Director of Field Engagement at National… · Lexington

JOB TITLE: Director of Field Engagement

ORGANIZATION: NASPO

DEPARTMENT: Business Development & Supplier Engagement

LOCATION: Remote

REPORTS TO: Deputy Chief Business Development Officer

GRADE: 33

RANGE: $139,900-$171,375

JOB SUMMARY

The Director of Field Engagement is responsible for building and leading a new demand-side field team for NASPO ValuePoint. This role will take charge of making our brand known and preferred across U.S. SLED — especially beyond NASPO ValuePoint’s existing state government customer base — educating end customers on the advantages of cooperative purchasing and orchestrating standardized, scalable sales plays that convert brand awareness into contract utilization and revenue growth.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Build the function.

Stand up the team's strategy, market segmentation, territory model, playbooks, tools, and operating cadence from the ground up.

• Brand awareness & preference.

Design and execute the go-to-market plan to grow awareness and preference among SLED purchasing decision-makers — procurement officials, agency leaders, administrators, senior executives, etc.

• Market education.

Develop the narrative, content strategy, and event/association presence (e.g., NIGP, NASPO-adjacent forums, school business official associations, etc.) that teaches end customers why cooperative purchasing — and NASPO ValuePoint specifically — is the best path.

• Competitive differentiation.

Sharpen and evangelize our value proposition versus competing cooperatives; arm the team with clear, credible differentiation.

• Growth partnership.

Partner with the Director of Supplier Engagement to align field enablement with supplier engagement and growth strategy and ensure that buyer needs are referred to suppliers through a neutral, equitable handoff process. Together with the Director of Supplier Engagement, ensure sales generated through NASPO ValuePoint portfolios consistently deliver a surplus to fuel NASPO organizational growth.

• Team leadership.

Coach and manage the field engagement team —define vertical territories, the field-to-activation playbook, and performance standards.

• Measurement & insight.

Instrument the funnel (awareness ? education ? first purchase ? repeat purchase) and regularly report on market penetration by vertical, segment, and geography.

• Strategic partnerships.

Cultivate relationships with associations, buying groups, and influencer organizations across SLED verticals.

SKILLS, EXPERIENCE & QUALIFICATIONS

• Substantial, progressive experience in business development, sales leadership, or market development experience, with meaningful time selling to or serving U.S. SLED customers; 3+ years managing people.

• Deep understanding of public procurement dynamics and the cooperative purchasing landscape, including the competitive set of national cooperatives.

• Track record of building a function, territory model, or go-to-market motion from scratch — comfortable operating without an existing playbook.

• Established network in relevant SLED communities (e.g., NIGP chapters, school business official associations, municipal leagues, higher-ed procurement groups) preferred.

• Strong marketing instincts: brand positioning, content-led education, event strategy, and funnel measurement.

• Collaborative operator able to effectively co-own growth goals with the Director of Supplier Growth and Engagement Strategy.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES

Direct supervision of the Vertical Field Managers.

TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS

Ability to travel (~35–50%), particularly during conference season.

WHAT GOOD LOOKS LIKE

• Within the first year, the team has a documented strategy, defined vertical territories, working playbooks, and a measurable baseline for brand awareness in target segments.

• Earned and unearned brand awareness among SLED procurement decision-makers rises measurably year over year.

• First-time contract users grow steadily in greenspace segments — the market is discovering us outside state government.

• The cooperative has a visible, credible presence at the right SLED associations and events, and end customers cite our education content as a reason they engaged.

• The demand-side funnel is instrumented end to end; leadership can see what's working by segment.

This job description describes the general nature and level of work performed and is not intended to be an exhaustive list of responsibilities.