National Contract Specialist

National Contract Specialist-Expected annual salary: $65,000 School Outfitters | Drive growth by securing and managing high-impact contract opportunities Location: Cincinnati, OH, On-site Work Environment Why This Role Matters Are you someone who thrives in a fast-paced, detail-driven environment and enjoys coordinating important projects with multiple deadlines?

In this role, you will support School Outfitters’ Contracts team by reviewing contract and proposal opportunities, coordinating submissions, tracking renewals, and maintaining accurate documentation. You won’t just organize paperwork, you’ll help keep proposal opportunities moving, support accurate submissions, and contribute to work that helps School Outfitters serve PreK–12 customers through cooperative purchasing programs.

This is a proposal and contract opportunity coordination role, not a legal contract drafting or negotiation position. This position does not carry an individual sales quota or manage customer orders after a sale. The role focuses on reviewing opportunities from established sources, coordinating proposal submissions, supporting renewals, and maintaining accurate contract documentation.

What You’ll Own Contract Opportunity Review & Coordination Review cooperative purchasing contracts, bids, and proposal opportunities from established sourcing channels. Evaluate requirements and help determine whether opportunities align with School Outfitters’ products and business needs. Partner with Sales leadership to support participation in cooperative purchasing programs and contract opportunities.

Proposal, Award & Renewal Coordination Coordinate proposal submissions, including gathering information, reviewing requirements, tracking deadlines, and organizing supporting documentation. Work with Sales, Marketing, Purchasing, Operations, and vendor partners to obtain information needed for complete and accurate submissions.

Track award decisions and communicate next steps to the appropriate internal teams. Monitor contract expiration dates and coordinate renewal activities. Contribute to a Contracts team that manages a high volume of contract opportunities and renewals each year. Maintain accurate contract records and documentation in company systems.

Contract Performance Support Review contract activity and performance information to help support renewal decisions. Share relevant contract information and observations with department and Sales leadership. Help identify opportunities to improve contract participation and support team goals. Cross-Functional Collaboration Coordinate with Sales, Marketing, Purchasing, Operations, and vendor partners to support proposal requirements and deadlines.

Share contract information and requirements with appropriate internal stakeholders. Participate in cross-functional meetings to support accurate and competitive proposal submissions. Compliance & Documentation Review contract and proposal requirements for completeness and accuracy. Identify questions, unusual requirements, or potential concerns and escalate them to leadership when appropriate.

Maintain accurate contract information and supporting documentation across company systems. Follow established processes and applicable contract requirements. External Engagement Communicate with cooperative purchasing organizations, customers, and vendor partners to gather required information and documentation. Participate in occasional trade shows, cooperative purchasing events, or professional development opportunities as business needs require.

How You’ll Make an Impact Support accurate, complete, and timely proposal submissions. Help the Contracts team stay organized across a high volume of opportunities and renewals. Contribute to contract participation and renewal decisions through careful tracking, documentation, and follow-through. Improve internal coordination by keeping stakeholders informed of requirements, deadlines, and next steps.

What We’re Looking For Be highly organized and able to manage multiple deadlines and priorities simultaneously Thrive in a deadline-driven, fast-paced environment Have strong attention to detail and accuracy in documentation and compliance. Be proactive, dependable, and comfortable following through independently on assigned work.

Communicate clearly across teams and with external partners. Be comfortable reviewing requirements, organizing information, and spotting details that may need clarification. Additional strengths that stand out: Experience with proposal support, bids, purchasing, logistics, operations, sales support, documentation, project coordination, or entry-level analyst work.

Ability to coordinate cross-functional work from start to finish. Strong organization, follow-through, and communication skills. What You’ll Gain Meaningful work that supports contract opportunities, renewals, and proposal submissions. Exposure to cooperative purchasing programs and large-scale customer opportunities.

Experience working across multiple business functions. The opportunity to build skills in contracts, proposal coordination, documentation, and operations support.

About Us

At School Outfitters, we help educators create learning environments where students and teachers thrive. As a national leader in educational furniture and equipment, we combine expertise, service, and innovation to support schools across the country. We are a 100% employee-owned (ESOP) company, meaning your work directly contributes to shared success.

Our culture is collaborative, growth-focused, and driven by a commitment to continuously improve and deliver value to our customers. Compensation, Benefits & Work Environment Competitive compensation aligned to experience Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) Comprehensive benefits package Apply Today If you’re ready to coordinate important opportunities, manage deadlines, and support accurate proposal and contract documentation, we’d love to hear from you.

Apply today to start the conversation. School Outfitters is an equal opportunity employer. EEO – Disabled / Veterans.