Sr. Manager-Contracting & Customer Relationship Management

SSA Marine; Seattle (WA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

SSA Marine is seeking a Senior Manager – Contracting & Customer Relationship Management to drive disciplined contracting, customer performance, and long-term relationships across the Global Containers portfolio. The role collaborates across Commercial, Operations, Legal, Finance, and IT to ensure alignment of contractual commitments, delivery, and commercial outcomes. Travel up to 50% to customer sites and SSA Marine locations.

Qualifications

• 5+ years in contract lifecycle management or related fields.
• Experience in asset‑intensive or customer‑driven environments.
• Understanding of contract-operations-performance relationship.
• Ability to influence across matrix teams.
• Strong analytical and communication skills; systems thinking.
• Fluent in English, both written and verbal.

Responsibilities

• Own contract lifecycle frameworks, processes, and reporting for performance visibility.
• Translate performance insights into inputs for risk management and margin improvement.
• Own the contract lifecycle operating model from execution to renewal support.
• Establish standards and governance for consistent contracting practices and risk management.
• Lead design and evolution of customer business review frameworks, including quarterly/annual reviews.
• Serve as business owner for contract management platforms and related tools.
• Partner with Commercial, Operations, Legal, Finance, and IT to align contracting with operations and commercial goals.
• Contribute to development and maturation of contracting and CRM capabilities across the organization.

Skills

Contract lifecycle management

Commercial operations

Legal operations

Cross-functional leadership

Analytical thinking

Communication skills

Systems thinking

English fluency

Tools

Ironclad

Job description

Senior Manager – Contracting & Customer Relationship Management

This position is responsible for enabling disciplined contracting practices, effective customer performance management, and strong, long-term customer relationships across the Global Containers portfolio. The role owns and advances core contracting and customer management processes, tools, and governance frameworks, ensuring alignment between contractual commitments, operational delivery, and commercial outcomes. Operating cross-functionally with Commercial, Operations, Legal, Finance, and IT, the Sr. Manager supports scalable execution, margin performance, and consistent commercial practices across the organization.

Essential Responsibilities:

Contract & Customer Performance Management

• Own frameworks, processes, and reporting that provide visibility into contract performance, customer commitments, and renewal milestones.
• Translate performance insights into inputs that support customer discussions, risk management, and margin improvement.

Contract Lifecycle Ownership & Governance

• Own the contract lifecycle operating model from execution through performance management and renewal support.
• Establish standards and governance to promote consistency, clarity, and appropriate risk management in contracting practices.
• Support leadership decision-making related to contract approvals, renewals, and complex or high‑risk commercial matters.

Business Review & Customer Forums

• Lead the design and evolution of customer business review frameworks, including quarterly and annual reviews.
• Ensure customer forums integrate contract performance, operational outcomes, and customer priorities to drive effective dialogue and follow-through.

Technology & Process Enablement

• Serve as business owner for contract management platforms and related commercial tools.
• Partner cross-functionally to support adoption, data quality, and scalable integration into commercial workflows.

Cross-Functional Partnership & Capability Development

• Partner closely with Commercial, Operations, Legal, Finance, and IT teams to align contracting practices with operational realities and commercial objectives.
• Contribute to the ongoing development and maturation of contracting and customer relationship management capabilities across the organization.

Qualifications:

Required Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in contract lifecycle management, commercial operations, legal operations, or related fields.
• Experience in complex, asset‑intensive, or customer‑driven organizations.
• Strong understanding of the relationship between contractual commitments, operational delivery, and commercial performance.
• Demonstrated ability to lead through influence in cross‑functional, matrixed environments.
• Strong analytical, communication, and systems‑thinking skills.
• Fluency in English (written and verbal).

Preferred Qualifications

• 8–10+ years of relevant experience.
• Experience with contract management platforms (Ironclad or similar).
• Experience supporting performance management, analytics, or commercial process improvement initiatives.
• Experience working across geographies and multicultural environments.
• Spanish proficiency a plus.

Supervisory Responsibilities:

No

Work environment:

• Required job duties are normally performed in a climate-controlled office environment.
• Exposure to computer screens and moderate noise levels typical of an office environment
• Frequency of travel (up to 50%) to customer sites, industry events, and SSA Marine locations.

Salary Range:

$140,000-180,000 per year

The posted compensation range is based on the applicable geographic market for the position and may vary depending on factors such as related experience and skill set. Final compensation will be determined based on these items and other relevant factors.

Benefits

Our Company is an Equal Opportunity Employer

Eligible employees (and their families) may qualify for medical, dental, and vision insurance, as well as having basic life and accidental death insurance, paid disability insurance, including paid parental leave if eligible, and an Employee Assistance Program. Employees will receive paid sick and vacation time, and company holidays if eligible. The company also offers paid bereavement leave, and paid jury duty. Eligible employees can enroll in our company's 401k plan, as well as a retirement plan. Employees will be eligible for discretionary and/or metric‑based bonuses dependent on their position.