam Jacobs)"
    - "Tito Bohrt (AltiSales) — SDR economics & cost-per-meeting comp logic"
---

# GTM Role Descriptions

## Overview

Bad job descriptions attract the wrong candidates and repel the right ones.
"Rockstar SDR wanted" gets noise. A constraint-first JD with transparent comp,
clear outcomes, and org context gets builders. The mistake: copying a generic
LinkedIn template without org placement, quota math, or reporting lines.

This skill is the GTM hiring anchor: job description templates per revenue
role, org charts by ARR stage, compensation benchmarks, and where to post.
Load `sales-team-building` for hire sequence timing; load `gtm-recruiting` for
sourcing, closing, and offer negotiation; load `hiring-by-role` for interview
scorecards after the JD is written.

## When to Use

- "Write a job description for [SDR/AE/VP Sales/RevOps/GTM Engineer/CSM]"
- "Hire a GTM engineer" / "GTM Engineer vs RevOps"
- "Design our revenue org structure"
- "What's OTE and quota for an AE at our stage?"
- "Comp plan for SDR team"
- "Org chart for $3M ARR SaaS"
- "Job post for first sales hire"

Do not use for interview design alone — use `hiring-by-role`. Do not use for
where to distribute posts — use `job-posting-strategy`.

## Authoritative Foundations

- **Betts Recruiting.** GTM-specialist recruiting firm. Role definitions emphasize
  **quota attainment history** over tenure, stage-fit (startup vs scale-up), and
  builder mentality. Use Betts for VP+ and hard-to-fill GTM searches.
- **Bridge Group.** Annual SaaS sales benchmarks: quota-to-OTE ratio (~5:1),
  ramp time, activity metrics, comp plan prevalence. OTE should be ≤20% of
  year-1 quota (`sales-team-building`).
- **RepVue.** Crowdsourced sales org data — candidates research your comp and
  culture before applying. Publish honest ranges; misaligned comp kills pipeline.
- **Sam Jacobs / Pavilion.** Founder of Pavilion; CRO Council sets peer standards for
  **executive comp** (multi-gate variable: ARR + NRR + efficiency). VP+ offers →
  `executive-compensation` for clause library. Member referrals outperform job boards.
- **Winning by Design.** POD ratios (SDR:AE:CSM) and when to add roles vs promote.
- **Mark Roberge.** Hire for Coachable, Curious, Prior success, Intelligent,
  Work ethic — reflect in "Who You Are" section, not years-of-experience filters.
- **Stacey Nordwall (Culture Amp / Pyn).** People Ops for SaaS revenue teams:
  culture-first onboarding, onboarding surveys → manager action, new-manager training
  before promotion, role-specific ramp paths. Canonical playbook →
  `references/hr-gtm-playbook.md`. Pair with Roberge ramp metrics — not interchangeable.
- **Pavilion (Sam Jacobs).** Compensation Planning 101 for AE/SDR/manager modeling;
  interactive comp benchmarks at offer time. VP+ → `executive-compensation`.
- **Tito Bohrt (AltiSales).** Price the SDR role on **fully-loaded cost per qualified
  meeting** (not base ÷ dials) and reject under-comped plans — his public "Dear CFO"
  argument is that *"$50K base / $70K OTE won't bring the right talent."* Comp SDRs on
  qualified meetings **held** and document the SDR→AE path. Canonical →
  `skills/founder-led/sales-team-building/references/tito-bohrt-sdr-science.md`.

**Comp strategy (canonical):** `executive-compensation/references/gtm-compensation-strategy.md`
(Pattern 35). **Bands:** `references/comp-benchmarks.md`. **Stage matrix:**
`executive-compensation/references/comp-by-role-stage.md`. If SKILL quick-ref
differs, follow `references/benchmark-reconciliation.md`.

## Step-by-Step Process

### Phase 1: Org Context (Before Writing the JD)

Define where this role sits:

| ARR Stage | Typical Revenue Org | Reports To |
|---|---|---|
| $0–$1M | Founder sells; maybe 1 full-stack AE | Founder/CEO |
| $1–$3M | 2–3 AEs, 1–2 SDRs, founder or player-coach mgr | Founder or Head of Sales |
| $3–$10M | Manager + AEs + SDRs + 1–2 CSMs | VP Sales / CRO |
| $10M+ | VP Sales, Sales Ops, Enablement, CS leader | CRO |

Full org charts in `references/org-by-stage.md`. POD design in `sales-team-building`.

