Director of Contracts – Government, Commercial & International
Job Description
Our client, a manufacturer of complex industrial equipment serving commercial, government, and international customers worldwide, is seeking a Director of Contracts to lead their contracts and proposals function onsite in Southampton, PA.
The company handles contracts ranging from smaller commercial agreements to multi-million-dollar aerospace and defense projects, where every decision can have operational, financial, and strategic impact. In this role, you'll lead a small contracts team, mentoring and guiding team members while remaining hands-on with the most complex agreements.
You'll work closely with sales, project management, finance, and executive leadership to structure, negotiate, and execute contracts that protect the business while enabling growth. Day-to-day, you'll be involved in full lifecycle contract management, including reviewing, drafting, and negotiating customer and vendor agreements, NDAs, amendments, and other key documentation. You'll help leadership assess contractual risk, support the proposal and bid process, and ensure agreements are clear, enforceable, and aligned with business objectives.
If you enjoy balancing complex commercial negotiations with government contracting requirements while guiding a team and enabling business growth, this role offers the opportunity to have a direct impact across multiple business units.
Key Responsibilities
- Review, draft, and negotiate commercial, government, and international customer and vendor agreements, NDAs, amendments, and related documentation
- Partner with sales, project management, finance, and executive leadership during proposal and bid stages to assess risk and structure agreements
- Develop negotiation strategies for high-value agreements, balancing business objectives with risk mitigation
- Ensure compliance with FAR, DFARS, and other applicable government regulations
- Serve as liaison to outside counsel for complex contractual and legal matters
- Develop and maintain standardized contract templates, internal processes, and best practice guidance
- Facilitate cross-functional collaboration with internal teams and external clients to ensure clarity, enforceability, and alignment with business objectives
- Manage and negotiate international government agreements, including FMS and FMF programs
- Prioritize and manage multiple contractual initiatives across business units to support timely proposals, contract execution, and project delivery
- Proactively identify and resolve complex contractual issues using independent judgment and experience
- Lead and manage the contracts team, including mentoring, workflow management, and performance development
Requirements
- 7+ years of experience leading contracts and proposals, including customer agreements, vendor agreements, NDAs, amendments, and related documentation
- Experience with government and international contracting, including FMS and FMF programs
- Proven experience negotiating complex commercial and government agreements, ideally in aerospace, defense, or capital equipment industries
- Hands-on knowledge of FAR/DFARS regulations
- Comfortable managing and mentoring a small contracts team
- Strong strategic thinking, risk assessment, and problem-solving capabilities
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to advise executive leadership on complex contractual and risk issues
- Bachelor's degree in business administration, finance, law, or a related field
Location: Southampton, PA – Onsite
Full-time: Monday – Friday, 8:00 AM – 4:45 PM
Benefits: Medical, Dental, Vision, 401(k) with company match, PTO, Life Insurance, Long-Term Disability, Work-Life Balance initiatives, and Continuing Education support
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