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Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Office Secretary

💰 $32,000 - $55,000

AdministrationOffice ManagementClerical

🎯 Role Definition

The Office Secretary provides professional administrative support to ensure efficient day-to-day operations of the office. This role manages front-desk activities, coordinates scheduling and communications, maintains accurate records and office systems, and contributes to a welcoming workplace environment. The Office Secretary acts as the hub between staff, management, clients and vendors, combining strong organizational skills, discretion, and customer-service orientation to support business continuity and productivity.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Receptionist / Front Desk Associate
  • Administrative Assistant
  • Customer Service Representative

Advancement To:

  • Office Manager
  • Executive Assistant
  • Administrative Coordinator
  • Operations Coordinator

Lateral Moves:

  • HR Assistant
  • Records Clerk
  • Facilities Coordinator

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Greet visitors and clients in a professional and welcoming manner, manage the front desk, and ensure that guests are signed in, notified of appointments, and directed to the appropriate staff member promptly.
  • Manage multi-line phone systems, screen and route calls, take accurate messages, and follow up to ensure timely responses from the appropriate team members.
  • Maintain executive and staff calendars, coordinate internal and external meetings, schedule conference rooms and virtual meeting links, and proactively resolve scheduling conflicts.
  • Prepare, format and proofread business correspondence, memos, reports, meeting agendas and minutes with attention to grammar, tone and company branding guidelines.
  • Maintain and organize electronic and physical filing systems, ensure documents are indexed correctly, and manage retention, archival and secure disposal in compliance with company policy.
  • Draft standardized responses and templates for frequent inquiries, maintain a knowledge base of office procedures and update documentation as processes evolve.
  • Receive, sort and distribute incoming mail and packages; coordinate outbound shipments, maintain postage and courier accounts, and track delivery confirmations when necessary.
  • Process expense reports and petty cash transactions, verify receipts, and prepare documentation for finance or accounts payable in accordance with company policy.
  • Maintain office supply inventories, anticipate replenishment needs, research vendors, obtain quotes and place orders to optimize cost and minimize supply disruptions.
  • Coordinate travel arrangements for staff and visitors, book flights, accommodations and ground transportation; prepare detailed itineraries and expense estimates.
  • Act as the primary point of contact for building management and facilities services, reporting maintenance issues, coordinating repairs and managing access cards and keys.
  • Support onboarding for new hires by preparing workspaces, coordinating IT access requests, scheduling orientation sessions and ensuring completion of administrative paperwork.
  • Facilitate internal communications by preparing and distributing company announcements, newsletters, and meeting materials to relevant distribution lists.
  • Assist with basic bookkeeping tasks such as tracking invoices, entering vendor information, reconciling small accounts, and coordinating with accounting for month-end activities.
  • Coordinate room layouts, AV equipment and catering for meetings and events, ensuring logistics are handled and delivering a professional experience for attendees.
  • Maintain confidentiality of sensitive information, exercise discretion in handling personnel documents and privileged communications, and adhere to data protection policies.
  • Monitor office performance metrics (e.g., supply costs, reception wait times) and recommend process improvements to increase operational efficiency and reduce costs.
  • Support records requests and information retrieval, ensuring timely and accurate responses for internal stakeholders and external audits.
  • Implement and enforce office policies and standard operating procedures, serve as an escalation point for reception and administrative issues, and deliver staff training on administrative systems.
  • Use office software and collaboration tools to create spreadsheets, presentations, and reports to support department managers with data organization and visual summaries.
  • Coordinate vendor relationships for office services (cleaning, security, catering), manage contracts and service schedules, and validate service-level performance.
  • Assist in the preparation and coordination of special projects, cross-functional initiatives and ad-hoc administrative campaigns as assigned by management.
  • Provide backup support to other administrative functions during peak periods, including relief coverage for payroll submission, mailroom operations, and database updates.
  • Track and manage appointment lead times, client confirmations and cancellations, maintaining accurate logs and minimizing no-shows through proactive outreach.

Secondary Functions

  • Serve as a liaison between departments to coordinate inter-office deliveries, pooled resources and shared administrative services.
  • Maintain and update contact directories, emergency contact lists and vendor contact information for rapid access when needed.
  • Support periodic office audits, coordinate with compliance and legal teams to locate documents, and implement corrective actions to address audit findings.
  • Assist with basic data entry and CRM updates to ensure client and prospect records are current, complete and correctly categorized.
  • Conduct light event planning and coordination for employee recognition, town halls and small-scale company events, including RSVPs and logistics.
  • Provide receptionist training materials and mentorship for new front-desk staff to ensure consistency in guest experience and phone handling.
  • Coordinate print and document reproduction requests, maintain relationships with external print vendors, and ensure quality and cost efficiency.
  • Help maintain a clean and safe office environment by enforcing workplace safety practices and liaising with facilities on ergonomic requests.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • Proficient with Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint) for document creation, spreadsheet management and calendar coordination.
  • Experience with office telephone and multi-line phone systems, voicemail management and call routing.
  • Knowledge of electronic filing systems and document management platforms (e.g., SharePoint, Google Drive, Dropbox) for version control and secure storage.
  • Familiarity with scheduling and calendar tools (Outlook Calendar, Google Calendar, Microsoft Teams) and video conferencing platforms (Zoom, Teams).
  • Basic bookkeeping and expense management skills, including experience with corporate expense tools, invoice processing and petty cash reconciliation.
  • Experience using office equipment (printers, copiers, scanners, postage meters) and troubleshooting common issues or coordinating service calls.
  • Competence with CRM or database entry for contact management and administrative record keeping.
  • Ability to compose professional business correspondence and take accurate, concise meeting minutes.
  • Experience with vendor management and procurement processes, including sourcing, purchase ordering and tracking deliveries.
  • Comfortable using workplace productivity and ticketing systems (helpdesk, facilities request systems) to log and follow up on issues.

Soft Skills

  • Excellent verbal and written communication; professional phone demeanor and polished in-person reception etiquette.
  • Strong organizational skills with the ability to multitask, prioritize competing demands and meet deadlines in a fast-paced office environment.
  • High attention to detail and accuracy when preparing documents, processing transactions and maintaining records.
  • Discretion and integrity when handling confidential personnel and business information.
  • Proactive problem-solving mindset; anticipates needs and acts independently to resolve routine issues.
  • Customer-service orientation with a friendly, patient approach to internal and external stakeholders.
  • Adaptability and resilience during busy periods, with a calm approach to shifting priorities and interruptions.
  • Team player attitude with the ability to collaborate cross-functionally and support colleagues as needed.
  • Time management and scheduling expertise to coordinate complex calendars and logistics.
  • Dependability and strong work ethic, including punctuality and consistent follow-through on tasks.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • High School Diploma or GED

Preferred Education:

  • Associate’s degree or certificate in Office Administration, Business Administration, or related field

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Office Administration
  • Business Administration
  • Secretarial Studies
  • Communications
  • Records Management

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 1–5 years of administrative or receptionist experience in an office environment.

Preferred: 2–4 years serving in a front-desk, secretary, or administrative support role with demonstrated proficiency in calendar management, document control, and vendor coordination.

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