Contracts Manager – Ground Networks, Satellite Ops & Earth Observation

With headquarters in Tromsø, Norway, Kongsberg Satellite Services AS (KSAT) supplies ground station services for satellite communications. KSAT is the world’s largest supplier of telemetry, tracking and command (TT&C) and data acquisition services for non-geostationary satellites. Founded in 1968, KSAT has grown to over 450 employees with an annual revenue of approximately $200M. About 50% of KSAT’s annual revenue comes from the US.

The wholly owned subsidiary KSAT Inc. (aka. KSAT USA) is located in Denver, Colorado and is rapidly growing in response to strong US Government and industry demand for commercial ground segment services. As a result of KSAT’s continued growth in the US, more critical talent is needed.

The Contracts Manager is responsible for managing, reviewing, and maintaining contracts that support global ground‑station networks, satellite mission operations, and Earth observation data services. This role ensures that agreements meet legal, regulatory, and operational requirements while supporting mission continuity for government, commercial, and international customers. The ideal candidate is detail‑oriented, collaborative, and comfortable working with technical teams in a fast‑paced, mission‑driven space environment.

• Draft, review, and administer contracts related to:
• Satellite operations and mission‑support services
• Earth‑observation data licensing, analytics services, and tasking agreements
• Site hosting, antenna installations, and infrastructure deployments
• Manage contract initiation, approvals, amendments, renewals, and close‑outs.
• Identify and mitigate contractual risks across service continuity, data handling, mission availability, and technical performance.
• Work with legal, compliance, and engineering teams to ensure alignment on requirements and obligations.
• Ensure contracts comply with relevant standards and regulations, including:
• International site‑hosting and data‑sharing rules
• Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) and Defense Federal Acquisition Regulations (DFAR)

• Collaborate with:
• The Business Development / Sales team on contractual term negotiations, obligations, and performance expectations.
• Different department stakeholders on terms, Services Level Agreements (SLAs), licensing, usage rights, and delivery obligations.
• The Compliance and Security departments to ensure process and requirements and fulfilled accordingly.
• Support resolution of contract‑related issues, disputes, or change requests.
• Facilitate effective communication across internal technical teams to ensure service and data delivery commitments are met.

• Develop and refine templates for agreements across the different services that are provided.
• Continuously improve contract management processes, workflows, and documentation.
• Prepare contract summaries, status reports, and risk assessments for leadership.

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Legal Studies, Supply Chain, Aerospace Management, or related field.
• 3–5+ professional experience/combined in either Project Engineering, Project Management, or Supply Chain Management (i.e… Procurement, Subcontract Administration, Subcontract Management, and/or Category Management).—preferably within aerospace, telecommunications, defense, or high‑tech industries.
• Familiarity with:
• Satellite communications and ground‑station services
• Mission‑operations workflows
• Earth‑observation data or geospatial services
• Strong understanding of contract law, compliance requirements, and risk management.
• Excellent communication, negotiation, and organizational skills.
• Proficiency with contract lifecycle management tools and Microsoft Office Suite.

• Experience with:
• RF communications infrastructure contracts
• EO data licensing, analytics products, or usage rights
• Government contracting (NASA, NOAA, DoD, ESA)
• Knowledge of ITAR/EAR and international contract requirements.
• Ability to manage multiple complex contracts in a mission‑critical environment.
• Strong attention to detail and ability to work with engineering and technical teams.

• Expectation is to be in office 4 out of 5 days of the work week.
• Travel is expected to be up to 15%, with a combination of domestic and international destinations.

• Ability to obtain and maintain a US DoD Secret clearance, as well as successfully pass a drug and background check.