The Contract Manager (Manufacturing) is responsible for leading the commercial performance, governance, and compliance of strategic OEM customer contracts. This role partners closely with Legal, Sales, Finance, Pricing, and site teams to optimize contract execution, mitigate commercial risk, and ensure delivery of approved EBITDA and cash objectives across the contract lifecycle.
Key Responsibilities
Lead OEM contract negotiations in close partnership with Aerospace General Counsel and senior Sales leadership.
Develop, implement, and maintain a robust contract performance management framework for key OEM customers, covering all contractual commitments across the Organization’s operating sites.
Monitor and enforce customer compliance with contractual terms to ensure delivery of approved commercial outcomes (e.g., price index escalation, annual adjustments, pass-through mechanisms), including proper customer notifications in line with contractual and internal change management requirements.
Chair and lead monthly internal contract performance reviews with Customer Service, Sales, Pricing, and other stakeholders, addressing topics such as liquidated damages, contract risks, and operational issues.
Analyze OEM contracts to define and execute Contract and Claim Management strategies, proactively managing commercial risks and identifying actions to protect EBITDA and drive cash generation.
Own and execute OEM contract renewal strategies from initial planning through final contract execution.
Partner with Pricing and Commercial Finance to validate deal structure, pricing integrity, and overall commercial health for key OEM customers.
Lead and manage formal communication processes for strategic customer correspondence, ensuring consistency and alignment across sites.
Own end-to-end contract review and approval workflows and serve as a key advocate for ongoing enhancements to contract policies, standards, and governance processes.
Provide expert commercial and contractual guidance to site teams on customer-specific risks, claims exposure, and contractual obligations.
Participate in customer business reviews alongside Customer Service teams to support contract governance discussions and resolution of commercial issues, as appropriate.
Support Sales leadership and Customer Service with quote development, proposals, and bid responses for strategic OEM customers, as required.
Develop and deliver training programs to strengthen contractual and commercial capabilities within the Customer Service organization.
Lead the resolution and management of claims and disputes in accordance with established claim management processes, working closely with legal and site-based teams.
Required Qualifications
5–7 years of experience in OEM commercial, contracts, or related roles within aerospace or high-tech manufacturing environments.
Strong end-to-end knowledge of the OEM contract lifecycle, including RFQs, proposal development, negotiation, execution, compliance, and renewal activities.
Demonstrated working experience with Contract Lifecycle Management (CLM) systems, ERP platforms, Salesforce, and standard legal and commercial documentation, including escalation and pricing clauses.
Proven ability to evaluate pricing structures, assess margins, and analyze contract profitability across the product lifecycle; familiarity with pricing methodologies, cost models, and financial KPIs (e.g., EBITDA), with strong proficiency in Excel and/or Power BI.
Ability to interpret complex OEM contractual language and translate it into clear, actionable plans for site-level execution.
Strong negotiation and commercial risk management expertise, with experience structuring contract terms that balance legal and financial risk while preserving long-term customer relationships.
High attention to detail and process discipline, with the capability to manage complex, multi-year contracts and ensure compliant handoffs to operations and customer service teams.
Advanced cross-functional collaboration and communication skills, with experience operating effectively in matrixed organizations and coordinating across sales, legal, finance, engineering, and operations.
Willingness to travel up to 25% as required.
Education
Bachelor’s degree required; MBA or other advanced degree preferred.