Vice President of Cooperative Purchasing

Vice President of Cooperative Purchasing

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and execute the company’s national cooperative purchasing strategy to expand market access, strengthen competitive positioning, and increase revenue.
• Oversee the full lifecycle of cooperative purchasing contracts, including solicitations, implementation, compliance, renewals, amendments, reporting, and required administrative fees.
• Lead responses to complex public-sector Requests for Proposals (RFPs) and related solicitations to secure new cooperative contract awards.
• Identify, evaluate, pursue, and secure new cooperative contract vehicles that align with company growth priorities and target markets.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with cooperative executives, public purchasing agents, school business officials, municipal procurement leaders, procurement associations, and other key stakeholders.
• Train, equip, and support national and regional sales teams in the effective use of cooperative contracts, public procurement requirements, statutory spending thresholds, and compliant piggybacking strategies.
• Promote collaboration between TenCate sales teams and cooperative purchasing regional representatives to strengthen local market engagement and opportunity development.
• Partner with Marketing to develop targeted campaigns, resources, and messaging for cooperative members that highlight TenCate’s turnkey sports surfacing solutions.
• Manage public-facing catalogs and contract pricing to ensure competitiveness, statutory compliance, accurate reporting, and appropriate margin protection.
• Ensure cooperative program offerings and sales practices comply with applicable federal, state, and local public purchasing laws and contract requirements.
• Maintain complete and accurate documentation of bid responses, contract modifications, pricing, reporting, and public-entity transactions to support internal and external audits.
• Monitor, analyze, and report revenue, pipeline activity, contract utilization, and other performance measures against quarterly and annual targets.
• Collaborate with Sales, Legal, Finance, Marketing, Operations, and executive leadership to ensure cooperative purchasing initiatives are effectively implemented and supported.

Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in business, procurement, legal studies, or a related field required; an advanced degree or relevant professional certification is preferred.
• Experience: A minimum of 8–10 years of progressive experience in public procurement, cooperative purchasing, business-to-government (B2G) sales, or a closely related field.
• Cooperative Contract Expertise: Demonstrated success securing and managing major cooperative contract vehicles, such as Sourcewell, OMNIA Partners, Equalis Group, and TIPS.
• Public Procurement Knowledge: Deep understanding of public bidding laws, statutory procurement exceptions, cooperative purchasing requirements, and compliant piggybacking practices.
• Construction Procurement Knowledge: Experience with construction-focused procurement methods, including Job Order Contracting (JOC) and design-build, and familiarity with RSMeans estimating tools or methodologies.
• Industry Knowledge: Experience with sports surfacing products, installation services, or a related construction industry is strongly preferred, including the ability to read and interpret turf specifications.
• Construction Contract Experience: Working knowledge of construction law and contract terms, including liquidated damages, progress billings, substantial completion, performance and payment bonds, and insurance requirements.
• Leadership: Strong executive presence and a demonstrated ability to influence cross-functional teams, lead strategic initiatives, and drive measurable revenue growth.
• Communication: Exceptional negotiation, presentation, relationship-building, and written communication skills across public- and private-sector audiences.
• Technology: Proficiency with Microsoft Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams, Salesforce, and BigTinCan. Ability to learn additional systems, which may include ComputerEase, Concur, Procore, SharePoint, and AIA Contract Documents software.
• Travel: Ability and willingness to travel up to 40% for cooperative events, conferences, trade shows, internal meetings and training sessions, trade shows, and customer engagements.

Reporting Relationship

This position reports directly to the President of TenCate North America – Sports Division and currently supervises designated team members supporting cooperative purchasing initiatives. Reporting relationships and team structure may evolve based on business needs.

Work Environment and Physical Demands

This is a remote position with frequent business travel to public procurement conferences, cooperative-sponsored events, internal meetings and training sessions, trade shows, and customer locations. The physical demands described below are representative of those required to successfully perform the essential functions of the position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this role, the employee is frequently required to communicate verbally, review detailed written materials, use a computer for extended periods, sit or stand for extended periods, and use hands and fingers to operate standard office equipment. The employee may regularly be required to lift and carry 16–25 pounds for distances greater than 10 feet. Trade show setup and participation may require additional physical activity, including climbing, pushing, pulling, bending, stooping, and crouching. Depending on the location and activity, the employee may be exposed to moving equipment, loud machinery, temperature extremes, dust, fumes, allergens, insects, or other environmental conditions. Required personal protective equipment may include a safety vest, hard hat, safety glasses, and work boots.

Equal Employment Opportunity

TenCate is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to creating an inclusive workplace and providing equal employment opportunities to all applicants and employees without regard to race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.