CONTRACT MANAGER SKILLS, EXPERIENCE, AND JOB REQUIREMENTS
Published: September 24, 2024 - The Contract Manager possesses extensive knowledge of Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) and Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS). Equipped with exceptional negotiation and communication abilities, the role includes leading contract negotiations as a subcontractor, and managing diverse contract types such as T&M, FFP, FFP LOE, and Cost Plus Fee contracts. Demonstrated analytical prowess and strong collaboration skills enable effective management of relationships and processes, ensuring compliance with contractual terms and federal regulations.
Essential Hard and Soft Skills for a Standout Contract Manager Resume
- Contract Drafting
- Negotiation Techniques
- Legal Compliance
- Risk Management
- Financial Analysis
- Project Management
- Procurement Expertise
- Data Analytics
- Software Proficiency
- Regulatory Knowledge
- Communication
- Problem Solving
- Decision Making
- Leadership
- Attention to Detail
- Conflict Resolution
- Adaptability
- Teamwork
- Relationship Building
- Organizational Awareness
Summary of Contract Manager Knowledge and Qualifications on Resume
1. BS in Business Administration with 5 years of Experience
- Experience in government contract business, risk management and/or compliance.
- Experience in draft/negotiate/strategize variety of agreements.
- Proficient in MS Office, Adobe, Conga CMS, Oracle, and legal research.
- Familiarity with drafting/review/negotiations/management of a variety of contracts and agreements used by a technology company, including public agency agreements, contracts and subcontracts for the supply of products and services, distributor agreements, SaaS and software licensing, hardware and other intellectual property, teaming arrangements, letters of intent, proposals, confidentiality agreements, etc.
- Familiarity with the development and enforcement of contracting processes, policies, procedures, templates and other methodologies to develop and maintain best industry practices for contracts administration, management, and related business activities.
- Strong ability to review, analyze and summarize existing & potential contract terms and provide succinct meaningful feedback, questions and recommendations to teams and management.
- Knowledge of federal, state, and local government business processes is very helpful in this position.
- Experience working in a legal department a plus
- Strong organizational & time management skills
- Ability to work across multiple levels and teams within the company
- High attention to detail and ability to grasp complex details
- Excellent interpersonal, communication (both written & verbal), and collaborative teamwork skills to achieve organizational goals
- Proven ability to independently assess and make appropriate decisions as well as to know when to escalate matters to management
2. BA in Legal Studies with 6 years of Experience
- Experience reviewing, drafting and negotiating the legal terms of a range of commercial contracts
- Common sense, great judgment, and a good sense of humor
- experience with In-house legal
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills with a customer-focused, detail-driven, and professional demeanor
- A passion for building trust with internal and external stakeholders by being proactive and innovative in solving problems that affect stakeholders and customers
- A proven ability to meet tight deadlines and prioritize workload
- Ability to work both independently and collaboratively in a fast-paced and rapidly changing environment
- A desire to grow professionally as the role’s responsibility grows rapidly with the business
- Excellent organizational skills, ability to manage multiple projects at once, follow through and meet deadlines
- Strong analytical and computer skills
- Sound knowledge of defense-related contracting mechanisms and terms and conditions.
