How to hire a contracts manager

How to hire a contracts manager, step by step

Here's a step-by-step contracts manager hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a contracts manager job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new contracts manager
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a contracts manager do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a contracts manager, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   Hiring the perfect contracts manager also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   Here's a comparison of contracts manager salaries for various roles:

   Type of Contracts Manager	Description	Hourly rate
   Contracts Manager	Purchasing managers plan, direct, and coordinate the buying of materials, products, or services for wholesalers, retailers, or organizations. They oversee the work of procurement-related occupations including buyers and purchasing agents.	$21-55
   Director, Procurement	The responsibilities of a procurement director revolve around ensuring the efficient and smooth flow of supplies within the company, developing procurement strategies for optimal services and operations, assessing risks, and overseeing the implementation of new policies and regulations in the company. It is essential to coordinate with analysts to identify areas with potential opportunities or those needing improvements... Show more	$47-95
   Director Of Purchasing	A director of purchasing oversees the procedures related to buying resources and supplies, directing operations from planning to execution while adhering to standards and company policies. They primarily perform research and assessments to understand project needs in terms of price, quality, and delivery time... Show more	$32-79

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Contract Management
   • Contract Administration
   • Contract Terms
   • Project Management
   • Customer Service
   • Proposal Preparation
   • Patients
   • Excellent Interpersonal
   • Program Management
   • Non-Disclosure Agreements
   • RFP
   • Contract Negotiations
   • Risk Management
   • Contract Compliance

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage ISO requirements for sales and marketing.
   • Manage IDIQ contracts including task and delivery orders.
   • Manage RFI's and change orders through close out.
   • Manage all material for a non MRP driven program manually.
   • Coach and direct the IPT for use of proper policies to achieve goals.
   • Lead two DCAA audits for a $60 million project resulting in no-cost findings during tenure as manager.

   More contracts manager duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your contracts manager job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A contracts manager salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

   For example, the average salary for a contracts manager in Massachusetts may be lower than in California, and an entry-level contracts manager usually earns less than a senior-level contracts manager. Additionally, a contracts manager with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

   Average contracts manager salary

   $72,691yearly

   $34.95 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level contracts manager salary

   $45,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 14, 2025

   Average contracts manager salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$92,132	$44
   2	North Carolina	$85,571	$41
   3	Virginia	$79,834	$38
   4	Texas	$78,690	$38
   5	Pennsylvania	$76,914	$37
   6	Nevada	$76,787	$37
   7	District of Columbia	$75,311	$36
   8	Maryland	$74,768	$36
   9	Illinois	$72,544	$35
   10	Arizona	$71,098	$34
   11	Ohio	$70,710	$34
   12	Oregon	$70,589	$34
   13	Washington	$70,082	$34
   14	New Mexico	$69,531	$33
   15	Georgia	$68,064	$33
   16	Alabama	$66,874	$32
   17	Indiana	$66,838	$32
   18	New York	$65,121	$31
   19	Colorado	$64,261	$31
   20	Missouri	$64,188	$31

   Average contracts manager salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	McKinsey & Company Inc	$153,992	$74.03
   2	Google	$137,979	$66.34	22
   3	Meta	$137,610	$66.16	74
   4	Databricks	$131,230	$63.09
   5	Accenture	$128,955	$62.00	28
   6	Intel	$124,243	$59.73
   7	Q2ebanking	$122,006	$58.66	1
   8	Boehringer Ingelheim	$121,177	$58.26
   9	AstraZeneca	$120,855	$58.10
   10	Control Risks	$120,099	$57.74
   11	Microsoft	$120,002	$57.69
   12	Genentech	$118,636	$57.04
   13	T.D. Williamson	$118,298	$56.87
   14	Signature Healthcare	$118,112	$56.78
   15	Amazon	$117,019	$56.26	50
   16	Chevron	$116,536	$56.03
   17	Autodesk	$115,513	$55.54
   18	First DataBank	$115,467	$55.51
   19	ServiceNow	$115,383	$55.47	2
   20	Snowflake Computing	$115,367	$55.46	2