### Phase 2: JD Structure (Betts / Constraint-First)

Every GTM JD uses this order — see `templates/job-description.md`:

1. **Title + stage context** — "Account Executive (Hire #2, $2M ARR)"
2. **Why this role exists** — business constraint, not "we're growing"
3. **What you'll own** — 5–7 outcome bullets (not task lists)
4. **What success looks like** — 90-day and 12-month measurable outcomes
5. **Who you are** — achievements, not years (Roberge traits for sales)
6. **Org context** — reports to, partners with, team size today
7. **Compensation** — transparent OTE/salary range, equity, benefits
8. **How to apply** — simple; include work sample or numbers ask for sales

**Anti-patterns:** rockstar/ninja, "fast-paced," years-only requirements,
hidden comp, generic "join our journey."

### Phase 3: Role Catalog (Quick Reference)

Full specs in `references/role-catalog.md`. Compensation ranges are US B2B
SaaS benchmarks — adjust by geo and ACV.

| Role | OTE / Salary | Quota (if applicable) | When to Hire |
|---|---|---|---|
| SDR / BDR | $58–85K OTE | 12–20 qualified meetings/qtr | AEs need pipeline |
| AE (mid-market) | $130–190K OTE | $650K–$950K ARR | Founder closed 10–20 deals |
| Senior AE (enterprise) | $170–235K OTE | $850K–$1.2M ARR | $50K+ ACV motion proven |
| Player-coach Manager | $170–235K OTE | Team quota | 2+ AEs at quota |
| VP Sales | $240–380K OTE | Org ARR target | $5M+ ARR, 5+ reps |
| RevOps / Sales Ops | $95–150K salary | N/A | CRM/reporting chaos |
| Sales Enablement | $105–160K salary | N/A | Ramp cost justifies role |
| CSM | $72–115K OTE | NRR / GRR targets | Churn threatens NRR |
| Demand Gen Manager | $100–150K salary | SQL/MQL targets | $2M+ ARR, pipeline gap |
| RevOps (GTM systems) | $110–160K salary | N/A | Multi-tool GTM stack |
| GTM Engineer | $95–165K salary | OKRs (not quota) | $500K–$2M ARR; Clay/n8n bottleneck |
| Senior GTM Engineer | $125–165K salary | OKRs + milestones | $2M+ ARR; agency graduate |

**GTM Engineer (canonical):** Role boundaries, hire triggers, comp leveling, tool stack,
and onboarding handoff → `references/gtm-engineer-hiring.md`. JD → `templates/gtm-engineer-jd.md`.
Interview scorecard → `hiring-by-role` → `skills/founder-led/hiring-by-role/templates/gtm-engineer-scorecard.md`.

### Phase 4: Compensation Plan Elements

**Founders:** Before picking templates, run `founder-comp-playbook` — can you
afford the hire (% ARR), what negotiation reserve exists, how to walk through
equity and quota with candidates.

Pick role-specific template (strategies in `references/saas-comp-strategies.md`;
bands in `references/comp-benchmarks.md`, **updated June 2025 / H1 2026**):

| Role | Template |
|---|---|
| SDR | `templates/comp-plan-sdr.md` |
| AE | `templates/comp-plan-ae.md` |
| Manager | `templates/comp-plan-manager.md` |
| VP / CRO | `templates/comp-plan-vp-cro.md` + `executive-compensation` (clauses) |
| SPIFF / bonus | `templates/comp-plan-spiff.md` |
| Generic | `templates/comp-plan.md` |

Document in selected template:

**AE (standard SaaS):**
- 50/50 base/variable OTE
- Quota = OTE × 5 (e.g. $140K OTE → $700K quota)
- Linear or accelerated commission above 100%
- 90-day ramp; recoverable draw optional months 1–3

**SDR:**
- 60/40 or 50/50 base/variable
- Comp on qualified meetings held (not dials)
- $150–250 per qualified meeting; bonus for SQO conversion
- Promotion path to AE documented in JD

**CSM:**
- 70/30 or 80/20 base/variable
- Variable on NRR, GRR, or expansion ARR
- No variable on activities — outcomes only

### Phase 5: Where to Post (GTM Roles)

| Role Level | Primary Channels |
|---|---|
| SDR/AE | LinkedIn, RevGenius, RepVue, Compgauge |
| Manager/VP | Pavilion, Betts, LinkedIn, investor network |
| RevOps | RevOps Co-op, Pavilion, LinkedIn |
| GTM Engineer | RevOps Co-op, LinkedIn, Clay community, Pavilion referrals |
| CSM | Gainsight Pulse, Support Driven, LinkedIn |

Full channel matrix in `job-posting-strategy`.

