Regional Director of Learning Environments, Midwest

Lakeshore Learning Materials; Indianapolis (IN); On-site; USD 100,000 - 115,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Uncapped commission

Paid parental leave

Medical/dental/vision coverage

401(k) with company match

Flexible benefits

Employee discount

Job summary

Lakeshore Learning Materials is hiring a Regional Director of Learning Environments, Midwest. The role focuses on securing K-12 FF&E sales by building relationships across districts, schools, and related institutions in the Midwest region.

Responsibilities include managing a geographic area, presenting Lakeshore value, leading bids, and collaborating with Inside/Outside Sales to drive projects from lead to installation. Travel up to 50% is required.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree preferred; job-related experience may substitute for degree.
• 6 years of sales experience or equivalent work experience.
• Experience in K-12 FF&E sales; familiarity with procurement in school districts is required.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Word, Outlook and Salesforce.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Willingness to travel up to 50% within the territory.

Responsibilities

• Build and secure sales in the field with a focus on K-12 FF&E opportunities, cultivating relationships within school districts and sites.
• Own a designated geographic area and manage your business.
• Be a Lakeshore brand ambassador, promoting our value proposition to customers at all levels.
• Attend bid openings, board meetings and provide direction for bid responses.
• Own projects through the entire sales process from lead generation to installation, coordinating with regional and inside sales teams.
• Collaborate with managers to delegate tasks and responsibilities to project teams.
• Host product presentations and events to familiarize customers with Lakeshore services.
• Influence districts and stakeholders to specify Lakeshore furniture and provide CEU presentations when appropriate.
• Initiate conversations and drive outcomes with district leadership and support teams.
• Pursue bond opportunities and large capital projects; align with Lakeshore offerings.
• Work with Marketing to refine messaging and collateral for your markets.
• Partner with Sales, Retail and Professional Development to support educators locally.
• Provide guidance on sales strategy and relationship management for your region.
• Maintain awareness of local, state, and national trends and funding for K-12 FF&E.
• Travel as needed to identify market nuances and participate in conferences.

Skills

Sales experience

K-12 FF&E knowledge

A&D presentations

Salesforce

MS Office (Word/Outlook)

Strong communication

Regional travel

Education

Bachelor’s degree preferred

Tools

Salesforce

MS Office

Job description

Company Description

At Lakeshore, we create innovative learning materials and world-class guest experiences for teachers, parents and children. Since 1954, we’ve grown into a global community- with a thriving e-commerce business, multiple catalogs, over 50 stores, a peerless national sales force, plus international offices that support our preeminent supply chain division. But today we’re working better, smarter and faster than ever-and setting our sights even higher. We’re building an infrastructure designed for scalability, embracing data-driven decision-making and using technology to improve efficiency and ensure the best tools for the best work. Most importantly, we continue to invest in a diverse team of inquisitive top talent who fuel each other’s passions and curiosity, take risks, try new things and believe that every new day brings opportunities for growth.

Job Description

We are seeking a Regional Director of Learning Environments, Midwest

to secure new and repeat business by building strong relationships with key customers and stakeholders. In this role, you will visit school district offices, school sites, city/community colleges, architecture and design firms, and trade shows to assess emerging trends and ongoing needs. The position also requires prospecting new leads with city, county and state government officials, university administrators and community-based organizations. Applicants should possess sharp presentation skills and the ability to speak to customer needs at all levels. The ideal candidate also has robust project management skills, as well as a strong work ethic and team-player mentality.

A day on the job looks like this:

• Build and secure sales in the field with a focus on K-12 FF&E opportunities, cultivating relationships within school districts and school sites directly across all levels
• Take responsibility for a designated geographical area and own your business
• Be a Lakeshore brand ambassador, promoting our value proposition to customers at all levels
• Attend bid openings, board meetings and provide direction for bid responses
• Own projects through entire sales process from lead generation through installation in and work in partnership with local Regional Sales Manager and Inside Sales Team members
• Collaborate with managers to delegate tasks and responsibilities to project team members
• Host product presentations and events designed to familiarize customers with proprietary services
• Influence customers and other key stakeholders to specify Lakeshore furniture and provide CEU presentations when appropriate.
• Initiate conversations, relationships and drive outcomes with district leadership along with supporting Outside and Inside Sales team with their own regions
• Pursue bond opportunities, modernization and large capital improvements projects and position Lakeshore where appropriate
• Work with Inside Sales team and Marketing group to fine-tune messaging and collateral materials to support your markets
• Partner with Sales, Retail and our Professional Development to support the needs of local educators
• Provide support to guide sales strategy, relationship management and mentorship based on specific region/territory
• Maintain an ongoing awareness of local, state and national trends and funding opportunities in K-12 FF&E
• Travel as needed to identify nuances of current/emerging markets within designated region and participate in conferences to promote the Lakeshore brand
• Manage your own sales pipeline opportunities throughout the entire sales process. Support sales pipeline opportunities identified by Outside and Inside Sales team and assist with account mapping to ensure all key stakeholders are identified and develop action plans when possible

Qualifications

Got the skills and experience? Here’s what we’re looking for:

• Bachelor’s degree strongly preferred; job-related experience may be substituted in lieu of degree
• 6 years of experience in sales, or equivalent work experience
• Background and understanding of K-12 furniture sales, A&D presentation experience (Product presentations, CEUs, etc) required. Role requires a strong understanding of how school districts and school sites make FF&E procurement decisions
• Proficiency with Microsoft Word, Outlook and Salesforce
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Excellent administrative, organizational skills, and timely follow up required.
• Candidates should ideally reside in the Indianapolis, Chicago, Detroit, Cleveland, Cincinnati, or Columbus area and have the ability to travel within the territory as needed, including up to 50% travel

Additional Information

And here’s our end of the bargain!

• Salary: $100,000-$115,000
• Uncapped commission structure
• Paid leave for new parents to support work/life balance and family bonding
• Excellent medical/dental and vision coverage-EPO, PPO and HSA
• 401(k) retirement plan with company contribution (because you will retire someday)
• Flexible benefit options-choose what you like, ignore the rest
• Generous employee discount on products

At Lakeshore, we know our diversity makes us stronger, and when everyone feels included and valued, we all win. We strive to embrace our differences and create an intentionally diverse and inclusive community that is representative of the teachers, families and children we serve.

We know we couldn’t do the extraordinary things we’re doing without the people on our team. Thanks to the passion and enthusiasm of this spectacular group, Lakeshore is more than a great place to work—it’s a great experience to be part of. Day in and day out, we give everything we’ve got to create products that instill a sense of wonder and foster a true love of learning. To help maintain this high bar for success, we’re constantly on the lookout for people to join us. So if you’re a down-to-earth professional who shares our desire for making a difference, we’d love to hear from you.

Lakeshore is an E-Verify employer. We use E-Verify to confirm the employment eligibility of all newly hired employees.

Please see the E-Verify Participation Poster and Know Your Rights Poster in English and Spanish for more information. INDRLL1

Equal Employment Opportunity Policy

People are selected to become members of the Lakeshore family based on skill, merit and mind-boggling talent- not based on race, color, creed, sexual orientation, gender or gender identity, marital status, domestic partnership status, military status, religion, age, national origin, ancestry, alienage, AIDS or AIDS-related complex status, genetic information, predisposition or carrier status, status as a victim of domestic violence, physical or mental disability, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. If things aren’t equal, we all lose.