Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Administrative Director

🎯 Role Definition

The Administrative Director is the senior executive responsible for driving the administrative operations, systems and support services of the organisation. This role leads the design and implementation of administrative strategy, oversees teams and resources, ensures operational efficiency, manages compliance and risk, and partners with executives to align support services with business goals. The successful candidate is a strategic thinker, operational leader and people manager with strong financial, policy and process expertise.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Administrative Manager or Director of Administration
Senior Operations Manager with administrative oversight
Executive Leader in office services or support functions

Advancement To:

Vice President of Administration & Operations
Chief Operating Officer (COO) or Chief Administrative Officer (CAO)
Executive Director – Business Services

Lateral Moves:

Director of Facilities & Real Estate
Director of Human Resources Operations
Director of Process Improvement / Business Operations

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Lead and direct all administrative functions including facilities management, procurement, office services, records management, reception, mailroom, and vendor relationships to ensure alignment with organisational goals.
Develop, implement and maintain administrative policies, standard operating procedures and service level agreements that enhance productivity, compliance and operational consistency.
Partner with senior leadership to translate strategic business objectives into administrative service road‑maps, performance KPIs and resource plans.
Oversee the administrative budget, forecast spending, monitor costs, optimise resource allocation, and identify cost‑saving opportunities without sacrificing service quality.
Supervise, mentor and develop a high‑performing administrative leadership team, establish goals, monitor performance and ensure professional growth and accountability.
Manage large‑scale administrative projects including office relocations, workplace redesign, digital transformation of administrative services, records migrations and workflow automation.
Ensure compliance with legal, regulatory, safety and governance requirements across administrative operations, including data protection, health & safety, and retention schedules.
Oversee vendor and contract management for administrative service providers, negotiate terms, track service levels, evaluate performance and ensure cost‑effectiveness.
Design and monitor operational metrics for administrative functions, develop dashboards, report trends and present actionable insights to executive management.
Foster cross‑functional collaboration between administrative services and departments such as HR, Finance, IT, and Operations to streamline processes and improve support services.
Lead workforce planning for administrative support: set staffing plans, approve hiring, define roles, manage performance and ensure continuity of service during growth or change.
Drive continuous improvement initiatives in administrative workflows, identify bottlenecks, implement process redesign, adopt technology solutions and measure outcomes.
Manage facilities, infrastructure and workplace environment: oversee space planning, maintenance, security, technology lifecycle, vendor coordination and business‑continuity planning.
Oversee records and information management including both physical and digital archives, retrieval systems, metadata standards, audit readiness and secure disposal of documents.
Coordinate executive and board support: organise meetings, prepare board materials, track action items, ensure smooth logistics and high‑level service delivery.
Act as strategic advisor to leadership on administrative risk, resource optimisation, workforce support and operational readiness.
Ensure that reception, front‑office and service‑desk functions deliver professional experience, align with brand standards and support internal users and external stakeholders.
Participate in enterprise‑wide initiatives such as workplace strategy, culture development, sustainability, and support service innovation to enhance administrative effectiveness.
Maintain organisational culture in administrative services, promote career development, staff engagement, alignment with values and behaviour modelling for support teams.
Monitor emerging administrative technologies, workplace trends and service models; evaluate applicability to the organisation and lead pilot programs, change management and adoption planning.

Secondary Functions

Support ad‑hoc data requests and exploratory analysis of administrative service performance, identify insights and collaborate with analytics or operations teams.
Contribute to the organisation’s operational strategy by aligning administrative capabilities, translating organisational needs into administrative requirements and helping prioritise support‑function investments.
Collaborate with business units to translate administrative workflow needs into system or engineering specifications (e.g., automation, records platforms, workforce‑planning tools).
Participate in strategic planning sessions, change‑management frameworks and cross‑functional working groups aimed at improving administrative services and business support functions.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Proven expertise in budget management and financial forecasting for administrative or support‑service functions.
Advanced knowledge of policy development, process design, workflow mapping and administrative systems implementation.
Proficiency with enterprise software systems, ERP, facilities management tools, records management platforms, and vendor/contract‑management systems.
Experience overseeing facilities, real‑estate, space‑planning, office installations, maintenance and workplace‑infrastructure management.
Skilled in vendor negotiation, contract lifecycle management, service‑level agreement (SLA) design, vendor performance monitoring and cost control.
Competence in data‑analysis for administrative operations: ability to develop KPIs, dashboards, present actionable insights, and guide executive decisions.
HR operational knowledge including organisational design, staffing plans, performance management systems, onboarding, training and succession planning.
Understanding of regulatory compliance, risk management, audit readiness, document retention and workplace safety standards.
Project‑management skills: ability to lead major support‑service initiatives, system roll‑outs, relocations or transformation programs.
Strong communication and presentation skills: able to prepare board‑level materials, deliver executive briefings, and influence across functions.

Soft Skills

Exceptional leadership and team‑management capability: able to inspire, coach, hold accountable and build high‑performing support teams.
Strategic thinking and business acumen: translate administrative functions into value, align services with organisational strategy and drive continuous improvement.
Outstanding organisational and prioritisation skills: manage multiple complex initiatives, align resources, ensure deadlines and service levels are met.
Excellent written and verbal communication: interact effectively with executives, peers, vendors, internal customers and staff at all levels.
High attention to detail and commitment to quality in documents, reports, service delivery and compliance.
Strong problem‑solving and decision‑making: anticipate administrative challenges, propose solutions, guide resolution and evaluate outcomes.
Change‑management aptitude: lead workflow redesign, system adoption, cultural shifts and support organisational transformation.
Interpersonal skills and stakeholder management: build relationships, influence across departments, manage upward and drive collaboration.
Integrity and confidentiality: handle sensitive information responsibly, adhere to ethics and model professional behaviour.
Continuous learning mindset: stay current with best practices in administrative operations, workplace trends, service delivery and leadership.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:
Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Management, Operations, Public Administration or a related field.
Preferred Education:
Master’s degree in Business Administration, Operations Management, or a relevant advanced qualification.
Relevant Fields of Study:

Business Administration
Operations Management
Public Administration
Facilities/Office Services Management

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:
10–15 years of progressively responsible experience in administrative operations, support services or office management leadership roles.
Preferred:
15+ years of executive‑level administrative leadership with experience managing teams, budgets, facilities, vendor services and strategic support functions within medium or large organisations.