Education Procurement & Vendor Access Consultant - Contract to Hire

About My ZOO Box My ZOO Box is a hands-on animal science education brand for kids ages 3–12. We create screen-free books, activities, games, collectibles, and enrichment materials designed to turn children's love of animals into real science learning. We've grown through direct-to-consumer sales and are now expanding into schools, charter programs, after-school programs, libraries, homeschool/ESA purchasing channels, and district-level opportunities. What we're looking for We're looking for someone who understands how schools, districts, charter programs, and education organizations actually purchase products. This is not a general sales role. We need someone who can help us identify the right purchasing pathways, understand vendor approval requirements, prioritize the best opportunities, and build a realistic plan for getting My ZOO Box in front of education buyers. The right person has already worked in or around school procurement, education sales, curriculum purchasing, vendor approval, charter school purchasing, co-op programs, or related education channels.

Responsibilities

Research and map vendor approval pathways for our top target states, with Texas as the first priority Identify relevant cooperative purchasing programs, regional service centers, charter networks, ESA/ClassWallet-style programs, libraries, and after-school programs Recommend which vendor applications or procurement pathways are worth pursuing first Help us understand what materials we need to look school-ready — vendor packets, product descriptions, pricing sheets, pilot proposals, standards alignment, capability statements Build targeted prospect lists of school librarians, enrichment coordinators, after-school program directors, charter school buyers, and curriculum contacts Identify schools, programs, and funding streams that are a strong fit for hands-on science enrichment products Advise on positioning and messaging for school, district, charter, and enrichment audiences Help create a practical outreach and follow-up plan Ideal background Experience navigating school, district, charter, or education vendor approval processes Familiarity with education procurement pathways — co-ops, regional service centers, enrichment budgets, grant-funded programs, ESA/ClassWallet, library purchasing Prior work with educational product companies, curriculum publishers, enrichment providers, or education sales teams Ability to work independently and turn research into organized, actionable next steps Strong understanding of how education buyers evaluate supplemental learning products First project We'd like to begin with a defined first project that includes: A recommended school/vendor access strategy for My ZOO Box A prioritized list of vendor approval pathways and co-op opportunities, starting with Texas A short list of the best-fit education buyer categories for our products A clear breakdown of what materials or documentation we need before applying or pitching Recommended next steps for outreach and pipeline building If the first project is a strong fit, we're open to expanding into an ongoing part-time consulting role. Budget We're budgeting $500–$1,500 for the first defined project, depending on scope and experience. Hourly rate in the $50–$100/hr range. Open to discussing both fixed-price and hourly structures. To apply Please share a brief overview of your experience with school, district, charter, or education vendor processes. Include any relevant projects where you helped a product, curriculum, program, or company get approved, positioned, or purchased through education channels. We're looking for someone who already understands this world and can help us move strategically — not someone learning school procurement from scratch alongside us.