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Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Director of Administration

💰 $110,000 - $180,000

AdministrationOperationsLeadershipHuman ResourcesFinance

🎯 Role Definition

The Director of Administration leads and optimizes an organization's administrative and operational functions to ensure seamless day-to-day operations, cost control, regulatory compliance, and high-quality workplace services. This role partners with executive leadership to develop operational strategy, manage cross-functional teams (facilities, procurement, HR operations, office services, and administrative staff), oversee budgets and contracts, and drive continuous process improvement. The Director of Administration combines tactical execution with strategic planning to create efficient, scalable administrative systems that support business growth.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Senior Manager, Administrative Services
  • Facilities Manager or Operations Manager
  • HR Operations Lead or Office Manager

Advancement To:

  • VP of Administration / VP of Operations
  • Chief Operating Officer (COO) – small to mid-size organizations
  • Head of Corporate Services / Chief Administrative Officer (CAO)

Lateral Moves:

  • Director of Facilities & Real Estate
  • Director of Procurement & Vendor Management

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Develop, implement, and continuously refine a comprehensive administrative strategy that aligns facilities, procurement, office services, and HR operations with organizational goals and supports scale-up and transformation initiatives.
  • Lead the annual administrative budget process, prepare multi-year forecasts, track actuals against budget, identify variances, and present actionable recommendations to senior leadership to optimize costs and resource allocation.
  • Oversee vendor selection, contract negotiation, vendor performance management, and service-level agreements (SLAs) for facility services, security, janitorial, catering, IT support vendors, and other critical third-party providers.
  • Manage facility operations including lease administration, space planning, workplace safety, capital projects, preventive maintenance programs, and site-specific compliance (OSHA, building codes, fire safety).
  • Design and own business continuity, emergency preparedness, and crisis response plans to ensure minimal operational disruption and employee safety during incidents.
  • Build and lead a high-performing administrative team (office managers, facilities coordinators, reception, procurement specialists), including recruiting, development, performance management, and succession planning.
  • Develop and maintain administrative policies and standard operating procedures (SOPs) — including travel policy, expense management, meetings and events, mail and shipping, and office hospitality — and ensure organization-wide adoption.
  • Serve as a cross-functional partner to HR, Finance, Legal, and IT to align administrative processes with payroll, benefits administration, compliance, and technology enablement.
  • Implement and manage an integrated facilities and asset management system (CMMS or ERP) to track work orders, assets, vendor activities, warranties, and capital expenditures.
  • Lead workplace strategy initiatives that improve employee experience (hybrid work programs, desk hoteling, collaboration spaces), increase utilization efficiency, and support recruitment and retention objectives.
  • Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local regulations related to employment, building operations, environmental health & safety, and accessibility; coordinate audits and remediation activities as required.
  • Oversee procurement and purchasing processes for office supplies, equipment, and services — establishing purchasing controls, preferred supplier lists, and competitive sourcing to reduce costs and improve quality.
  • Drive continuous process improvements and operational efficiencies using data-driven KPIs (occupancy costs per employee, time-to-repair, vendor SLA attainment, procurement cycle time) and lead cross-functional improvement projects.
  • Manage corporate events logistics and internal programs (onboarding kits, welcome programs, executive travel and logistics) to ensure professional representation of the organization and positive employee experiences.
  • Coordinate workplace technology implementations in collaboration with IT (badging systems, meeting room AV, access control, space management tools) to improve security and operational workflows.
  • Administer risk management programs for property insurance, liability, and vendor insurance certificates; partner with Legal and Risk teams to mitigate exposure on contracts and facilities projects.
  • Oversee fixed asset management and capital expenditure planning, including approval workflows, depreciation tracking, and disposal programs aligned with accounting policies.
  • Prepare executive-level reports and dashboards on administrative performance, budget status, and strategic initiatives, and present findings to the C-suite and board committees as needed.
  • Lead site selection, lease negotiations, renewals, and relocations including financial modeling, stakeholder communication, move management, and post-move optimization.
  • Champion sustainability and cost-reduction initiatives (energy management, waste reduction, green procurement) to reduce operating costs and support corporate social responsibility goals.
  • Facilitate cross-functional alignment on organizational change initiatives such as mergers, office consolidations, expansions, or new program rollouts and manage the administrative impact end-to-end.
  • Oversee confidential executive support operations (executive assistants, scheduling, travel, and board logistics) ensuring high standards of discretion and professionalism.

