The General Manager will serve as the primary leader responsible for driving the success of SOVRA’s relationship with the New York State, and its state agencies, local governments and suppliers participating in any programs operated by SOVRA and New York State, or the Empire State Procurement Alliance (Alliance), including building trusted and effective relationships with Chief Procurement Officers, Directors and other senior government leaders. SOVRA provides various e-procurement solutions for both New York State and various New York counties participating in the Alliance. The General Manager will be responsible for developing and implementing strategies to increase usage of client contracts in New York across the state and in some cases nationally, including ensuring user satisfaction and increasing total spend. 

As a key leader in the organization, the General Manager will work collaboratively with internal and external stakeholders, including C-level executives, to implement high-impact strategies, deliver superior value, and promote operational excellence. This role requires visionary leadership, cross-functional coordination, and the ability to inspire trust and confidence across diverse teams and stakeholders. This position will be directly supported by a Local Government Account Manager and will be located in New York, with coverage over the entire state.

 

What will your main responsibilities look like?  

     Strategic Leadership and Relationship Management

Serves as Company’s strategic relationship manager for the State’s and Empire Procurement Alliance Counties’ senior leadershipEstablishes productive, professional relationships with key buyer and supplier stakeholders across the state.Coordinates and directs the involvement of Company personnel to meet account performance objectives and customers’ expectations.Act as a thought leader and trusted advisor to senior government officials, advocating for innovative procurement strategies and policies. Assists Company’s Sales and Success personnel in expanding the contractual relationship with the customers to increase revenues.

      Operational Excellence and Growth

Develops and implements annual operational plans with quantifiable, measurable results in partnership with State and Alliance stakeholders in order to meet the Company’s revenue and other financial objectivesWorks with internal Marketing and Supplier Success teams to ensure supplier outreach, enablement and marketing activities increase supplier participation within the impacted programs.Attends conferences, trade shows, meetings, etc., to promote NY State and Alliance contracts.Negotiates and manages contracts with suppliers onboarding and/or participating in NY State and Alliance programs.Leads account solution efforts that best address customer needs, while coordinating the involvement of all necessary Company personnel (Support, Services, Product, etc.) Leads renewal activities when customer is approaching term end and coordinates appropriate resources (legal, finance, etc.) to facilitate successful execution.Exhibits robust knowledge of all client-utilized software solutions (as implemented) and leverages knowledge to understand/serve customer needs. Ensures Company activities comply with state procurement laws and regulations.

      Program Innovation and Expansion

Identify opportunities to enhance the value of SOVRA’s programs, including launching new services, expanding supplier participation, and refining existing solutions to meet evolving needs. Partner with internal SMEs to design and roll out scalable strategic sourcing initiatives that drive greater spend under management. Establish frameworks for supplier and buyer enablement that deliver measurable outcomes and increase program visibility. 

What will be your accountabilities and performance measures?

Achieves assigned growth targets in system usage, contract spend and Company revenues in New York.Assist in reviewing, validating and updating spend and revenue projections.Meets assigned expectations for account retention and profitability.Achieves strategic customer objectives defined by Company management.Completes strategic customer account plans that meet Company standards.Maintains high customer satisfaction ratings that meet Company goals.Travels approximately 30% to 50%, primarily within New York.

 

What elements of your professional background will be necessary and useful in this role?

Must be located in New York. 10-15 years of total professional experience, with 5-7 years at the strategic management level.Bachelor’s degree required.Public Purchasing experience preferred.Relevant B2B or B2G product, sales and marketing experience with significant experience in management at a senior level; additional experience in e-commerce to small businesses and/or government is a strong plus.Proven record of accomplishment with a consistent track record of demonstrating a measurable, positive impact on all facets of the business including profitability, revenue and growth.Strong interpersonal and communications skills; must have an established track record of building strong relationships with key constituencies.Evidence of having attained strong client relationships with the ability to interact with C-level executives.Experience managing multiple goals simultaneously, with an immediate impact in a high-growth, fast-paced, fluid environment.Entrepreneurial, out-of-the-box thinker, intellectually curious and life-long learner.Self-motivated and can easily function in an often unstructured and high-demand, performance-driven environment.A natural leader who can gain trust, respect and credibility with team members and senior management.Highly organized and possess exceptional planning and time management skills.Excellent written and verbal skills, communicating in an open, clear and honest way.Power user of Excel, PowerPoint and Word.