Contracts Manager

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.

About the Role

We are seeking a pragmatic and business-minded Contracts Manager to join our legal department to help scale and strengthen our buy-side contracting function within our global manufacturing organization.

This position will focus primarily on buy-side contracts for goods and services, including supporting supply chain, IT, HR, and other business functions and will provide critical support to our procurement and legal teams. This role will help bring structure, consistency, and scalability to our buy-side contracting processes as we continue to grow. The successful candidate will be responsible for managing the lifecycle of commercial agreements, ensuring compliance with internal policies, and driving consistency across contract processes.

In the first twelve to eighteen months, success in this role will include establishing consistent contract intake and review workflows, creating a usable playbook for common vendor negotiations, improving visibility into renewals and key contract terms, and helping us prepare for implementation of a CLM system.

This role will work closely with senior legal leadership and business stakeholders across the company.

This position will offer a candidate a collaborative, supportive and inclusive workplace culture. A flexible hybrid work schedule, 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 per week in the office, 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.
• Ensure contract documentation and related correspondence are maintained in accordance with company policies and legal requirements, supporting strong governance and audit readiness.
• 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 escalate 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 and supply chain contracting principles.
• 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., IntelAgree, 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 candidate's qualifications, years of experience, and skillset.

What We Offer

At Rite-Hite, we take care of our people - because when you're supported, you can do your best work. Our benefits are designed to support your health, your future and your life outside of work:

• Health & Well-being: Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage, plus life and disability insurance. A robust well-being program with an opportunity to receive an extra day off and more.

• Financial Security: A strong retirement savings program with 401(k), company match, and profit sharing.

• Time for You: Paid holidays, vacation time, and personal/sick days each year.

Join us and build a career where you're supported - at work and beyond.

Rite-Hite is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. We consider all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic under federal, state, or local law. In accordance with VEVRAA, we are committed to providing equal employment opportunities for protected veterans. We are also committed to maintaining a drug-free workplace for the safety of our employees and customers.