Secondary Functions

  • Support ad-hoc executive and cross-functional projects such as special programs, leadership offsites, and organizational redesigns.
  • Provide data-driven analysis to inform administrative decisions: analyze occupancy trends, vendor spend, and service utilization to guide strategic investments.
  • Act as the primary liaison between corporate real estate teams and local site teams to streamline communication and execution on capital projects.
  • Lead or participate in project management for office build-outs, technology rollouts, or process automation initiatives with a focus on timely delivery and budget control.
  • Support HR in policy implementation, onboarding/offboarding coordination, background checks, and space allocation for headcount planning.
  • Coordinate external audits and ensure timely delivery of required administrative documentation and corrective action plans.
  • Maintain an up-to-date knowledge base of best practices, emerging technologies, and regulatory changes impacting administrative and facilities operations.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • Strategic operations planning and administrative program management with measurable outcomes (cost savings, SLA improvements, reduced downtime).
  • Budgeting, financial forecasting, P&L comprehension, and capital expenditure planning for facilities and administrative services.
  • Contract negotiation and vendor management: RFP development, supplier selection, SLA drafting, vendor scorecards, and dispute resolution.
  • Facilities management knowledge including lease administration, space planning, preventive maintenance, and contractor oversight.
  • Proficiency with workplace and asset management systems (CMMS, EMS), ERP systems (e.g., SAP, Oracle), and procurement platforms.
  • Strong Excel modeling and data analysis skills; ability to build dashboards and present KPI-driven insights to leadership.
  • Familiarity with HR systems (HRIS), payroll/expense systems, and tools that support onboarding, access control, and visitor management.
  • Project and program management skills with experience using Agile or PMI methodologies for cross-functional initiatives.
  • Compliance and risk management expertise related to OSHA, ADA, environmental, and local building codes; experience with audit responses.
  • Experience with workplace technology (AV systems, conference room scheduling, badge/access control, IoT sensors) and integration with facilities workflows.

Soft Skills

  • Executive presence and polished communication: able to present complex operational information clearly to the C-suite and external stakeholders.
  • Strong leadership and people management: coaching, talent development, conflict resolution, and building diverse, high-performing teams.
  • Strategic thinker with a pragmatic, hands-on approach—able to balance long-term initiatives with urgent operational needs.
  • Excellent stakeholder management and collaboration skills: works effectively with HR, Finance, Legal, IT, and external partners.
  • High attention to detail combined with the ability to prioritize and manage multiple projects under tight timelines.
  • Problem-solving and analytical mindset with a bias for action and continuous improvement.
  • Discretion and confidentiality when dealing with executive-level and sensitive information.
  • Change management aptitude: leading people through operational transitions while maintaining morale and productivity.
  • Customer-service orientation with a focus on improving the employee experience and internal client satisfaction.
  • Negotiation and influencing skills to secure favorable terms with vendors and partners and to build cross-functional consensus.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Facilities Management, Operations Management, Finance, Human Resources, or related field.

Preferred Education:

  • Master’s degree in Business Administration (MBA), Facilities/Real Estate Management, or related graduate degree and/or relevant professional certifications (e.g., CPM, FMP, PMP, SHRM-SCP).

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Business Administration
  • Facilities Management
  • Operations Management
  • Finance or Accounting
  • Human Resources Management

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 8–15+ years of progressive experience in administration, facilities, operations, or office services with at least 5 years in a senior leadership role.

Preferred:

  • Demonstrated track record managing multi-site facilities and vendor portfolios, leading cross-functional teams, delivering measurable cost savings, and implementing workplace strategies in fast-paced or growth-stage organizations.
  • Experience with lease negotiations, capital project management, workplace technology implementations, and regulatory compliance at state and federal levels.
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