Contract Manager

Contracts Manager I

Location: Mentor, OH

Job Type: Direct Hire/Full Time

Travel: Approximately 10% U.S. travel

Salary - $120K- $122K/Annum

About the Role:

We are seeking an experienced Contracts Manager to lead contract development, negotiation, administration, and compliance for a manufacturing organization in Mentor, OH. This role will manage contracts of varying complexity, support new product introductions and new awards, and partner closely with customers, suppliers, internal teams, and regulatory agencies.

The ideal candidate brings strong customer-facing contract management experience, excellent negotiation skills, and a background in manufacturing, aerospace, defense, military/commercial, or electronics.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead the development, negotiation, and administration of customer contracts and agreements.
• Manage NPI programs, new awards, product-specific agreements, and product schedule agreements.
• Review and negotiate terms and conditions, NDSs, and other contractual requirements.
• Identify and mitigate contractual, financial, and compliance risks.
• Manage contractual change control and ensure appropriate contractual flow-down requirements.
• Provide guidance on contract interpretation and develop negotiation strategies and alternatives.
• Partner with cross-functional teams including Program Management, Finance, Operations, Engineering, and Legal.
• Support export compliance activities and ensure adherence to applicable regulatory requirements.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with customers, suppliers, and internal stakeholders.
• Lead and mentor contracts team members and support process improvement initiatives.
• Communicate contract status, risks, recommendations, and key issues to leadership and customers.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Contract Management, or a related field.
• 7 years of relevant contracts management experience, including leadership/project lead experience.
• Strong customer-facing contract management and negotiation experience.
• Experience with NPI and new business awards, not solely recurring hardware contracts.
• Strong knowledge of contract terms, conditions, risk management, and applicable regulations.
• Manufacturing industry experience required; aerospace/defense or electronics manufacturing preferred.
• Understanding of basic export compliance principles.
• Strong analytical, communication, negotiation, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to lead cross-functional teams and work effectively with customers and senior leadership.
• Contracts management certification preferred/required based on applicable requirements.
• MS/MBA/JD or additional professional certifications is a plus.