Excelligence Learning Corporation is a leading innovator in the education sector, dedicated to developing, manufacturing, and distributing high-quality, grade-appropriate educational products and teaching solutions. With well-known brands like Discount School Supply, Really Good Stuff, Steve Spangler Science, Children's Factory, EPI, and Frog Street, we aim to empower educators and students with exceptional learning tools.
We are seeking a Director of Contract & Bid Administration to join our growing team. This position is 100% in-person at one of our Supplies team office locations in Monterey, CA, Shelton, CT, or Olathe, KS.
Position Overview
The Director of Contract & Bid Administration will lead and manage the bids and proposals team across all Excelligence brands. This role focuses on identifying, qualifying, and pursuing public sector procurement opportunities, including the preparation and submission of compelling proposals. This role will also utilize current trends to create a strategic pricing go to market strategy in the public sector market. The successful candidate will collaborate with key internal teams to secure and maintain contracts, including GSA Schedules, ensuring growth in both revenue and profitability.
This highly visible leadership role requires strategic thinking, cross-functional collaboration, and strong project management. Candidates should possess exceptional writing, analytical, and organizational skills, along with the ability to lead a high-performing team.
Key Responsibilities
Strategic Leadership & Bid Management
Develop and execute a high-level bid strategy designed to drive public sector growth and achieve short- and long-term financial objectives, including topline revenue and EBITDA growth.
Establish key performance metrics to track bid effectiveness, evaluate win/loss trends, and identify opportunities for improvement across the bid desk team.
Utilize AI-driven tools to automate and enhance the bid and proposal process, including proposal generation, pricing strategies, competitor analysis, and win/loss trend evaluation.
Maintain and update a dynamic competitor pricing database to ensure data accuracy and actionable insights for pricing strategies.
Leverage Natural Language Processing (NLP) tools to improve the clarity and impact of proposal narratives, ensuring alignment with customer requirements.
Develop a systematic process for obtaining approved vendor status to secure additional national and state contracts, expanding Excelligence's presence in the public sector.
Cross-Functional Collaboration
Collaborate with internal teams-including Legal, Sales, Marketing, Merchandising, eCommerce, and Product Development-to align bid strategies with overall business goals.
Work closely with product leaders to ensure proposals reflect market needs, competitive positioning, and product innovations.
Bid Development & Proposal Writing
Lead the sourcing, planning, and development of responses to RFPs, RFQs, RFIs, and grant proposals across all Excelligence brands.
Manage and oversee the end-to-end proposal process, including content creation, compliance, and final submission, ensuring proposals are persuasive, accurate, and aligned with customer requirements.
Maintain a comprehensive library of reusable content, templates, and best practices to improve response efficiency and quality.
Direct product and market research to inform bid strategies and enhance proposal effectiveness.
Enforce and continuously improve bid process protocols across the organization to maximize efficiency and compliance.
Go to Market Contract Pricing Strategies
Work with senior leadership on a pricing strategy, promoting profitable growth and ensuring operational excellence
Drive insightful pricing approaches by gathering data, conducting tests, and proving hypotheses
Help achieve growth targets through pricing initiatives and improved processes
Facilitate custom deal review processes, including go to market strategy, "right to win", and financial analysis on opportunities
GSA Schedule Management
Manage current GSA Schedules and pursue new GSA opportunities to expand Excelligence's footprint in government contracting.
Ensure compliance with government regulations, reporting requirements, and contract obligations.
Ongoing Contract Performance Tracking & Reporting
Oversee active contract maintenance, including performance tracking, reporting, and fee management.
Monitor awarded contracts to ensure adherence to key performance indicators and identify areas for renegotiation or improvement.
Team Leadership & Resource Management
Lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing bids and proposals team, fostering a collaborative and results-driven work environment.
Allocate team resources effectively to balance workloads and meet deadlines for multiple simultaneous bid opportunities.
Qualifications
Required:
Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience.
MUST have experience in K-12 bids and contracts.
Must have Broad technical knowledge of pricing strategies and programs, especially in the public sector markets
Minimum of 5 years of experience managing public sector RFP responses and/or large-scale grant applications.
Strong writing, grammar, and editing skills, with exceptional attention to detail and accuracy.
Ability to manage multiple projects in a deadline-driven, results-oriented environment.
Preferred:
Familiarity with the early childhood education sector.
Excellent presentation, communication, and interpersonal skills.
Experience integrating AI-driven tools into bid processes for efficiency and effectiveness.
Why Join Us?
Excelligence Learning Corporation is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) employer. We are committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace where innovation thrives. Join us in shaping the future of education and making a meaningful impact on students, educators, and communities.