- Experience in a commercial /contract management capacity, preferably in the defense or aerospace industry or UK Government environments
- Proven experience in negotiating, managing and changing medium-value and complex contracts
3. BS in Contract Management with 5 years of Experience
- Exceptional academic qualifications
- Previous experience in contracts management, paralegal, or other comparable experience within a law firm or legal department
- Significant experience reviewing, drafting and negotiating the legal terms of a broad range of standard commercial contracts
- Experience with IT transactions, including technology licensing agreements
- Familiarity with cloud computing services, outsourcing and telecommunications
- In-house experience at a technology company or in a private practice technology group
- High degree of independence, initiative, decisiveness and creative thinking, as well as a desire to be challenged
- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills and the ability to be a partner to the business stakeholders
- Highest standards of ethics and professional integrity
- Common sense, great business judgment and a good sense of humor
- Ability to prioritize in a fast-moving environment
- Excellent organizational skills, ability to manage multiple projects at once, follow through and meet deadlines
- Strong written and oral communication skills
- Strong analytical and computer skills, including good knowledge of Microsoft Office, Word, and Excel
- Excellent English language skills
4. BA in Public Administration with 6 years of Experience
- Be proactive and have a problem-solving mindset
- Be a fast learner and motivated to grow and get new skills
- Sales and Contract Operations Business Fundamentals
- Strong negotiation, drafting, analytical and problem-solving skills
- Exceptional attention to detail, initiative, and ability to use independent judgment
- Time management and the ability to manage multiple projects and clients
- Excellent business judgment and ability to think strategically
- Ability to communicate effectively at all levels and to both legal and non-legal professionals
- Ability to build and maintain strong client relationships
- Ability to influence different functions and geographies and to build consensus where lines of authority may not be direct
- Proficiency in seeking input from senior business management based upon articulate and succinct evaluation and recommendation
- Law Degree, Contract Management certification, or extensive contract management experience
- Fluency in English and knowledge of other languages
- Experience drafting, negotiating, and executing contracts
- Experience supporting a sales organization and/or wider business
- Experience working with cross-functional and cross-cultural teams that span across business units and geographies
5. BS in Supply Chain Management with 7 years of Experience
- Proficient in conflict resolution and negotiations
- Excellent communication skills with ability to communicate to various internal and external stakeholders clearly and concisely.
- Demonstrated in-depth understanding of contract terms and risk management.
- Proven record of responsiveness with strong time management and organizational skills.
- Strong attention to detail and the ability to multi-task in a dynamic, fast-paced environment.
- Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists.
- Ability to spot contractual and legal issues, and analyze the same to make recommendations to address them.
- Ability to mitigate program risk through the development of contractual provisions.
- Ability to handle highly confidential information discreetly and professionally.
- Ability to handle multiple priority tasks effectively.
- Ability to speak effectively before groups of customers or employees of an organization.
- Ability to obtain a US government security clearance may be required for Contract Managers.
- Experience with bids and responses to complex RFPs, RFQs, and RFIs.
6. BA in Economics with 8 years of Experience
- Project management and negotiation experience with primary and autonomous responsibility for reviewing, drafting and negotiating a broad range of standard commercial contracts within a Procurement or Corporate Legal Department.
- Strong project management skills, including adhering to stakeholder timelines, and meeting management skills.
- High attention to detail with extensive knowledge of the types of commercial agreement structures as well as the function and purpose of key legal terms.
- Experienced at assessing risk and concisely explaining complex issues to both legal and non-legal professionals.
- Proven written and oral communicator, with strategic, analytical, and interpersonal skills to act as an effective change agent, unlocking barriers to quickly move contracts to closure.
- Organized self-starter with demonstrated experience in adapting and executing in a fast-paced and ambiguous environment.
- Ability to drive issues to resolution which need subject matter expertise across the legal department.
- Extremely customer-focused, taking the time to understand the needs of the business and legal.
- Experience working in a large, global, highly matrixed organization, and works easily in multi-business unit project settings
- Able to facilitate teamwork across corporate boundaries.
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
- Ability to build and maintain positive and successful relationships with colleagues, customers and partners
- Dynamic and tenacious with strong interpersonal skills and the ability to influence and persuade others.
- Ability to promote a culture of best practice and sharing of knowledge within the function and across the wider business
- Ability to obtain positive outcomes, with a strong desire to win business and adopt flexible and innovative approaches to winning new business within the governance processes that apply
7. BS in Finance with 6 years of Experience
- Prior experience dealing with contract review, drafting & negotiation (in English and/or other languages), and general business acumen, preferably within the software industry or related field
- Strong interpersonal communication skills along with analytical and problem-solving abilities are imperative.
