How to hire a senior contract specialist

How to hire a senior contract specialist, step by step

Here's a step-by-step senior contract specialist hiring guide:

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

What does a senior contract specialist do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The senior contract specialist hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

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

   Yes

   No

   A senior contract specialist's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, senior contract specialists from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   The following list breaks down different types of senior contract specialists and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Senior Contract Specialist	Description	Hourly rate
   Senior Contract Specialist		$20-47
   Operations Coordinator	An operations coordinator's role is to oversee the progress of various departments in a company or organization, ensuring that all operations meet the set goals and adhere to the company's policies and regulations. An operations coordinator may also be responsible for supervising the procurement of supplies, contract negotiations, sales monitoring, and even maintenance operations within the company... Show more	$14-27
   Contracting Officer	In government agencies, a Contracting Officer plays a vital role in securing contracts for different projects. They are responsible for liaising with internal and external parties, conducting research and analyses, developing plans to attain project requirements, negotiating contracts, and procuring materials according to standards... Show more	$17-45

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Contract Management
   • Contract Terms
   • Federal Government
   • Market Research
   • Price Analysis
   • Management System
   • Contract Negotiations
   • RFP
   • DOD
   • Contractor Proposals
   • Contract Closeout
   • Contractual Issues
   • Contract Types
   • Contract Performance

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage interdepartmental teams in software procurement RFP processes.
   • Manage inventory and distribution activities of the third-party logistics provider.
   • Contract vehicles for government and commercial cover FFP, CPIF, and CPFF for administration.
   • Recommend vendor products for GSA procurement schedules.
   • Negotiate FFP and CP contracts and modifications.
   • Create a SQL code to allocate addl fix dollar rebates.

   More senior contract specialist duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your senior contract specialist job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A senior contract specialist salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, senior contract specialists' average salary in vermont is 59% less than in district of columbia.
   • Seniority. Entry-level senior contract specialists earn 57% less than senior-level senior contract specialists.
   • Certifications. A senior contract specialist with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a senior contract specialist's salary.

   Average senior contract specialist salary

   $64,744yearly

   $31.13 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level senior contract specialist salary

   $42,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 18, 2025

   Average senior contract specialist salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	District of Columbia	$84,249	$41
   2	California	$79,177	$38
   3	Virginia	$74,336	$36
   4	Michigan	$73,417	$35
   5	Ohio	$72,466	$35
   6	Pennsylvania	$72,214	$35
   7	Texas	$70,652	$34
   8	Illinois	$70,613	$34
   9	Georgia	$70,147	$34
   10	Nevada	$69,303	$33
   11	Maryland	$68,020	$33
   12	New York	$66,457	$32
   13	Arizona	$66,158	$32
   14	North Carolina	$64,712	$31
   15	Connecticut	$63,847	$31
   16	Indiana	$62,953	$30
   17	Oklahoma	$61,363	$30
   18	Oregon	$60,994	$29
   19	Colorado	$58,828	$28
   20	Nebraska	$57,525	$28

   Average senior contract specialist salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Brookhaven National Laboratory	$106,732	$51.31
   2	AbbVie	$105,873	$50.90	2
   3	Sanofi Genzyme	$103,407	$49.71
   4	Regeneron	$100,337	$48.24	2
   5	BNP Paribas	$98,872	$47.53
   6	Merck	$98,766	$47.48	60
   7	Pwc	$98,741	$47.47	80
   8	Expedia Group	$97,982	$47.11
   9	CoreLogic	$94,655	$45.51
   10	General Electric	$92,965	$44.69	60
   11	Triumph Group	$91,805	$44.14
   12	Comerica	$91,803	$44.14
   13	SAIC	$91,176	$43.83	12
   14	Johnson & Johnson	$91,164	$43.83	13
   15	Fiserv	$90,312	$43.42
   16	Plug Power	$90,277	$43.40
   17	Daiichi Sankyo	$90,037	$43.29
   18	Incyte	$89,951	$43.25
   19	Virginia Housing Development Authority	$89,551	$43.05
   20	EmblemHealth	$88,236	$42.42	3

4. Writing a senior contract specialist job description

   A senior contract specialist 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. To help get you started, here's an example of a senior contract specialist job description:

   Senior contract specialist job description example

   Your Role
   
   The PPO Professional Provider Contracting team manages our PPO network to maintain network adequacy by contract negotiation, recruitment and building/maintaining professional relationships. The Provider Contracting Specialist Sr. will report to the Provider Contracting Manager. In this role you will ensure the acquisition, servicing and performance of Physicians/Medical Groups and other Specialty Network Providers to the Blue Shield of CA contracted network. Support attainment of department goals under the leadership of the Director of Provider Contracting and/or Provider Contracting Manager and ensures alignment of these goals with the company's strategic priorities. Supports review and modification of contracting and cost of health care savings strategies in anticipation of, and in response to, shifts in provider and competitor negotiating approaches. Research opportunities within the assigned local market (i.e., network expansion opportunities, utilization, or unit cost excesses, etc.) and assesses market trends to drive initiatives which enhance company's market position. Other duties as assigned.
   
   Your Work
   
   In this role, you will:
   
   Participate in cross-functional team to implement initiatives to help manage the total cost of health care across the assigned region
   Collaborate closely with Medical Management, Provider Relations, Network Analytics and Sales to meet aggressive regional goals
   Drive alignment with Pricing, Underwriting and sales regarding unit cost and other contracting activities
   Identify strategic opportunities within local market (i.e., network expansion opportunities, utilization or unit cost excesses, etc.)
   Assess market trends and competitive benchmarks to enhance company's market position
   Negotiate and finalize Independent Provider Agreements including value-based payment models for primary care and other specialty network contracts based upon network analysis and established parameters as directed by Director of Provider Contracting and/or Provider Contracting Manager
   Manage contracting efforts through entire procurement process (end to end) to ensure contracts are administered and implemented accurately.
   Assist with recruitment strategies for targeted providers.
   Collaborate with the contracting leadership team to ensure best practices in negotiations to achieve aggressive unit cost and overall health care cost targets

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right senior contract specialist for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

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

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with senior contract specialist candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   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 senior contract specialist

   Once you've selected the best senior contract specialist candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.

   It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new senior contract specialist. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

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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