Senior contracts negotiator vs contracts director

The differences between senior contracts negotiators and contracts directors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a contracts director has an average salary of $73,351, which is higher than the $67,342 average annual salary of a senior contracts negotiator.

The top three skills for a senior contracts negotiator include contract administration, proposal preparation and contract terms. The most important skills for a contracts director are contract management, oversight, and contract terms.

Senior contracts negotiator vs contracts director overview

	Senior Contracts Negotiator	Contracts Director
Yearly salary	$67,342	$73,351
Hourly rate	$32.38	$35.26
Growth rate	-6%	-6%
Number of jobs	8,010	12,378
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 66%	Bachelor's Degree, 66%
Average age	44	47
Years of experience	-	6

What does a senior contracts negotiator do?

A senior contracts negotiator takes responsibility for providing contract leadership between parties. Senior contracts negotiators see to it that the contract responsibilities agreed upon are compliant with both the policies of both parties. They investigate and define the problem areas, perform research, and prepare reports with recommended solutions. Their job requires them to coordinate and support all contract management aspects such as the preparation, management, and administration of contract negotiation proposals.

What does a contracts director do?

A contract director is primarily in charge of developing and negotiating contracts with clients and partners, ensuring adherence to the company's policies and regulations. Their responsibilities typically revolve around performing extensive research and analysis to foresee potential advantages and disadvantages, coordinating with analysts and other experts, monitoring the progress of operations to ensure contract compliance of both parties, and overseeing the development of proposals within the organization. Furthermore, as a contract director, it is essential to lead and encourage the team to reach goals, all while implementing the mission and vision of the company.

Senior contracts negotiator vs contracts director salary

Senior contracts negotiators and contracts directors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Senior Contracts Negotiator	Contracts Director
Average salary	$67,342	$73,351
Salary range	Between $44,000 And $102,000	Between $46,000 And $116,000
Highest paying City	-	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	-	California
Best paying company	-	Edwards Lifesciences
Best paying industry	-	Manufacturing

Differences between senior contracts negotiator and contracts director education

There are a few differences between a senior contracts negotiator and a contracts director in terms of educational background:

	Senior Contracts Negotiator	Contracts Director
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 66%	Bachelor's Degree, 66%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Southern California	Stanford University

Senior contracts negotiator vs contracts director demographics

Here are the differences between senior contracts negotiators' and contracts directors' demographics:

	Senior Contracts Negotiator	Contracts Director
Average age	44	47
Gender ratio	Male, 51.3% Female, 48.7%	Male, 58.1% Female, 41.9%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 6.4% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.4% Asian, 8.8% White, 70.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%	Black or African American, 9.0% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 12.1% Asian, 7.4% White, 67.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage	11%	11%

Differences between senior contracts negotiator and contracts director duties and responsibilities

Senior contracts negotiator example responsibilities.

Manage administrative support, handle payroll, develop company policies and procedures manual.
Develop spreadsheets and narrative support for cost proposals in compliance with the RFP.
Collaborate with business unit in responding to request-for-proposals (RFP) during renewals or for potential business.
Represent company in arbitration settlement negotiations that result in an agreement to obtain governmental approval for the sale of the business.
Prepare monthly and quarterly reconciliations.

Contracts director example responsibilities.

Manage client audits (EPA, DCAA, local and state agencies) to resolve audit and rate variances.
Prepare and execute contractual documents: contracts, NDAs, consulting agreements, and subcontracts to achieve best value for company.
Establish managed care Medicaid funding models with several major integrate medical delivery systems.
Manage administrative support, handle payroll, develop company policies and procedures manual.
Target negotiations for development areas including Medicaid and Medicare products.
Review and sign off on final documents for the issuance of RFP solicitations and the execution of contracts and supplemental agreements.

Senior contracts negotiator vs contracts director skills

Common senior contracts negotiator skills

Contract Administration, 11%
Proposal Preparation, 8%
Contract Terms, 6%
DOD, 6%
Service Agreements, 5%
ITAR, 5%

Common contracts director skills

Contract Management, 8%
Oversight, 6%
Contract Terms, 6%
Strong Analytical, 6%
Contract Administration, 6%
Project Management, 4%

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Senior Contracts Negotiator
Senior Contracts Negotiator vs Contracts Director

Updated January 8, 2025

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