Vice President, Government & Military Business Development

Sonepar; Northern (KY); On-site; USD 180,000 - 280,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid time off

401(k) with company match

Professional development programs

Employee stock/ownership potential

Job summary

Sonepar USA is seeking a visionary leader for Government & Military Business Development. This VP will architect a scalable national strategy, targeting federal, defense, and public sector markets, and partner with operating companies to convert opportunities into revenue.

This remote role requires senior leadership experience, deep federal procurement knowledge, and ability to travel up to 60% nationwide to build an enterprise-wide growth platform.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of progressive leadership within Federal Government, Military, Defense and/or Government Contracting markets.
• Experience leading a national business segment or strategic vertical.
• Deep understanding of federal procurement processes, contract vehicles, acquisition pathways and government buying behaviors.
• Proven success developing growth strategies involving DoD, USACE, NAVFAC, GSA, VA.
• Ability to travel nationally up to 60%.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute Sonepar USA’s national Government & Military growth strategy.
• Identify and prioritize target agencies, programs, contract vehicles and customer segments.
• Build market entry, expansion and penetration strategies across government channels.
• Partner with Operating Companies to pursue and convert opportunities into revenue.
• Create scalable sales processes, pursuit frameworks and account prioritization tools.

Skills

Leadership

Strategic thinking

Executive relationships

Federal procurement knowledge

Travel readiness

Education

MBA or engineering degree

Job description

Vice President, Government & Military Business Development

Location: Virtual-5, US

Sonepar Management Group (SMG) supports our Sonepar brands (i.e. operating companies) in the US through a shared services model. These services include, but are not limited to: human resources, finance, digital enterprise, supply chain, vendor relations, marketing, legal, and communications. The SMG teams enable our brands to do business in their local regions while taking advantage of the scale and collective resources of a global enterprise.

SMG fosters an inclusive and supportive culture. We offer leadership and development programs to help you reach your career goals. Our associates share in our collective achievements, and we firmly believe that Sonepar is “Powered by Difference.” By driving technology and innovation, enabling paths to success, and caring about our people and their families, we have built a workplace where you can build a fulfilling career .

Lead One of the Largest Untapped Growth Opportunities in America

Sonepar USA is seeking a visionary and growth-oriented Vice President, Government & Military Business Development to build and lead our national Government & Military vertical.

In this role, you will architect and execute a scalable go-to-market strategy focused on Federal, Defense, Military, State & Local Government, Utilities, Infrastructure and Public Sector markets. With well over $2 trillion in annual government and infrastructure-related spending and investment activity, this role represents a unique opportunity to create a new growth engine for one of North America’s largest electrical distribution organizations.

Remote | United States | Travel 60% |

Why Join Sonepar?

Sonepar’s expansive portfolio of electrical products, supply chain capabilities, logistics solutions, digital platforms and cybersecurity investments position the business to support federal agencies, military installations, utilities, broadband initiatives, infrastructure modernization programs and energy resilience projects.

This role will help establish Sonepar as the preferred electrical distribution partner across government, defense, utility, broadband, energy and public infrastructure markets by building a repeatable enterprise-wide pursuit model, strategic partnerships and capture strategy.

What You Will Do:

• Develop and execute Sonepar USA’s national Government & Military growth strategy.
• Identify and prioritize target agencies, programs, contract vehicles and customer segments.
• Build market entry, expansion and penetration strategies across DoD, USACE, NAVFAC, VA, GSA and other federal procurement channels.
• Partner with Operating Companies to identify, qualify, pursue and convert Government & Military opportunities into profitable revenue.
• Develop national account strategies for EPCs, general contractors, defense contractors and Defense Industrial Base manufacturers.
• Create repeatable sales playbooks, pursuit frameworks, account prioritization tools and opportunity management processes.
• Establish executive-level relationships with government stakeholders, contractors, manufacturers, consultants, strategic partners and industry influencers.
• Partner cross-functionally with Legal, Compliance, Cybersecurity, Supply Chain, Operations and Digital teams to ensure compliant and scalable execution.

What We Are Looking For:

Required Experience:

• 10+ years of progressive leadership experience within Federal Government, Military, Defense and/or Government Contracting markets.
• Demonstrated experience leading and growing a national business segment, strategic vertical or market-focused organization.
• Deep understanding of federal procurement processes, contract vehicles, acquisition pathways and government buying behaviors.
• Proven success developing growth strategies involving DoD, USACE, NAVFAC, GSA, VA and/or other federal agencies.
• Experience influencing and driving results across complex, decentralized or matrixed organizations.
• Demonstrated ability to build executive-level relationships across customers, contractors, manufacturers and strategic partners.
• Experience creating scalable sales processes, pursuit frameworks and business development programs.
• Ability to travel nationally up to 60% of the time.
• Authorized to work for Sonepar USA without sponsorship now or in the future.

Preferred Experience:

• Electrical distribution, industrial distribution, construction, infrastructure, industrial automation, utility or related industry experience.
• Knowledge of military construction, facilities modernization, infrastructure resiliency and facility maintenance programs.
• Familiarity with EPCs, general contractors, defense contractors and Defense Industrial Base manufacturers.
• Strong understanding of CMMC, cybersecurity requirements, FAR, DFARS and related federal compliance standards.
• MBA, engineering degree or related advanced degree preferred.
• Prior military service is a plus but not required.

The Impact:

This is a rare opportunity to create and lead an enterprise-wide growth platform serving some of the largest and most strategically important markets in the United States. The successful candidate will play a pivotal role in positioning Sonepar as a preferred partner for government, military, utility, infrastructure, broadband and public sector customers nationwide.

We’re proud to be a military-friendly company, and our many employee resource groups (ERGs) help you make connections and feel supported.

What We Offer You

We offer great family-friendly benefits to full-time associates:

• Paid time off
• Paid parental leave
• 401(k) retirement savings with company match
• Professional and personal development programs
• Opportunity to become a shareholder
• Employer-paid short- and long-term disability
• Employer-paid life insurance for spouse and dependents
• Robust wellness program
• Gym reimbursement
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

Sonepar is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to their race, color, creed, religion, national origin, citizenship status, ancestry, sex, age, physical or mental disability unrelated to ability, marital status, family responsibilities, pregnancy, genetic information, sexual orientation, order of protection status, protected veteran or military status, or an unfavorable discharge from military service, or any other categories protected by federal, state or local law.

Sonepar and our family of brands are committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals. In keeping with our commitment, we will take the steps to assure that people with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations. Accordingly, if a reasonable accommodation is required to fully participate in the job application or interview process, to perform the essential functions of the position, and/or to receive all other benefits and privileges of employment, please call 843-745-2420 or email [e-mail] .