### Phase 6: Revenue Systems Alignment

Roles must map to systems — load `revops-tech-stack` for tool ownership:

| Role | Typical Systems Owned |
|---|---|
| SDR/AE | CRM, sequencer, enrichment |
| RevOps | CRM admin, forecasting, routing, data hygiene |
| GTM Engineer | Clay, n8n, enrichment, sequences, signal plays, CRM sync |
| Sales Enablement | LMS, playbook, battlecards |
| Demand Gen | MAP, ads, attribution |

## Output Format

Deliverable package:
- Completed JD (`templates/job-description.md`)
- Comp plan summary (`templates/comp-plan.md`)
- Org placement (`templates/org-chart.md`)
- Posting channel recommendation

Run `scripts/check-output.py` before delivery.

## Quality Check

- [ ] JD uses constraint-first structure (why role exists now)
- [ ] Outcomes are measurable at 90 days and 12 months
- [ ] Compensation range included (OTE + equity)
- [ ] Quota math shown for variable roles (OTE × ~5)
- [ ] No rockstar/ninja or years-only requirements
- [ ] Org reporting line and stage context included
- [ ] Roberge traits reflected for sales roles (not generic "hustle")
- [ ] Promotion path stated for SDR → AE
- [ ] Role timing aligns with `sales-team-building` hire sequence

## Common Pitfalls

1. **JD without org context.** Candidate can't tell if they're hire #2 or #20.
   Fix: title includes stage and team size.

2. **Quota not tied to OTE.** $200K OTE with $400K quota = rep leaves.
   Fix: Bridge Group ~5:1 ratio.

3. **SDR comp on activity.** Pays for dials, not pipeline quality. Fix: qualified
   meetings held + SQO bonus.

4. **VP Sales too early.** 70% failure before $2M ARR. Fix: follow hire sequence.

5. **Comp hidden.** RepVue-savvy candidates skip. Fix: publish range.

6. **Same JD for SMB and enterprise AE.** Different skills, different comp.
   Fix: separate role catalog entries.

7. **GTM Engineer vs RevOps conflation.** Forecast owner ≠ Clay builder. Fix:
   `gtm-engineer-hiring.md` role table; split titles at scale.

8. **Hiring GTM Engineer before process exists.** Automates broken CRM stages.
   Fix: Operating Model ≥6 (`pipeline-management`) before FTE.

## Execution Artifacts

- `references/framework-notes.md` — Framework index and authority routing
- `templates/output-template.md` — Primary deliverable shell
- `scripts/check-output.py` — validates JD deliverables
- `references/hr-gtm-playbook.md` — Stacey Nordwall + Pavilion People Ops for revenue hiring, comp, ramp HR systems
- `references/gtm-engineer-hiring.md` — role definition, timing, comp, tools, handoff
- `templates/gtm-engineer-jd.md` — constraint-first GTM Engineer JD
- `references/role-catalog.md` — full JD blocks per GTM role
- `references/comp-benchmarks.md` — Bridge Group-style comp tables
- `references/saas-comp-strategies.md` — IC and leadership comp strategies
- `templates/comp-plan-sdr.md`, `templates/comp-plan-ae.md`, `templates/comp-plan-manager.md`, `templates/comp-plan-vp-cro.md`, `templates/comp-plan-spiff.md`
- `references/org-by-stage.md` — revenue org charts by ARR
- `templates/job-description.md` — master JD template
- `templates/comp-plan.md` — OTE, quota, accelerators
- `templates/org-chart.md` — reporting structure template

## Related Skills

- `job-posting-strategy` — Channels and sourcing beyond the JD
- `hiring-by-role` — Interview scorecards after posting (GTM Engineer → `gtm-engineer-scorecard.md`)
- `hiring-agencies` — Agency pilot before first GTM Engineer FTE
- `clay-toolkit` / `n8n-automation` — Tool stack expectations in JD
- `revenue-team-onboarding` — Day 0 systems access for GTM Engineer
- `sales-team-building` — Hire sequence, PODs, comp models
- `first-hires-playbook` — First 10 hires beyond sales
- `revops-tech-stack` — Systems each role owns
- `employment-compliance` — Legal posting requirements by state
- `executive-compensation` — VP/CRO clauses, Pavilion gates, board memo
- `gtm-leadership` — Hire/fire decisions, difficult conversations, comp approval