4. Writing a contracts manager job description

   A contracts manager job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. Below, you can find an example of a contracts manager job description:

   Contracts manager job description example

   Solutions driven success. XPO is a top ten global provider of transportation services, with a highly integrated network of people, technology and physical assets. At XPO Logistics, we look for employees who like a challenge and can communicate effectively in all situations. We want to leverage your skills and years of experience to drive positive results while ensuring a bright future for yourself and XPO. If you're looking for a growth opportunity, join us at XPO. As the Manager Contract Carrier Recruitment, you'll be responsible for supporting Contract Carrier recruiting across our Last Mile business unit within your respective assigned region. You'll work closely with Field Operations, IT, Legal and Field Support Services to support processes and deliver organizational goals focused on Contract Carrier growth, reduction of supplemental Rapid Response Teams (High-Cost Capacity), generating new contract carrier leads, contract carrier onboarding, and supporting other efforts to increase capacity management. On our team, you'll have the support to excel at work, and the resources to build a career you can be proud of. XPO intends to spin off its tech-enabled brokered transportation platform as RXO in or around November 2022, creating two independent publicly traded companies. Visit rxo.com for more information. Please note that this position is in scope to transition to RXO once the planned spin-off is completed. Pay, benefits and more.We are eager to attract the best, so we offer competitive compensation and a generous benefits package, including full health insurance (medical, dental and vision), 401(k), life insurance, disability and the opportunity to participate in a company incentive plan. What you'll do on a typical day:
   
   Lead and facilitate carrier recruitment for all XPO LM markets within your assigned region. This includes, but is not limited to:
   
   Traveling in market for "boots on the ground recruitment": Distributing flyers, business cards at frequently visited sites for contract carriers (competitor locations, gas stations, etc..).
   
   Act as a liaison between neighboring XPO LM sites within your assigned territory to share and expand existing capacity resources
   
   Conduct research in all internal/external systems and databases to generate contract carrier leads (Carrier411, XPO Carrier Database, social media marketing).
   
   Ensure all new contract carriers receive and complete all onboarding materials and meet XPO requirements
   Make cold calls to prospective contract carriers Align with stakeholders in other XPO business units to identify carriers that can be contracted with XPO Last Mile Support carrier recruitment for new business startups within or outside your respective region (Rapid Response Recruitment) Work with XPO LM sites within your territory on capacity planning for seasonality volume increases Deliver departmental goals of onboarding 4-6 new contract carriers per month Attend internal and external meetings related to market analysis, financials, and metrics associated with XPO's contract carrier base Attend meetings and provide market analysis detail on contract carrier cost and metrics What you need to succeed at XPO:At a minimum, you'll need: Bachelor's Degree or equivalent work-related or military experience 4 years of operations, account management or customer service in a leadership position Ability to create pivot tables and presentations within Microsoft Office programs such as Word, PowerPoint, and Excel Ability to travel 80% of the time Proven leadership and collaboration skills with the ability to effectively supervise, coach and influence employees It'd be great if you also have: Bachelor's Degree in a related field (transportation/supply chain, sales/operations) Ability to perform with high level of initiative exhibiting persistence and willingness to stimulate new ideas within the organization Effective communication & relationship building skills Ability to problem solve and use critical thinking skills Transportation operations and logistics experience Self-motivated drive to go the extra mile to achieve desired results Be part of something big. We are proud to be an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, sex, disability, veteran or other protected status. All applicants who receive a conditional offer of employment may be required to take and pass a pre-employment drug test.
   The above statements are not an exhaustive list of all required responsibilities, duties and skills for this job classification.
   Review XPO's candidate privacy statement here.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find contracts managers for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any contracts managers they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level contracts managers with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your contracts manager job on Zippia to find and recruit contracts manager candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit contracts managers, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new contracts manager

   Once you have selected a candidate for the contracts manager position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   To prepare for the new contracts manager first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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