- Extremely detailed/accuracy oriented
- Ability to multi-task effectively
- Communicate and work well in a team environment and with existing clients including excellent verbal and written communications
- Able to adapt to changing and fast paced conditions to ensure continued alignment with business requirements
- Willingness to take on challenges and new objectives
- Ability to identify issues and determine when escalation to management
- Proven ability to interact effectively with all levels of the company including executive management
- Strong capabilities and expertise in Microsoft Office, in particular Word, PowerPoint and Excel
- Proven ability to work under pressure in order to meet frequent deadlines
- Experience with business deal risk analysis and revenue recognition concepts
- Experience contracting with international, Government and regulated bodies a plus
8. BA in Political Science with 7 years of Experience
- Experience in project management and/or process management (tracking, planning projects, making data-driven analytical decisions and delivering to client expectations)
- Experience collaborating across a matrixed business and legal environment
- Experience working in or supporting the delivery and management of outsourcing contracts
- Experience evaluating and determining appropriate course of action to meet business-client needs
- Experience working with project stakeholders/business leadership team and presenting project status reports on overall project outcomes and issues
- Advanced knowledge of Microsoft Office (e.g. Word, Project, Excel, PowerPoint, Visio)
- Ability to commute to St. Louis, MO
- Proven experience in successfully delivering projects in high-pressure, deadline-oriented environment
- In-depth knowledge of the Optum service delivery model and operations
- Demonstrated experience driving process improvements
- Flexible, agile and adaptable to change
- Demonstrated self-starter with solid planning, organization, analytical and problem-solving skills
- Excellent presentation, written and verbal communication skills, including well-developed interpersonal skills
9. BS in Management with 5 years of Experience
- Experience in a similar position operating across multiple geographies
- Ability to offer timely and effective decision-making using sound judgments under pressure
- Excellent understanding of contractual language, administration/governance, and lifecycle
- Critical thinking skills and ability to research and understand legal and financial implications
- Solid understanding of the healthcare industry advantageous
- Experience working in a matrixed organization
- Solid understanding and application of Microsoft Office tools (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Office)
- Effective communication, negotiation, and interpersonal skills
- Excellent problem-solving skills and attention to detail for accuracy and precision
- Able to calmly handle difficult situations and people, as well as be able to communicate with all levels of an organization
- Experienced in the area of standard operating procedure development and process improvement
- Solid skills with Microsoft Office (e.g. Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
- Ability to work well independently and cross-functionally as part of an established and growing team.
- Ability to manage time and work successfully when faced with deadlines and competing demands.
10. BA in Communication with 4 years of Experience
- Understanding and application of principles, concepts, practices and standards of contract administration
- Knowledgeable in legal and ethical rules and local, state and federal regulations regarding contracts succes
- Demonstrated success drafting, reviewing and negotiating a diverse portfolio of business aviation contracts
- Must be highly organized and comfortable working in a fast-paced, high-energy environment that is deadline driven, be detail oriented, and have the ability to juggle day-to-day projects, set priorities, and ensure timely completion of task
- Excellent interpersonal, leadership, negotiation, and project management skills
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
- Ability to handle multiple tasks effectively and efficiently
- Ability to effectively collaborate with a diverse group of internal and external business partners
- High degree of sensitivity to confidential and non-public information
- Ability to anticipate and communicate issues, recommend corrective actions and take independent action
- Experience using MS Office business applications, Salesforce.com and DocuSign
- Ability to write routine reports, letters, contracts, and correspondence in a concise, effective, and persuasive manner.
- Ability to calculate figures and amounts such as discounts, interest, commissions and percentages.
11. BS in Operations Management with 6 years of Experience
- Experience in the contract management field relevant to the key responsibilities set forth above (with an emphasis on drafting, reviewing, redlining, revising, and negotiating agreements)
- Ability to read and interpret legal language, including identifying and mitigating risk/exposure points
- Demonstrates high emotional intelligence and ability to collaborate with and support sophisticated business clients
- Capable of thinking critically to resolve complicated situations and issues.
- Exhibits integrity and willingness to challenge business partners on issues arising through the contracts process, while also being able to complete matters with minimal supervision or direction using independent analytical judgment.
- Skills and flexibility to work across business functions and teams located in multiple time zones and geographies.
- Proven willingness to listen and learn, and a consistent record of making and respectfully explaining appropriate decisions (even when this leads to tough business discussions).
