Contracts Manager

ritehite; Wisconsin; Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Life insurance

Retirement benefits

Profit-sharing program

Paid time off

Job summary

Rite-Hite in Milwaukee seeks a skilled Contracts Manager to lead the lifecycle of commercial agreements across procurement and legal teams. You will draft, review, negotiate, and manage vendor contracts, leases, and statements of work while ensuring compliance with policies and regulatory requirements.

This role offers exposure to global contracting and the adoption of CLM tools to drive process improvements.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of contracts management experience in a corporate setting.
• Experience with commercial, distribution and supply chain contracting.

Responsibilities

• Manage contracting workflow from request to signature.
• Draft, review, and negotiate vendor contracts (SaaS, confidentiality, master agreements, SOWs).
• Manage renewals, extensions, amendments and terminations.
• Review lease documents and related amendments.
• Ensure compliance with internal policies and regulations.
• Collaborate with legal, procurement and business teams.
• Maintain templates and playbooks; support CLM tool adoption.
• Track lifecycle events (renewals, obligations) in systems.
• Provide timely, practical contract guidance to internal customers.
• Resolve disputes and monitor SLAs and KPIs.

Skills

Independent work

Prioritization

Contract management

Cross-functional collaboration

Communication

Negotiation

Problem solving

Team oriented

Education

Bachelor's degree or paralegal certification

Tools

MS Word Track Changes

DocuSign

Adobe Acrobat Pro

CLM tools (Ironclad/Coupa/SAP Ariba)

Job description

At Rite-Hite, your work makes an impact. As the global leader in loading dock and door equipment, we design and deliver solutions that keep our customers safe, secure, and productive. Here, you'll find innovation, stability, and the chance to grow your career as part of a team that's always looking ahead.

We are seeking a skilled and detail-oriented Contracts Manager to join our global manufacturing company's legal department. This position will focus on buy and sell-side contracts, providing critical support to our procurement and legal teams. The successful candidate will be responsible for managing the lifecycle of commercial agreements, ensuring compliance with internal policies, and driving consistency across contract processes.

This position will offer a collaborative, supportive and inclusive workplace culture, the opportunity to work closely with senior legal and business leadership, and exposure to global operations and international contracting.

This is a hybrid position requiring three days onsite per week at our Milwaukee Corporate Headquarters, with the flexibility to work remotely two days per week.

In This Role, You Will

• Manage contracting workflow from initial request through to signature cycle working closely with all departments.
• Under supervision of legal counsel, draft, review, and negotiate a broad range of standard vendor contracts, including subscription agreements, confidentiality, master supply and services agreements, SOWs, distribution agreements, and independent contractor agreements.
• Manage contract renewals, extensions, amendments, and terminations, negotiating terms that align with changing business needs.
• Review lease documents, including amendments and terminations.
• Provide guidance on contract interpretation and enforceability.
• Ensure contracts comply with internal policies, U.S. regulations, and, where applicable, international legal standards.
• Collaborate with legal, procurement, and business teams to ensure contracts reflect business goals while managing risk.
• Maintain contract templates and support the development of standardized contract templates, playbooks, process improvements, and internal knowledge management resources.
• Track contract lifecycle events (renewals, terminations, obligations) using contract management tools or systems.
• Support implementation and adoption of contract lifecycle management (CLM) tools.
• Manage record keeping for contract-related correspondence and documentation, as well as all internal department files and resources.
• Be a trusted business partner providing timely, thoughtful, and helpful responses to requests from internal customers regarding company policies, legal issues, and risk tolerance.
• Use good judgment in knowing when to escape issues within the legal team for further evaluation or approval.
• Resolve contract disputes, conflicts, and issues that may arise during the contract lifecycle through effective communication, negotiation, and problem-solving skills.
• Monitor vendor performance against contract obligations, service level agreements (SLAs), and key performance indicators (KPIs), and take corrective actions as needed.

Qualifications

• Ability to work independently and manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• 5+ years of contracts management, operations, or other comparable experience in a corporate setting, in-house legal department, or law firm.
• Strong understanding of commercial, distribution and supply chain contracting principles, along with privacy and cybersecurity concerns.
• A demonstrated understanding and strong working knowledge of common contractual issues associated with commercial agreements.
• Experience in reviewing and negotiating a variety of commercial contracts and managing multiple complex contracts.
• Expert at MSWord Track Changes, DocuSign, and Adobe Acrobat Pro.
• Experience with contract management software or CLM tools is a plus (e.g., Ironclad, Coupa, SAP Ariba).
• Able to meet deadlines and coordinate cross-functional teams to ensure contract compliance and successful execution.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills to build and maintain relationships with vendors, customers, and internal stakeholders.
• Willingness to adapt to rapidly changing technology landscapes, emerging trends, and market dynamics to drive innovation in contract management practices.
• Excellent written and oral communication, negotiation, and organizational skills.
• A strong sense of working in a collaborative environment.
• Bachelor's Degree or a certification as an ABA-approved paralegal.

We take into account an individual's qualifications, skillset, and experience in determining final salary.

This role is eligible for health insurance, life insurance, retirement benefits, participation in the company's profit-sharing program, paid time off, including vacation and sick leave.

The actual offer will be at the company's sole discretion and determined by relevant business considerations, including the final candid