Contract Manager

LMK Recruiting Solutions; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

LMK Recruiting is seeking a Contracts Manager to own the full lifecycle of contracts across our portfolio in Chicago, IL. You will draft, review, negotiate, and administer government and commercial agreements, ensuring compliance and mitigating risk while enabling scalable growth across multiple brands.

Partner with legal, finance, and business teams to drive favorable terms, manage a centralized contract repository, and oversee audits and regulatory obligations.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Contract Management, Legal Studies, Finance, or a related field.
• 5+ years of professional experience in government contract administration, commercial contract management, or legal/compliance roles within a commercial setting.
• Demonstrated expertise with FAR, DFARS, CAS, and other government procurement regulations.
• Strong track record of commercial contract negotiation, risk management, and compliance.
• Proven ethical judgment and integrity in handling sensitive company and government information.
• Exceptional attention to detail, analytical rigor, and the ability to work independently while managing multiple competing priorities and deadlines.
• Collaborative mindset with strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to translate legal/regulatory concepts for internal stakeholders.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, contract management systems (CLM), and legal research tools is preferred.
• Ability to pivot and adapt to evolving regulations, fast-paced business environments, and integration initiatives.

Responsibilities

• Review, draft, and negotiate all contract types, including government contracts and NDAs.
• Monitor contract performance and ensure adherence to requirements, delivery schedules, and payment terms.
• Maintain comprehensive files and documentation in accordance with policies and regulations.
• Manage a centralized contract management repository with tracking of key dates, obligations, renewal triggers, and risk flags.
• Ensure compliance with FAR, DFARS, CAS, and other applicable laws and standards.
• Advise leadership on contract risk areas and mitigation strategies for government and commercial contracts.
• Support internal audits and DCAA/DCMA reviews with complete documentation and compliance certification.
• Conduct regular audits and compliance assessments to identify gaps and opportunities for improvement.
• Partner with teams on RFP/RFQ responses, term analysis, cost/pricing review, and negotiation strategy.
• Analyze solicitation documents to identify critical requirements, obligations, and risks.
• Develop recommendations for contract terms aligned with risk tolerance, margins, and regulatory obligations.
• Serve as liaison with contracting officers, prime contractors, commercial partners, and vendors.

Skills

Attention to detail

Analytical thinking

Written communication

Verbal communication

CLM software

Microsoft Office

Regulatory compliance

Risk management

Negotiation

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

CLM systems

Legal research tools

Job description

LMK Recruiting is assisting a partner in their search for a Contracts Manager. The Contracts Manager is a strategic, detail-oriented role responsible for managing the full lifecycle of all contract types across our portfolio. This individual owns contract development, review, negotiation, and administration across commercial agreements, vendor relationships, service agreements, and government contracts, serving as the primary steward of contractual compliance and risk mitigation. This role is accountable for contract administration, regulatory compliance, risk mitigation, and support of proposal development. The Contracts Manager partners closely with business development, finance, operations, and legal teams to ensure our agreements enable business success, protect company interests, and meet all regulatory and compliance requirements. Reporting directly to the CFO, this role is essential to scaling our integrated contracting operations. This position is ideal for someone detail-oriented, analytically rigorous, and proactive, someone who takes pride in creating contractual frameworks that protect the company and enable scalable, compliant growth across a complex, multi-brand portfolio.

Key Responsibilities

• Review, draft, and negotiate all contract types, including government contracts (federal, state, local), commercial agreements, subcontracts, modifications, amendments, and NDAs.
• Monitor contract performance and ensure adherence to contractual requirements, delivery schedules, compliance obligations, and payment terms across the entire contract portfolio.
• Maintain comprehensive files and documentation in accordance with company policies, government regulations, internal controls, and best practices.
• Manage data by establishing and maintaining a centralized contract management repository with tracking of key dates, obligations, renewal triggers, and risk flags.
• Ensure compliance with the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS), Cost Accounting Standards (CAS), and other applicable laws and industry standards.
• Advise leadership on contract risk areas including indemnification, limitation of liability, IP ownership, and confidentiality; recommend mitigation strategies for both government and commercial contracts.
• Support oversight of internal audits, DCAA/DCMA reviews, and other government activities by providing complete documentation and compliance certification.
• Conduct regular audits and compliance assessments to identify gaps, exposures, or opportunities for improvement.
• Partner with teams in business development and finance on RFP/RFQ responses, including contract terms analysis, cost/pricing proposal review, and negotiation strategy.
• Analyze solicitation documents to identify critical requirements, compliance obligations, regulatory constraints, and potential deal-breakers or risks.
• Develop recommendations for contract-specific terms aligned with company risk tolerance, margin targets, and regulatory obligations.
• Serve as the primary liaison between the company and government contracting officers, prime contractors, commercial partners, and key vendors.
• Work cross-functionally with operations, finance, legal, business development, and HR teams to resolve contract issues, interpret obligations, and ensure successful execution.
• Provide training and guidance to internal staff on contract compliance requirements, key obligations, and escalation procedures.
• Recommend process improvements for contract management, compliance tracking, administration efficiency, and risk monitoring across the company.
• Develop and maintain policies, templates, and playbooks that scale across our portfolio brands.
• Stay current with regulatory changes, industry best practices, government contracting updates, and company policy evolution.
• Partner with the CFO on strategic contracting initiatives, vendor relationship optimization, and cost management opportunities.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Contract Management, Legal Studies, Finance, or a related field.
• 5+ years of professional experience in government contract administration, commercial contract management, or legal/compliance roles within a commercial setting.
• Demonstrated expertise with FAR, DFARS, CAS, and other government procurement regulations.
• Strong track record of commercial contract negotiation, risk management, and compliance.
• Proven ethical judgment and integrity in handling sensitive company and government information.
• Exceptional attention to detail, analytical rigor, and the ability to work independently while managing multiple competing priorities and deadlines.
• Collaborative mindset with strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to translate legal/regulatory concepts for internal stakeholders.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, contract management systems (CLM), and legal research tools is preferred.
• Ability to pivot and adapt to evolving regulations, fast-paced business environments, and integration initiatives.