Sr. Manager, Demand Generation

About Backstory

Backstory (formerly People.ai) is the leading AI answers platform for sales teams. With more than a decade of training AI models on billions of sales interactions, Backstory enables modern sales teams to ask questions and get the right answer in the moment directly within their existing AI workflows. Sales leaders from companies like OpenAI, IBM, Red Hat, Verizon, Palo Alto Networks, Iron Mountain, TransUnion, Randstad and others rely on Backstory to get trusted answers wrapped in real business context helping them orchestrate deals more effectively and drive revenue. 

By connecting every signal to the right accounts and opportunities, Backstory shows teams exactly what is happening and what to do next. Customers across industries including enterprise, cybersecurity, data and analytics, and defense use Backstory to drive trillions in pipeline and revenue.

Recognized by Gartner and Forrester, the Inc. 5000, Y Combinator Top Companies, and the Forbes AI 50, Backstory is based in San Francisco and backed by ICONIQ Capital, Andreessen Horowitz, Lightspeed Venture Partners, Akkadian Ventures and Mubadala Capital.

The Role

As Senior Manager of Demand Generation at Backstory, you will own how buyers find us and how they convert into pipeline. This is an AI-first marketing seat—equal parts strategy and hands-on execution. You will manage paid media, agency partners, web conversion, and organic discovery across both traditional search engines and AI answer engines. Partnering directly with the SVP of Marketing, you will commit to an enterprise pipeline target and build the automated systems to hit it.

Responsibilities

• Own paid acquisition and performance marketing across paid search, paid social, display, and digital ABM, optimizing toward pipeline, CAC, and payback.

• Manage performance marketing agency partners, driving strong execution, creative output, experimentation, and efficient campaign performance.

• Lead SEO and AI-driven discovery (AEO) across Google, ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, Claude, and other emerging channels, including technical SEO, content strategy, schema, and site health.

• Own Backstory’s Share of Model strategy, increasing brand visibility, citations, and recommendations across AI answer engines relative to competitors.

• Build AI-powered campaign automation tools to scale enrichment, personalization, research, and campaign execution.

• Own web performance and CRO, continuously testing landing pages, messaging, offers, and user experiences to increase qualified conversions and pipeline.

• Lead lifecycle nurture and funnel optimization, improving segmentation, messaging, sequences, and conversion across MQL → SQL → Opportunity.

• Co-own integrated campaign strategy and pipeline performance with the SVP of Marketing, aligning paid, search, content, and distribution while measuring impact through multi-touch attribution.

• Drive performance creative strategy, partnering with Creative and agencies to develop, test, and optimize campaign assets based on CTR, conversion, and pipeline contribution.

Qualifications

• 6+ years in Demand Generation / Growth Marketing at a high-growth B2B SaaS or enterprise AI startup.

• AI-Forward Operator: Proven track record of testing and integrating cutting-edge AI software into campaign operations. You are deeply technical with modern tools and constantly look for ways to replace manual marketing tasks with automated AI workflows.

• Proven Pipeline Ownership: Track record of owning a qualified enterprise pipeline number and managing paid digital budgets end-to-end.

• Full-Funnel & Lifecycle Mastery: Strong experience managing paid performance, CRO, and automated email nurture streams 

• Data & Attribution Rigor: Fluency in CAC, payback periods, multi-touch attribution, and CRM/MAP reporting.

• Cross-Functional Partner: Ability to work smoothly alongside Product Marketing, Creative Director, and Sales to turn messaging and content into scalable pipeline.

• Curiosity, collaboration and a focus on impact.