- Experience in the healthcare, technology or other regulated industry
- Past commercial technology contracts, past data privacy contracts
- Ability to draft, review, edit, negotiate and finalize customer sales, channel partner, procurement and other agreements that comply with company policies and risk tolerance
- Ability to draft and review non-routine or specialized sales contracts, terms and conditions, and RFPs
- Capability to develop and maintain contracts-related processes and procedures to scale with the company’s growth
- Ability to manage multiple high-priority tasks to successful completion
- Team player with strong business acumen and attention to detail
- Ability to work in a fast-paced, geographically dispersed organization
12. BA in Sociology with 5 years of Experience
- Legal training (for-example, law degree, LPC, GDL) to enable good understanding and application of legal principles,
- In-house experience across commercial agreements, preferably in the IT industry
- Good knowledge of contract law
- Good business judgement, understands commercial pressures and implications
- Strong organisation and time management skills
- Able to juggle multiple demands and priorities successfully
- High level of attention to detail
- Excellent written and oral communication skills, able to communicate appropriately with key stakeholders without using jargon or overly legalistic language to facilitate good understanding by all parties
- Able to write clear, concise and understandable communications include legal agreements and associated correspondence
- Computer literate with advanced Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Email skills
- Good negotiation skills, able to use appropriate skills and knowledge to facilitate positive business outcomes and maintain positive relations with customers and suppliers
- Adaptable and able to work flexibly in the context of a medium-sized growing business
- Enthusiastic and approachable team player who enjoys working with others to share knowledge and workload.
13. BS in Industrial Engineering with 4 years of Experience
- Experience of working in a professional role, preferably within a Higher Education or similar research based environment such as the NHS or an R&D office
- Qualified to degree level (or equivalent) in a legal or business-related field
- Experience of drafting and advising on contracts
- A good understanding of – intellectual property and confidentiality
- Experience of resolving issues around intellectual property and confidentiality
- An appreciation of liabilities, warranties and indemnities and when to recognise risk and ask for advice
- Ability to develop and maintain close working relationships with Faculty, Research Administration and other staff members
- Good influencing and written and verbal communication skills
- Attention to detail and proven ability to complete tasks
- Demonstrable track record of working efficiently and effectively to challenging deadlines
- Experience of drafting and negotiating Research Collaboration Agreements and Material Transfer Agreements
- Experience of working in a scientific environment and advising/influencing scientists
- Experience in biomedical research and translation of science
14. BA in International Relations with 3 years of Experience
- Experience in strategic sourcing/procurement / supply chain/purchasing / contract negotiation
- Demonstrated knowledge of contract fundamentals
- Exceptional contract negotiation experience
- Extensive experience with contract redlining
- Demonstrated experience routing contractual documents for execution
- Experience with managing and delivering across business units and geographical boundaries
- Excellent interpersonal communication and people management skills
- Demonstrated consulting and problem-solving skills
- Outstanding written and oral communication skills
- Compelling influencing and persuasion skills
- Strong project management and change management skills
- Experience working with stakeholders
15. BS in Information Systems with 7 years of Experience
- Experience leading, managing and delivering contract documents, new orders or projects as a direct support to a sales team
- Experience in Direct and Channel Sales model
- Highly proficient in Microsoft Office Packages, advanced level preferred for Word, Excel and PowerPoint
- Experience working with SFDC CPQ and other sales-related systems including data enrichment tools preferred
- Detail-oriented, results-focused energetic professional who is a team player with excellent verbal and written communication skills
- Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills to enable informed decision-making
- Highly organized, customer-focused, innovative and with strong attention to details
- Excellent communicator, self-aware, transparent, collegial open to feedback with exceptional facilitation skills
- Ability to multitask and prioritize at times of high volume possess excellent time management skills
- Effective change agent, constantly challenging conventional thinking, approach and methodology to drive breakthrough results
- Bring ingenuity and creativity to deal with execution process redefinition to reduce touches, drive accountability and build deep collaborative relationships
- Ability to balance being detail-oriented as well as seeing the big picture
- Able to work extended schedules during the month and quarter-end cycles
- Highly responsive, thrives in a fast-paced environment
16. BA in Human Resources with 5 years of Experience
- Good understanding and interest in scientific and commercial processes
- Solid negotiation skills with the ability to influence at all levels
- Self-starter who is resourceful and able to work effectively both independently as well as with teams
- Ability to draft and negotiate contracts independently.
