Contract Specialist

Kistler Group; Detroit (MI); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision, life, and SDL

401(k) with company match

Generous vacation time

Job summary

Kistler Instrument Corporation seeks a Contract Specialist to own contract lifecycle management for North America, coordinating with Sales, Engineering, Quality, Finance, HR and ICT. You will draft, review, negotiate, and manage customer agreements, NDAs, and vendor contracts while maintaining the contract database and ensuring regulatory compliance.

Based in Novi, MI, you will support ISO/QMS activities and safety compliance, liaising with the Corporate Legal Group and external counsel.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Law, Business, or related field; Master’s preferred.
• 3+ years in contract drafting/negotiation and compliance.
• Experience with US regulatory requirements (DFARS/ITAR a plus).
• Ability to coordinate cross-functional teams and influence others.
• Proficiency with CLM or document-management systems.

Responsibilities

• Lead contract lifecycle management for North America, including reviews and negotiations.
• Draft, review, and manage customer agreements, NDAs, addenda, and vendor contracts.
• Maintain contract databases and the Legal AI Contract Review System.
• Interpret regulatory language to guide internal teams and ensure compliance.
• Coordinate with Sales, Quality, Engineering, Finance, HR, ICT and HS&E on requests.
• Represent NA in legal, compliance, and contract initiatives with Global Legal.

Skills

Cross-functional coordination

Influence without authority

Contract drafting

Regulatory & compliance awareness

Legal writing & communication

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Law or Business

Master’s degree preferred

Tools

CLM software

Document management software

Contract database management

Job description

Join Kistler – A Global Leader in Measurement Technology!

At Kistler, we’re revolutionizing industries with our cutting‑edge dynamic measurement technology, helping customers optimize products and processes. From automobile development to smart factories, our Swiss‑designed sensor solutions are driving the future of electrified drive technology, industrial automation, and emission reduction.

Purpose of the Position

Contract Specialist, North America, supports legal and non‑financial compliance across the organization. This role is responsible for coordinating and finalizing customer legal requests (contracts, NDAs, POs) by coordinating with internal stakeholders in Sales, Quality, Engineering, Finance, HR, ICT (Cyber Security) and HS&E (Health, Safety and Environment).

This role delivers comprehensive legal guidance and end‑to‑end contract lifecycle management (CLM) for North America, ensuring alignment with regulatory, safety, and quality standards. Acting as a collaborative partner to Sales, Engineering, and Operations, the position manages relationships with external legal resources and the Corporate Legal Group to minimize risk and uphold organizational compliance and integrity.

Main Tasks

Legal & Compliance – Full Ownership

• Serve as the primary legal and compliance contact for Kistler North America.
• Draft, review, negotiate, and manage a broad range of legal documents including customer agreements, NDAs, legal entity addendums, compliance agreements, procurement/vendor and third‑party contracts, partnership agreements, and policy documentation.
• Maintenance of the contract database and the Legal AI Contract Review System.
• Interpret legal and regulatory language to guide internal teams in mitigating risk and ensuring compliance with corporate governance and applicable laws.
• Own all aspects of contract lifecycle management (CLM): ensure contracts are accurately recorded, tracked, and maintained; obligations, renewals, close‑outs, and risk milestone management.
• Maintain clause libraries, deviation logs, and escalate critical legal or compliance risks to internal stakeholders and corporate leadership.
• Conduct quarterly legal risk reviews; support non‑financial audits, investigations, and internal issue resolution.
• Monitor regulatory and compliance trends across the region and provide advisory support to leadership.
• Represent North America in legal, compliance, and contract initiatives within Kistler Group.
• Cooperation with Global Legal and external lawyers / consultants.
• Maintain and renew business licenses, coordinate with relevant departments.
• Supports the completion of government reports and registrations for North American corporate entities (New York, California, Michigan and Canada).
• Supporting special projects (BABA)

Quality Management System (ISO) Support (Novi, MI)

• Support for local quality meetings in alignment with ISO standards

Facility Safety Compliance Support (Novi, MI)

• Serve as the site safety compliance lead; aligning procedures with OSHA & MiOSHA requirements.
• Ownership of completing annual HSE surveys.
• Conduct quarterly facility walkthroughs and toolbox talks.
• Maintain OSHA/MiOSHA‑aligned documentation and drive corrective actions as needed.
• Ensure contractor safety agreements and on‑site visitor protocols are documented, communicated, and enforced.

Requirements Profile

• Bachelor’s degree in Law, Business, or related field.
• Preferred Master’s Degree.
• Preferred DFARS and ITAR experience.
• 3 + years’ progressive experience in contract drafting/negotiation and compliance.
• Legal background on the US and economics.
• Demonstrated success coordinating cross‑functional teams and influencing without authority.
• Proficiency with CLM or document‑management software.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication; ability to translate legal nuance into operational language.

Why Kistler?

At Kistler, we value your expertise and offer opportunities for professional growth in a global environment. Our competitive benefits package includes:

• Medical, dental, vision, life, and disability coverage
• 401(k) plan with a 4% company match
• Generous personal and vacation time

Join a team that’s shaping the future of measurement technology. We look forward to meeting you!

Kistler Instrument Corporation is an Equal Opportunity Employer.