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Contracting officer skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Below we've compiled a list of the most critical contracting officer skills. We ranked the top skills for contracting officers based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 7.5% of contracting officer resumes contained contractor proposals as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a contracting officer needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 contracting officer skills for your resume and career

1. Contractor Proposals

Here's how contracting officers use contractor proposals:

Analyzed contractor proposals to determine reasonableness, allow ability, and allocation ability of costs.
Review contractor proposals, perform negotiations, and prepare detailed Price Negotiation Memorandums.

2. Contract Administration

Here's how contracting officers use contract administration:

Performed contract administration functions associated with review of existing contract Task Orders and determine compliance with existing contract terms and conditions.
Coordinated contract administration services including oversight of service implementation, performance review, reconciling schedule of values, and amendments.

3. Contract Management

Contract management refers to the systematic procedures in governing a contract.

Here's how contracting officers use contract management:

Conducted contract management and oversight duties to include collecting audits/distributing and maintaining CMO Contract Management Tracking Spreadsheets and Electronic COR files.
Grant analysis and coordination Contract Management Budget Preparation Review and validation of grantee report Supply Chain coordination Field visit and assessment

4. Contract Terms

Contract terms refer to the rules, conditions, and standards that both parties in a contract agreement have to honor.

Here's how contracting officers use contract terms:

Prepared documentation and executed processes for commercial item contract terminations (Termination for Convenience and Termination for Cause).
Conducted contract termination, price and cost analysis and proposal evaluation.

5. Market Research

Market research is a collective effort to collect information related to a consumer's needs and wants. It is a systematic approach that involves recording and analysis of both qualitative and quantitative data. Market research helps a business to identify a target market correctly and identify the gaps in potential consumer's expectations.

Here's how contracting officers use market research:

Conducted market research, negotiation position development based upon cost/price evaluations and DCAA reporting; source selection and acquisition planning.
Performed market research to support the development of effective acquisitions planning and determine suitable contract solutions.

6. Technical Assistance

Technical assistance is the non-financial assistance provided by local or international specialists. The purpose of technical assistance is to maximize the project's implementation and quality of the final product. Technical assistance consists of sharing information, the transmission of working knowledge, and other transfer of technical data which would aid the administration, management team and help build the project. The technical assistance focuses on particular needs identified by the beneficiary country and is delivered in the form of missions.

Here's how contracting officers use technical assistance:

Provided technical assistance to medical staff identifying codes that would yield information desired and suggested appropriate avenues of exploration.
Provided technical assistance to internal and external customers, to include senior military officers and civilian managers.

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7. Price Analysis

Here's how contracting officers use price analysis:

Developed acquisition plans, and solicitations, price analysis and market trend analysis to determine availability of product or service.
Analyze proposals for conformance with the solicitation, perform cost/price analysis and negotiate with incumbent or potential contractors.

8. DOD

Definition of Done (DoD) is a set of deliverables that are needed to devise software. These deliverables are valuable to the system and can be exemplified by writing code, coding comments, unit testing, integration testing, design documents, release notes, and so on.

Here's how contracting officers use dod:

Traveled extensively to contractor facilities in administration of contracts to provide negotiations and maintain oversight of DOD suppliers.
Coordinated with multiple DOD and Counterintelligence agencies to ensure clearances were processed properly.

9. Contractor Performance

Here's how contracting officers use contractor performance:

Monitored and analyzed the purchase actions from initiation to completion and performed inspections to insure contractor performance in accordance with contracts.
Evaluated contractor performance for compliance with terms and conditions of contract and ensured timely submission of technical progress reports/performance metrics.

10. Logistics

Logistics is a complete organization and implementation of a problem. Logistics are often considered in a complex business operation, as some works need detailed plannings. Logistics are also used in military action.

Here's how contracting officers use logistics:

Analyzed requirements' effects on budget and formulated alternative logistics plans when operations or requirements change to accomplish unit's mission.
Forwarded freight information to clients and suppliers utilizing electronic logistics, transportation management, and electronic freight information systems.

11. RFP

RFP stands for request for proposal and is a document that contains details about a project or bids from contractors who are responsible for completing the project.

Here's how contracting officers use rfp:

Developed contractor Request for Proposals (RFP) in compliance with Federal regulations, Agency supplements and customer solicitation requirements.
Participated in various proposal reviews ensuring both technical, regulatory and RFP compliance resulting in successful proposal bids.

12. Federal Acquisition Regulation

Here's how contracting officers use federal acquisition regulation:

Work required an extensive understanding and familiarity with the laws and regulations of the Federal Acquisition Regulation and Supplements.
Research Federal Acquisition Regulations; participate in the development and communication of new policies to customers and technical personnel.

13. Source Selection

Here's how contracting officers use source selection:

Participated in Operation Ill-Wind investigation and prosecution of high level government officials and contracting officials that were selling source selection information.
Consolidated and developed format for the technical evaluation report/recommendations to the Source Selection Board.

14. Contract Award

Here's how contracting officers use contract award:

Lead for contractual phases and actions including initial acquisition strategy development, solicitation development, proposal evaluation, and contract award.
Awarded and administered over 100 contracts for Detroit Arsenal crafting acquisition strategies from requirement identification through contract award.

15. Service Contracts

Here's how contracting officers use service contracts:

Contract Officer Representative for service contract and coordinate vendor support to perform preventive maintenance and repair for medical equipment
Oversee activities and staff involved in administration of statewide construction and professional service contracts.

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What skills help Contracting Officers find jobs?

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List of contracting officer skills to add to your resume

The most important skills for a contracting officer resume and required skills for a contracting officer to have include:

Contractor Proposals
Contract Administration
Contract Management
Contract Terms
Market Research
Technical Assistance
Price Analysis
DOD
Contractor Performance
Logistics
RFP
Federal Acquisition Regulation
Source Selection
Contract Award
Service Contracts
Acquisition Strategy
Federal Government

Contract Compliance
Construction Projects
GSA
Contract Types
Contract Negotiations
Acquisition Planning
Construction Contracts
Procurement Process
Contract Modifications
Sole Source
Government Agencies
DFAR
IDIQ
RFQ
Contract Actions
Procurement Actions
Cors

Acquisition Process
Delivery Orders
Contractual Obligations
Grant Administration
Government Contracts
Contract Closeout
Grants Management
Post-Award Functions
Cost Accounting Standards
Strategic Sourcing
PWS
Cotr
Delivery Schedules
Contract Specifications
Purchase Card

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Updated January 8, 2025

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