- Ability to think creatively to find common ground in contract negotiations.
- Outstanding organizational, written and verbal communication skills.
- Strong attention to detail with a focus on accuracy of details in all contracts.
- Ability to meet deadlines, use time effectively and handle multiple assignments simultaneously.
- Strong interpersonal skills, excellent written and oral communications skills, attention to detail and sound administrative skills.
- Demonstrated ability to work within tight schedules and under pressure, work independently and as part of a team.
- Good judgment in balancing business and commercial needs and potential risks/exposures with customer requirements.
- Above average word composition and demonstrated knowledge of business law terminology enabling a comprehensive review and commentary of business contracts.
- Demonstrated proficiency with the latest MS Office products, including Outlook, Word, Excel, and related electronic tools for editing, documenting, tracking and communicating.
- Experience with a contract lifecycle management system
17. BS in Marketing with 6 years of Experience
- Demonstrates thorough general functional knowledge across a wide range of sub-disciplines within the individual’s specialty area(s) (e.g. prime contracts, subcontracts, risk management, contract terms and conditions, contracts management and administration, negotiations, etc.).
- Experience with contractual aspects of financed and leasing transactions
- Department of Defense-related Contract Management experience
- Strong communication, interpersonal skills, organization, and time management skills.
- Solid problem-solving skills.
- Self-driven, motivated, and results-oriented.
- Strong knowledge of IT products and services.
- Must be able to work independently on many different projects at one time and in a team environment.
- Strong MS Office skills (Word, Excel, and PowerPoint) in using and developing documents, spreadsheets, and presentations
- Knowledge of contract reporting is strongly preferred.
- Ability to prioritize requirements and meet deadlines.
- Ability to learn in a fast-paced environment.
- Demonstrated ability to provide management, mentorship, and guidance to Contract Specialists and Contract Administrators.
18. BA in Organizational Leadership with 5 years of Experience
- Experience with Microsoft Office Suite, particularly Word and Excel
- Knowledge of Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) & Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS)
- Excellent negotiating skills, perception management skills, and relationship management skills
- Advanced conceptual, analytical, and problem-solving skills, with excellent attention to detail
- Ability to evaluate and prioritize often divergent interests.
- Strong collaboration skills to work with a diverse set of customers, both internal and external.
- Proficient with written and verbal communication.
- Familiarity with Deltek Costpoint
- Familiarity with GSA schedule contracting
- Strong demonstrated knowledge of contract terms and conditions and federal acquisition regulations (FAR)
- Experience in leading contract negotiations as a subcontractor with prime contractors
- Experience with Time and Materials (T&M), Firm Fixed Price (FFP), Firm Fixed Price Level of Effort (FFP LOE), and Cost Plus Fee (Fixed, Incentive, or Award) contracts
- Excellent analytical and communication skills
- Ability to lead people through new and established processes
19. BS in Real Estate with 6 years of Experience
- Solid working knowledge of contracting practices in the IT industry with a focus on legal terms and conditions (e.g., software licensing, intellectual property rights, acceptance, warranties, liabilities, indemnification, remedies)
- Ability to work through business issues as well as legal issues in a dynamic, entrepreneurial environment with a proactive focus on risk management
- Negotiation experience and a pragmatic, flexible negotiation style
- Highly detail-oriented and organized with excellent analytic and problem-solving abilities
- Excellent verbal and written communication and interpersonal skills
- Knowledge of Microsoft applications to include Excel, Word, and PowerPoint
- Highly driven and able to self-manage in a fast paced environment
- Possess strong organizational and time management skills to meet tight deadlines and handle multiple priorities concurrently while maintaining quality and accuracy with all work products
- Ability to work independently and within a team, and to foster teamwork and trust with prime contractors, subcontractors, teammates, and internal customers.
- Ability and willingness to work on a variety of department and company initiatives to support company growth
- Experience handling complex U.S. Government and international contract negotiation and administration in a manufacturing environment.
- Expert knowledge of U.S. Government contracting rules and regulations (FAR/DFAR/AMS).
- Experience with subcontract negotiation and administration
- Experience with outsourcing or large managed services transactions
20. BA in Philosophy with 4 years of Experience
- Excellent demonstrated customer service and collaboration skills with the ability to connect and build relationships with others inside and outside the organization.
