Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Administrative Lead

🎯 Role Definition

The Administrative Lead serves as a key leader within the administrative function, guiding the team, shaping workflows and ensuring seamless operational support across departments. This individual oversees administrative staff, manages daily operational activities, maintains efficient office systems, supports projects and liaises with leadership to ensure high service levels, compliance and continuous improvement. Strong leadership, organisational acumen and operational mindset are required.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Senior Administrative Specialist / Administrative Supervisor
Office Manager / Operations Coordinator
Team Lead – Administrative Services

Advancement To:

Administrative Manager or Office Services Manager
Director of Administration / Head of Support Services
Vice President of Operations Support

Lateral Moves:

Facilities & Support Services Lead
Human Resources Operations Lead
Business Process Improvement Lead

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Lead, mentor and manage a team of administrative professionals: set goals, conduct performance reviews, provide coaching and monitor workflow to ensure team success.
Develop, document and maintain administrative procedures, best‑practice workflows and standard operating guidelines to optimise productivity and service quality.
Oversee the daily administrative operations: mail, correspondence, phone systems, visitor services, reception, document management and front‑office logistics.
Coordinate scheduling of executive and departmental calendars, meeting room reservations, travel arrangements and complex itineraries for multiple stakeholders.
Manage vendor and service provider relationships for administrative support functions: negotiate contracts, monitor service levels, track cost‑effectiveness and ensure compliance.
Administer the procurement, inventory and supply management process for office materials, equipment, furniture and facilities related services while controlling costs.
Maintain comprehensive records management systems—both electronic and paper—ensuring accuracy, security, retrieval ease and compliance with retention schedules.
Oversee key administrative projects such as office relocations, renovations, event logistics, system upgrades, and cross‑department support initiatives.
Monitor operational metrics, prepare regular reports for leadership on administrative service levels, costs, resource utilisation and improvement opportunities.
Ensure compliance with corporate policies, regulatory standards, internal controls and audit requirements pertaining to administrative functions.
Collaborate with HR, Finance, IT, Facilities and other departments to align administrative services with business needs, coordinate support functions and resolve issues.
Plan and lead onboarding, training and development for administrative team members, ensuring consistent application of systems, policies and culture.
Support budgeting and expense control for administrative operations: track expenditures, forecast needs, approve requisitions, and align with organisational financial goals.
Manage change in the administrative environment: identify workflow inefficiencies, lead process improvement initiatives, implement system enhancements, and evaluate results.
Supervise maintenance of office and facility systems: coordinate with Facilities/IT to ensure workstations, technology, building services and security meet operational standards.
Provide high‑level support for events, meetings and corporate functions: oversee logistics, catering, participant communication, venue setup and follow‑up.
Serve as a point of contact for senior leadership regarding administrative matters: respond to escalated issues, provide operational insight and recommend service enhancements.
Oversee quality assurance for administrative outputs: ensure accuracy of documents, consistency of service delivery, timely fulfilment of tasks and professional communication.
Ensure workplace safety, environment, security and contingency plans are managed for administrative operations: coordinate policies, audits and emergency response.
Foster a positive and efficient administrative culture: drive employee engagement, continuous learning, collaboration, accountability and operational excellence.

Secondary Functions

Support ad‑hoc data requests and exploratory analysis of administrative operations metrics, identifying opportunities for automation or efficiency gains.
Contribute to the organisation’s operational roadmap by aligning administrative services with business unit needs and translating support‑function requirements into system enhancements.
Collaborate with business units to translate administrative requirements into engineering or systems specifications (e.g., workflow automation, digital records management).
Participate in sprint planning or cross‑functional project teams within the operations or business services domain to improve administrative support systems and tools.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Strong proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook) and experience with office management or enterprise systems (ERP, facility tracking, ticketing).
Expertise in records management, document control, electronic filing systems and retention compliance frameworks.
Budgeting and financial management: expense tracking, procurement approvals, forecasting, cost‑control and vendor invoicing.
Vendor and contract management: negotiation, service‑level agreement (SLA) monitoring, vendor performance tracking and vendor onboarding.
Process mapping and workflow design: ability to analyse administrative operations, identify inefficiencies and implement improved procedures.
Project management: experience leading administrative or operational projects including office relocations, system roll‑outs and service redesigns.
Facilities and support service oversight: coordinating maintenance, security, cleaning, IT support and space planning for the office environment.
Data analysis and reporting: ability to compile metrics on team performance, administrative cost, service levels and present insights to leadership.
HR operational support: onboarding processes, team staffing, performance reviews, training schedules and administrative staff development.
Change management and system implementation: ability to enhance administrative systems, integrate process improvements and manage organisational change.

Soft Skills

Leadership and team‑management: motivate, mentor and hold teams accountable while driving results and fostering collaboration.
Exceptional organisational and time‑management skills: manage multiple priorities, meet tight deadlines and maintain high service levels.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills: interact effectively with senior leadership, vendors, staff and stakeholders.
Strong attention to detail and accuracy: ensure documentation, reports and administrative outputs are error‑free and professional.
Strategic thinking and business acumen: translate administrative functions into value‑added services and align operations with broader organisational objectives.
Problem‑solving and decision‑making: proactively identify issues, develop solutions and implement them with minimal supervision.
Adaptability and resilience: excel in dynamic environments, accommodate changing requirements and maintain consistency of service.
Relationship‑building and stakeholder‑management: collaborate across departments, manage vendor relationships and deliver excellent internal customer service.
Integrity and confidentiality: handle sensitive information responsibly and build trust through ethical conduct.
Continuous improvement mindset: drive efficiencies, embrace innovation and cultivate a culture of operational excellence.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:
Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Office Management, Operations Management or related field.
Preferred Education:
Master’s degree or advanced certification in Business Administration, Operations or Administrative Leadership.
Relevant Fields of Study:

Business Administration
Operations Management
Office/Facilities Management
Public Administration

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:
5–8 years of progressively responsible experience in administrative support, office services or operations roles, including supervisory responsibilities.
Preferred:
7+ years of administrative leadership experience managing teams, budgets, facilities and administrative systems, with demonstrated process improvements and operational alignment.