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Contracts specialist resume examples from 2025

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Updated March 26, 2025
6 min read
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How to write a contracts specialist resume

Craft a resume summary statement

A well-written resume summary is basically an elevator pitch. You are summing up your skills and experience in a few sentences to wow recruiters, hiring managers, and decision makers into giving you an interview. Here are some tips to putting your best foot first with your resume summary:

Step 1: Mention your current job title or the role you're pursuing.

Step 2: Include your years of experience in contracts specialist-related roles. Consider adding relevant company and industry experience as relevant to the job listing.

Step 3: Highlight your greatest accomplishments. Here is your chance to make sure your biggest wins aren't buried in your resume.

Step 4: Again, keep it short. Your goal is to summarize your experience and highlight your accomplishments, not write a paragraph.

These four steps should give you a strong elevator pitch and land you some contracts specialist interviews.

Please upload your resume so Zippia’s job hunt AI can draft a summary statement for you.

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List the right project manager skills

Your Skills section is a place to list all relevant skills and abilities. Here is how to make the most of your skills section and make sure you have the right keywords:

  1. Look at the job listing and skills listed. You need to include the exact keywords from the job description to get your resume in front of an actual human. Do you have those skills? Fantastic! Be sure to list them.
  2. Include as many relevant hard or technical contracts specialist skills as possible for each job you apply to.
  3. Be specific with the skills you have and be sure you are using the most up to date and accurate terms.
These five steps should give you a strong elevator pitch and land you some contracts specialist interviews.

Here are example skills to include in your “Area of Expertise” on a contracts specialist resume:

  • Veterans
  • DOD
  • Contract Administration
  • Contract Terms
  • Contract Management
  • Market Research
  • Customer Service
  • Price Analysis
  • Business Administration
  • Acquisition Strategy
  • Acquisition Planning
  • Contract Modifications
  • Contractor Performance
  • Contract Negotiations
  • Federal Government
  • Source Selection
  • Purchase Orders
  • Delivery Schedules
  • Price Negotiation
  • Sole Source
  • Management System
  • Excellent Interpersonal
  • Contract Types
  • RFP
  • Patients
  • Rehabilitation
  • Financial Reports
  • Data Entry
  • Contract Award
  • Procurement Actions

Zippia’s AI can customize your resume for you.

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How to structure your work experience

Your work experience should be structured:

  1. With your most recent roles first, followed by earlier roles in reverse chronological order.
  2. Job title, along with company name and location on the left.
  3. Put the corresponding dates of employment on the left side.
  4. Keep only relevant jobs on your work experience.

How to write contracts specialist experience bullet points

Remember, your resume is not a list of responsibilities or a job description. This is your chance to show why you're good at your job and what you accomplished.

Use the XYZ formula for your work experience bullet points. Here's how it works:

  • Use strong action verbs like Led, Built, or Optimized.
  • Follow up with numbers when possible to support your results. How much did performance improve? How much revenue did you drive?
  • Wrap it up by explaining the actions you took to achieve the result and how you made an impact.

This creates bullet points that read Achieved X, measured by Y, by doing Z.

Here are effective examples from contracts specialist resumes:

Work history example #1

Contracts Representative

Bank of America

  • Emailed reports to management personnel.
  • Administered various contracts assuring FAR and DFARS compliance and the terms and conditions of contracts.
  • Maintained corporate files between WAM!NET and EDS on NMCI (Navy/Marine Corp Internet)
  • Assisted in the RFP and vendor selection process, performed cost analysis, composed outsourcing options and assessed confidentiality risk.
  • Ensured all contracts followed established FAR, DFARS, ACC-APG and PGI regulations.

Work history example #2

Business Internship

POMCO

  • Helped develop new SaaS-based web application product for commercialization (management's pet project).
  • Researched government bid opportunities for audiovisual communications, including a large project for East Carolina University.
  • Accompanied top outside sales representatives to presentations of company's benefits, using information booths and PowerPoint presentations.
  • Assisted IT to develop user interface CRM & prepare one point governance table.
  • Constructed and continually update 5 regional Account Plans with company review PowerPoint Presentations.

Work history example #3

Contracts Specialist

General Dynamics

  • Ensured proposals met RFP/RFE rationale and justification requirements.
  • Provided written documentation and notifications for award justifications and negotiation memorandums for subcontracts in compliance with FAR/DFAR requirements.
  • Maintained current knowledge of relevant contractual procedures and practices, including the FAR and DFARS.
  • Managed effective relationships with suppliers, senior managers, procurement personnel, engineers, internal customers, and logistics analysts.
  • Negotiated and administered DOD/Navy contracts as well as Patent and Trade Mark Office.

Work history example #4

Contracts Specialist

Battelle

  • Coordinated with GSA Contracting Officers for modifications to existing schedules.
  • Reviewed Government/Commercial proposals at RFP stage and advised management on contractual issues relating to risk and unique requirements needing compliance.
  • Managed and administered approximately 4 Large IDIQ vehicles, with over 800 task orders worth approximately $350+ Million.
  • Coordinated and reviewed pricing models ensuring RFP requirements were met.

Zippia’s AI can customize your resume for you.

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Add an education section to your resume

The education section should display your highest degree first.

Place your education section appropriately on your resume. If you graduated over 5 years ago, this section should be at the bottom of your resume. If you just graduated and lack relevant work experience, the education section should go to the top.

If you have a bachelor's or master's degree, do not list your high school education. If your graduation year is more than 15-20 years ago, it's better not to include dates in this section.

Here are some examples of good education entries from contracts specialist resumes:

Bachelor's Degree in legal support services

South University, Savannah, GA

1993 - 1996

Bachelor's Degree in business

Miami Dade College, Miami, FL

1996 - 1999

Highlight your contracts specialist certifications on your resume

Certifications are a great way to showcase special expertise or niche skills. Some jobs even require certifications to be hired.

To list, use the full name of the certification and the organization that issued it, along with the date of achievement.

If you have any of these certifications, be sure to include them on your contracts specialist resume:

  1. Certified Professional Contracts Manager (CPCM)
  2. Certified Federal Contracts Manager (CFCM)
  3. Federal Acquisition Certification - Contracting Officer's Representatives Level I (FAC-COR)
  4. Project Management Professional (PMP)
  5. Certified Billing and Coding Specialist (CBCS)
  6. Certified Management Accountant (CMA)
  7. Certified Commercial Contracts Manager (CCCM)
  8. Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM)
  9. Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT)
  10. Program Management Professional (PgMP)

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