- Demonstrated ability to coordinate with a variety of corporate departments and districts to assist in the delivery of proposals.
- Familiarity with the construction industry strongly preferred.
- Ability to work independently and think analytically with minimal oversight.
- Ability to think innovatively to offer practical solutions while achieving targeted risk profile.
- Experience negotiating software license terms with customers and vendors
- Working knowledge of U.S. export regulations (ITAR/EAR) is a plus
- Familiarity with the Uniform Commercial Code.
- Experience with FAA
- Ability to possess CFCM or CPCM certification
- Experience in Compliance Management
- Understanding and application of principles, concepts, practices, and standards of contract administration
- Knowledgeable in legal and ethical rules and local, state, and federal regulations regarding contracts land organizational conflicts of interest (OCI)
- Comfortable working as part of a multidimensional team
21. BS in Engineering Management with 5 years of Experience
- Experience drafting and negotiating enterprise/commercial agreements, with a minimum of 2 years experience working in an in-house capacity
- Experience using scalable systems, such as contract management systems, online signature tools, and other tools commonly used in in-house legal departments.
- Can deliver results for stakeholders at scale (and can help develop and grow the tools and processes for this deliverable)
- Track record of successful cross-functional collaboration working toward common business objectives
- Experience in driving process improvement initiatives, focusing on optimizing workflows and increasing scalability
- Growth mindset, and eagerness to expand scope of work and learn new areas of the law, e.g., healthcare and regulatory compliance
- Exemplify a strong attention to detail
- Possess superior organizational skills and the ability to manage multiple projects with shifting deadlines
- Possess strong computer skills and knowledge of common programs such as Microsoft Office
- Possess excellent analytical, written, and oral communication skills
- High degree of sensitivity to confidential and non-public information
- Exemplify creative problem-solving abilities
22. BA in English with 4 years of Experience
- Able to work under pressure and prioritize between competing demands
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
- Excellent organizational skills, strong attention to detail and ability to effectively manage multiple contractual activities with a short turn-around time
- Able to complete assigned tasks accurately and on time with minimal supervision
- Excellent interpersonal skills
- Must demonstrate sound knowledge of business and legal terms in IT contracts (hardware and software, enterprise licensing, services, distribution and other supply chain matters), as well as proficiency in drafting and reviewing contractual arrangements
- Excellent verbal and written skills, ability to analyze and present relevant information and solutions to all levels of organization
- Experience in managing multiple tasks of varying difficulty and complexity
- Able to work independently as well as part of a team
- Excellent working knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite, in particular Word, Excel and Outlook
- Familiarity with the administration of electronic signature programs, such as Adobe Sign or DocuSign
- Ability to manage the sub-contractors and large site teams
- Experience as Project Manager or Contracts Manager on Commercial Fit Out projects on site or running multiple projects
- Previous Construction experience is preferred ideally on Residential/Commercial Refurbishment
- Exceptional attention to detail
23. BS in Accounting with 5 years of Experience
- Familiarity with legal, contractual, and vendor/sourcing-related concepts, practices, and procedures.
- Proficient PC knowledge and the use of standard software packages, such as Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
- Industry experience with credit unions, financial institutions, and/or the payments industry is desirable.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills, as well as presentation skills.
- Effective interpersonal skills, and ability to conveExemplify a strong attention to detail
- Possess superior organizational skills and the ability to manage multiple projects with shifting deadlines
- Possess strong computer skills and knowledge of common programs such as Microsoft Office
- Possess excellent analytical, written, and oral communication skills
- High degree of sensitivity to confidential and non-public information
- Exemplify creative problem-solving abilities and complex information in a way that others can readily follow.
- Excellent planning and organizational skills, as well as the ability to prioritize workload using good judgment, while balancing the need for an immediate response with accuracy and completeness of information.
- Ability to build strong relationships with stakeholders at all levels, internally and externally.
- Detail-oriented with strong problem-solving skills and the ability to identify, analyze, and resolve problems, driving solutions to completion.
- Ability to work under minimal supervision and manage multiple tasks/projects simultaneously, while meeting demanding deadlines.