Office manager job descriptions are very different depending on the industry as well as the company needs. However, all office managers share one thing in common – they take on a variety of projects to ensure the efficient operation of their company. The employment of this role is expected to increase by 10% from 2016 to 2026 (faster than the average growth rate for all occupations nationwide). With the average office manager salary of $96,180 per year, this means nothing but a fierce competition for those job seekers who will be applying for office manager jobs. In order to help them succeed, we decided to share office manager job description sample, which can be a good start for those who wish to pursue this career path.
Overview of Office Manager Job Description
To cut the story short, office administrators coordinate office operations to ensure it runs smoothly. That can imply a variety of tasks and projects: creating office protocols, organizing events, handling administrative procedures, resolving administrating issues, preparing reports, supervising staff, ensuring inventory control, etc. Every office manager job description implies wearing multiple hats. Once again, the kinds of hats are different but the purpose is always the same – to ensure efficiency and safety of all office operations. It is also common for office managers to be the go-to person for assistance and questions regarding daily activities. Sometimes, they are even responsible for onboarding and orientating new hires as well as coordinating the contracts.
This role assumes working with people a lot. Organizing things and taking care of administrative processes requires interpersonal skills. The challenges for this position can be quite significant, especially if you work in a large office environment. Therefore, when companies are seeking to fill in the office manager jobs they are after those candidates who can handle stress well, stay on top of everyone’s deadline, and communicate with both the executive management team and office employees.
Office Manager Duties
Most job seekers believe that office managers have similar responsibilities with administrative assistants. While it is true that both of these roles require an understanding of streamlining administrative processes, the job of an office administrator is much more than just that. Here is the list of office manager duties:
- Assign clerical functions to office associates and monitor the performance of staff.
- Plan and implement process improvement initiatives to improve office operations’ efficiency.
- Develop and implement office policies and set up office protocols.
- Review and approve supply requisitions; plan and execute equipment procurement.
- Serve as a point of contact for all maintenance, equipment, documentation, and bills issues.
- Coordinate office operations; organize and schedule office events and meetings.
- Collaborate with Human Resources to onboard new hires and maintain office policies.
- Communicate with IT Dept. on all office equipment and software matters.
- Collaborate with vendors and service providers on all invoicing and payment procedures.
- Implement and maintain filing systems; establish record keeping procedures.
- Negotiate contracts and prices with vendors and service providers.
- Provide administrative assistance to office staff and resolve complex administrative issues.
- Develop annual budget; plan the expenditures, analyze variances, and project corrections.
- Review and analyze special projects’ outcomes and report to the management team.
- Coordinate with the executive team to allocate needed resources for successful office performance.
- Provide assistance to customers and resolve client issues.
- Prepare reports and create PowerPoint/Prezi presentations.
- Manage and maintain schedules and calendars.
Top Office Manager Job Skills
We have already mentioned that multi-tasking and interpersonal skills are essential for this role. However, there are more office manager job skills employers want to see in a candidate. Most of those sought-after skills you will be able to find in the job ad when looking for a specific opening. Additionally, you can research the company you are applying to. This should help you better understand the business as well as their values. But regardless of the office manager job you are after, there are some skills that are crucially important for the role no matter where you are going to work. This means that even if you don’t see any skills on the job requirements section, there is still something you can focus on when pursuing an office management role.
Leadership Skills. The office will not run smoothly if it is not managed well. As the supervisor, you will need to have leadership skills to keep everything coordinated and make sure your team is productive. You will be the one responsible for setting up some teamwork mechanisms that will make the operations more efficient. Therefore, the ability to lead others is so important for this role.
Analytical Skills. Identifying inefficiencies and developing solutions is one of the priorities of every office manager. Analyzing office operations, processes, and practices then is crucially important. If you happen to have analytical skills, make sure you make that known to prospective employers.
Computer Skills. Regardless of the size of the office, dealing with data entry and general IT tasks is quite common for this position. Besides, automating some of the processes takes understanding of how systems work as well as how they can make the operations more efficient.
Attention to Detail. Details do matter, especially if you are an office administrator. Most of the process improvements that are implemented are based on observing little details. More than that, the role implies the need to maintain records, order the correct amount of supplies, and keep track of the office needs. Without attention to detail, it will be really difficult to succeed in performing this job well.
Financial Skills. Office managers are in the business of making office operations more efficient while ensuring everything’s running smoothly. To achieve that, they have to handle budgeting, accounting, invoicing, payroll, and other financial records. Knowing how to handle money is absolutely critical for office managers (especially if it is a large office).
