Contracts Performance Manager, North America CRO

Core Responsibilities:
* Own contract negotiations in partnership with General Counsel and CRO Sales leaders.
* Establish and actively manage a performance management matrix for OEM agreements with CRO customers throughout the contract lifecycle containing all contractual obligations between the customer and the Barnes Aerospace businesses
* Ensuring CRO customer adherence to contract terms to deliver the EBITDA approved with commercial strategy (e.g., PIE pass-through, annual escalations) and properly customer notification in accordance with the contract and internal Change Management process
* Responsible for leading CRO customers contract monthly internal reviews with Customer Service Manager, Sales, and Pricing (e.g., Review LD's, Internal Issues)
* Analyze CRO contracts to build and drive implementation of Contract/Claim Management Strategy including management commercial risks and actions for EBITDA and cash generation
* Own and launch CRO customers contract renewal activities through contract signature.
* Coordinate with Pricing and Commercial Finance to ensure deal accuracy and health with Sales and sites for CRO customers sales.
* Own the communication management process for strategic customer correspondence with CRO customers for the sites
* Own contract reviews and approval workflows. Champion contract policy and procedure revisions as appropriate.
* Provide advice to the sites on specific key CRO customers issues (i.e. risks, contractual/claims activities, etc.).
* Attend CRO customer reviews in conjunction with Customer Service to support contract reviews & commercial issues were feasible
* Provide quote, proposal, and bid support for CRO customers sales to Sales Directors and Customer Service where required
* Provide training on the necessary commercial and contractual knowledge and skills to the Customer Service Team members.
* Lead the management of claims and disputes in accordance with the Claim Management process and collaboration with site teams.

Qualifications:
* 5-7 years in CRO commercial or contracts roles in aerospace or high-tech manufacturing.
* Deep understanding of the full CRO contract lifecycle, from RFQ and proposal drafting through negotiation, execution, compliance, and renewal. Must have working experience with Contract Lifecycle Management (CLM) systems, Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) tools, Salesforce, legal/commercial terminology, and escalation clauses.
* Ability to assess pricing structures, evaluate margins, and analyze contract profitability across the product lifecycle. Familiarity with pricing models, cost estimating, financial KPIs (e.g., EBITDAS), and tools like Excel or Power BI.
* Ability to translate CRO commercial language into actionable site-level plans.
* Strong CRO negotiation & risk management skills. Experienced in negotiating terms that reduce legal/financial exposure while maintaining customer relationships. Knowledge of contract law, liability, escalation language, and working with legal counsel.
* Strong attention to details and process rigor. Ability to manage complex, multi-year, contracts while ensuring compliance and accurate handoffs to operations and customer service. Ability to use tracking tools and document control protocols.
* Robust cross-functional Collaboration & communication skills. Able to coordinate with engineering, operations, sales, legal, and finance to align all stakeholders on contract terms, and experience working in matrixed environments, and project coordination.
* Travel requirement 25%

Education Requirements:
* Bachelor's degree required; MBA, or other advanced degree preferred.