Synonyms for "In Charge Of" To Use on Your Resume

Explaining your leadership duties in previous jobs on your resume can help show employers you're capable of handling authority, making effective decisions and achieving results. If you want to highlight your supervisory responsibilities on your resume, you might use a phrase like "in charge of," but you can strengthen your resume by including stronger synonyms for this wording.

In this article, we discuss synonyms for the phrase "in charge of" and how you can incorporate these words into your resume.

Why use "in charge of" synonyms?

When discussing tasks, departments or projects you oversaw, opt for action verbs. These allow you to communicate exactly how you led and what impact you made. Simply stating that you were in charge of something only tells the reader that you had ownership over something.

When you choose a more active synonym, you can imply, for instance, that you addressed problems and redirected a project toward success or trained and mentored a team of junior employees. This can help you distinguish yourself from other candidates and encourage hiring managers to visualize you excelling in your role.

Related: Words To Avoid and Include on a Resume

"In charge of" synonyms for your resume

Here are some alternative words and phrases to use instead of "in charge of":

Managed

Managing a task means taking ownership of it and making effective decisions to improve its success. "Managed" communicates that you took an active role in the task's completion rather than simply accepting responsibility for it. For example, instead of writing that you're in charge of the office budget, you might write that you "managed office budget, cutting over $4,000 in unnecessary spending."

Related: How To Manage Effectively

Delegated

If you held a management position in which you oversaw a team or department, you can communicate that you were in charge of these employees by describing how you delegated work to them. To delegate means to assign tasks strategically to manage the collective workload of a group, and many employers look for leaders who can delegate work effectively to maximize a team's productivity.

Related: Delegation in Management: Definition, Traits and Tips

Mobilized

Consider using a term like "mobilized" to convey your ability to develop a strategic initiative and implement it across your team. By explaining that you mobilized your team, you imply that you successfully communicated shared goals, created an action plan and motivated team members to execute it.

Orchestrated

If you oversaw a complex project, like a staff retreat, an office move or a major client campaign, "orchestrated" is a great term to use to communicate your aptitude. Using this term can help you convey your ability to delegate work, manage competing priorities and encourage a team to work together to achieve its goals.

Fostered

As a leader, you may contribute to the company culture at large or the work environment in your team or department. You can use "foster" to show potential employers that you create a positive work environment and encourage your colleagues to grow. For example, you might write that you foster a culture of feedback and continuous improvement through regular audits, one-on-one meetings and anonymous surveys.

Guided

A term like "guided" shows potential employers that you can help your team achieve results. It also gives insight into your leadership style, as it conveys that you help the team find their direction but grant them the autonomy to make their own choices. You might also use this word to describe your professional development efforts with members of your team.

How to replace "in charge of" on your resume

Here's how you can replace "in charge of" with a more suitable word or phrase:

1. Choose the right synonym for you

Reflect on the responsibility or accomplishment you're describing. Think about what you hope to convey to hiring managers and how it aligns with the responsibilities mentioned in the job description for the position you're pursuing. If you want to highlight your ability to manage people, you might opt for a synonym like "guided" or "mobilized." If you'd rather communicate your project management skills, "orchestrated" and "delegated" might be better.

2. Rewrite the sentence in active voice

Progressive verbs often follow "in charge of" in a sentence. For instance, you might start with the following duty in your work experience section:

• "In charge of drafting and enforcing company policies"

Replace "in charge of" with your chosen active verb. Here's your revised bullet point:

• "Fostered an inclusive and supportive work environment through the development of comprehensive company policies"

Related: How To Use Active Verbs in Resumes and Interviews

3. Add specific details

The goal of revising vague language on your resume is to describe your responsibilities and accomplishments in detail so hiring managers understand the value you can bring to the job. Once you've replaced "in charge of" with a more active synonym, you can add a few brief details that highlight what you achieved. It helps to share a positive result of your actions, like a key performance indicator (KPI) or an improved business outcome.

Examples of "in charge of" synonyms on resumes

Below are some examples of these synonyms used in resume bullet points:

• Delegated project tasks per team member's unique strengths to drive quality and job satisfaction

• Guided a team of software developers, testers and designers in a website redesign that increased average session duration by 31%

• Orchestrated a fall fundraising campaign that grew our donors by 14% and raised $152K for local literacy programs

• Managed 12 conference room calendars, responding to all meeting requests in under 30 minutes

• Mobilized sales team by using incentives and one-on-one coaching to increase average monthly sales by over $20K

• Fostered cross-functional collaboration between marketing and product teams to optimize launches

Related: How To Write Excellent Resume Bullet Points

Tips for highlighting leadership experiences on your resume

Below are some tips to help you effectively communicate your leadership experience when writing your resume:

Include numerical data

Many employers want to hire leaders who help their teams achieve results. Consider quantifying the success of the initiatives, projects and departments you oversaw by including a KPI or metric that proves your claims. This may increase your credibility and boost the hiring manager's confidence in you.

Related: How To Quantify Resume Accomplishments (With Examples)

Vary up your action verbs

To maximize the impact of your words, try to only use each verb once on your resume. Using a unique action verb in each bullet provides the reader with more insight into your capabilities, as each verb has its own distinct implications. Specific, varied word choices can also make your resume more interesting to read.

Related: 195 Action Verbs To Make Your Resume Stand Out

Review the job description and customize your work experience

Study the job description to learn more about what the employer is looking for in a candidate. Leadership involves many sub-skills, so it helps to understand what traits and tasks are most important to the hiring manager. For example, if the job description explains the employer is a small business and everyone in the team works together on projects, you might want to focus on your ability to build a collaborative environment and promote teamwork.