Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Administrative Services Manager

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🎯 Role Definition

The Administrative Services Manager is a strategic leader responsible for overseeing all administrative, facilities and support functions within the organisation. This role ensures operational excellence across office services, records management, vendor relationships, budget and facilities maintenance. The incumbent manages teams, drives process improvement, and partners with senior leadership to align administrative operations with business objectives.

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📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

• Senior Administrative Supervisor
• Office Services Manager
• Facilities & Operations Supervisor

Advancement To:

• Director of Administrative Services
• Vice President of Operations Support
• Chief Administrative Officer (CAO)

Lateral Moves:

• Facilities and Real Estate Manager
• Business Operations Manager
• Procurement & Vendor Relations Director

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Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

1. Plan, direct and coordinate the activities of administrative and support services including records management, mail distribution, office upkeep and supply allocation.
2. Supervise, train, evaluate and develop performance of administrative staff and service vendors to foster a high‐performing department.
3. Develop, implement and continuously review administrative policies, procedures and systems to improve operational efficiency and compliance.
4. Oversee budget preparation, cost control, forecasting, financial resource allocation and variance analysis for the administrative services unit.
5. Manage office facilities, physical workspace planning, equipment upkeep and vendor relationships for maintenance, cleaning, security and real-estate services.
6. Monitor the organisation’s internal controls, records retention, regulatory compliance (e.g., health & safety, ADA, FLSA) and risk mitigation processes.
7. Lead internal projects for administrative process improvement including technology implementation, workflow redesign and service delivery enhancement.
8. Coordinate with cross-functional teams and executive leadership to ensure alignment of administrative service strategies with business objectives.
9. Manage and negotiate contracts with external service providers, vendors and suppliers including evaluation of cost and quality metrics.
10. Maintain comprehensive records management systems including document archiving, retrieval procedures, electronic filing, and secure disposal of confidential information.
11. Lead workplace safety, environmental, security and emergency preparedness initiatives ensuring the physical work environment supports organisational operations.
12. Oversee the planning and execution of special events, meetings and relocations including the coordination of logistics, scheduling and resource allocation.
13. Analyse administrative operations data and develop meaningful reporting for senior management to support decision-making and continuous improvement.
14. Supervise space planning, renovation and construction initiatives to support growth, adaptability and functionality of physical infrastructure.
15. Ensure inventory management of supplies, equipment and fixed assets including acquisition, maintenance and disposal in line with budget and policy.
16. Drive vendor performance assessment, manage service level agreements (SLAs) and ensure service provider alignment with organisational standards.
17. Oversee human resources‐related administrative functions such as onboarding, benefits administration and supporting departmental training for support staff.
18. Lead cost-savings initiatives by identifying inefficiencies, consolidating services, and optimising process flows across administrative operations.
19. Serve as a key liaison to executive leadership, facilitating communication across departments and ensuring administrative responsiveness to organisational needs.
20. Maintain a culture of continuous improvement, mentorship and professional growth for the administrative services team, fostering accountability and innovation.

Secondary Functions

• Support ad-hoc operational analysis, data requests and administrative performance metrics.
• Contribute to the organisation’s broader operations strategy by integrating administrative services insights into business planning.
• Collaborate with IT and systems teams to translate administrative requirements into systems specifications and workflow automation.
• Participate in strategic planning, change management initiatives and cross-functional working groups to enhance service delivery.

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Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

• Strong proficiency in Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Outlook) and enterprise resource planning (ERP) or facilities management software.
• Advanced budget management and financial reporting skills including forecasting, variance analysis and cost control.
• Facilities and real-estate management knowledge covering space planning, vendor management, construction oversight and maintenance.
• Records and information management capabilities including archiving, retention, retrieval and secure disposal of sensitive documents.
• Policy and procedure development and implementation, with ability to build and manage administrative systems.
• Contract negotiation, vendor sourcing, SLA management and service delivery oversight.
• Project management skills (planning, executing, monitoring) and experience leading cross-functional initiatives.
• Regulatory compliance awareness, including workplace health & safety standards, ADA/FLSA, data protection and environmental regulations.
• Change management and process-improvement expertise — ability to identify inefficiencies and implement sustainable solutions.
• Data collection and analysis skills for operational metrics, service level reporting and executive dashboards.

Soft Skills

• Exceptional leadership, team-building and coaching skills to lead an administrative services organisation.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with ability to engage stakeholders at all levels.
• Strategic thinking and decision-making: ability to translate organisational objectives into administrative service delivery.
• High organisational ability and multi-tasking: manage competing priorities, deadlines and resources in a fast-paced environment.
• Detail-oriented with strong focus on quality, accuracy and consistency of operations.
• Relationship-building and interpersonal skills: collaborate across functions, vendors and executives.
• Problem-solving mindset and proactive approach: anticipate issues, develop solutions and implement improvements.
• Adaptability and resilience: manage change, lead through evolving requirements and support business growth.
• Time-management and prioritisation skills: allocate workload effectively and ensure timely completion of tasks.
• Integrity, confidentiality and professionalism: maintain trust, treat sensitive information appropriately and uphold ethical standards.

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Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:
Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Management, Public Administration, Facilities Management, or a related field.

Preferred Education:
Master’s degree in Business Administration, Facilities Management, or equivalent advanced training.

Relevant Fields of Study:

• Business Administration
• Management
• Facilities & Real Estate Management
• Public Administration

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:
5–10+ years of progressively responsible experience in administrative, facilities, operations or office services management roles.

Preferred:
Demonstrated experience leading administrative services teams, managing budgets in excess of multi-million dollar scope, overseeing facilities operations and driving process improvement across a complex organisation.