What are administrative jobs?

Administrative staff often work in support roles for team members or operational departments. They typically handle routine workplace processes and may receive assignments from various department members and leaders. 

Office administrators support daily tasks that help keep the office productive and efficient. Qualified administrative staff can increase business productivity by optimizing employees’ time, minimizing scheduling conflicts, and ensuring professional, timely client communication.

Office administration encompasses a broad range of responsibilities, including overseeing facilities, managing administrative teams and supporting organizational efficiency. Members of this team might handle operational, managerial and strategic duties, which could involve specific project management tasks, vendor negotiations or cross-departmental coordination. The specific duties often depend on the level of the administrative staff member and the department they work in.

Examples of administrative duties the team might handle include:

• Managing the daily schedule
• Taking meeting notes
• Ensuring guests have access to relevant resources
• Booking travel accommodations
• Assisting with employee onboarding
• Creating and distributing various forms of communication
• Maintaining files and documents
• Completing bookkeeping tasks
• Managing office supplies

Why you need an administrative hierarchy

Administrative job titles aren’t typically restricted to secretary or administrative assistant roles. Many levels of administration form a hierarchy within a business that helps manage tasks of varying complexity. 

The hierarchy of administrative titles is key to the department’s efficiency. Entry-level positions in office administration, such as office assistants or clerks, provide newcomers with foundational skills and serve as stepping stones for career advancement. 

More advanced positions, such as office managers, require more complex administrative skills to perform their duties. Office management and office administrator job titles reflect the structure and responsibilities within the administrative hierarchy, supporting career progression from entry-level to advanced roles.

Having a structured hierarchy gives team members a clear path for advancement. It also helps in delegating tasks and understanding the reporting structure. 

Typical hierarchy of administrative roles

Here’s a quick breakdown of administration job titles, starting with the highest-ranking role.

Chief administrative officer (CAO)

The chief administrative officer (CAO), sometimes called the head of administration or the chief business officer, oversees most administrative duties. The role often involves administering, coordinating and directing the company’s daily operations. This may include improving processes, outlining new policies and reporting on company performance.

A related executive role is the chief operating officer. This role focuses on company-wide operations, unlike the CAO, who leads administrative efforts. For example, a CAO may oversee human resources (HR), while a COO focuses less on departmental initiatives. 

The CAO typically reports directly to the chief executive officer (CEO) and board of directors, and they lead various departments, such as finance, legal and HR. Financial management and risk management are also key responsibilities of the CAO, involving budgeting, strategic planning and ensuring compliance to support organizational growth and stability.

Other responsibilities may include:

• Leading company-wide projects
• Serving as the go-to person when rolling out business processes and procedures
• Managing heads of multiple departments
• Developing business goals
• Preparing reports and financial documents to support organizational decision-making

Vice president of administration

The vice president (VP) of administration typically reports directly to the president and is sometimes referred to as the VP of finance and operations or the chief of staff. VPs manage administrative teams and oversee the department to ensure they meet company objectives and key performance indicators (KPIs). Their responsibilities may include:

• Establishing company-wide objectives and policies
• Managing departmental and project budgets
• Setting deadlines and expectations for multiple departments
• Consulting departments on improving their processes in line with company goals
• Delegating administrative tasks to employees in junior roles
• Developing office policies and managing office budgets

This administrative job title can be used interchangeably with CAO, as they share many responsibilities. Your choice likely depends on whether you use a chief or presidential leadership structure. The administrative services manager is another related leadership role focused on overseeing administrative functions and improving organizational processes.

Director of administration

Also called the administrative director or administrative services director, this individual oversees the organizational elements of the company. They generally manage mid- and entry-level staff, such as the administrative manager.

A director of administration is a versatile manager responsible for overseeing various departments and ensuring effective operational oversight. This individual may manage daily administrative functions between departments, such as budgeting or task delegation, and report changes in the organizational processes to senior staff, such as the CAO. 

The director of administration’s duties might include:

• Delegating tasks to staff members
• Overseeing daily operations and long-term strategic planning
• Managing employees in lower-ranking positions
• Streamlining processes
• Reporting compliance issues
• Optimizing administrative processes and collaborating with project managers to ensure efficient resource allocation and project completion

The administrative director is likely to work with mid- and entry-level staff more often than the VP or CAO.

Administrative manager or office manager

The administrative manager, also known as the office manager or head administrator, coordinates the company’s administrative system and directly supervises the administrative staff. They ensure all work follows the procedures set by senior administrative staff.

An administrative manager’s duties may include:

• Supervising non-managerial administration staff
• Overseeing and facilitating communication
• Developing, improving and reviewing administrative systems and policies
• Hiring, training and evaluating employees in administrative roles
• Overseeing office supply management 
• Developing meeting agendas to support effective meetings

Executive assistants and senior executive assistants

While not management roles, executive assistants and senior executive assistants are high-level support positions with advanced duties. These roles may involve managing complex schedules, coordinating communication and serving as key liaisons for top executives.

Executive assistants typically don’t have supervisory duties over other administrative team members, but the position often ranks higher than associate roles. Candidates often need more administrative experience and advanced skills, such as intermediate to advanced Excel skills or project management. 

Employees in these positions can help with a wide range of tasks, such as:

• Scheduling events
• Handling customer service
• Filing documentation
• Sending communications

Associate roles

Associate-level titles are typically at the lowest level of the administrative hierarchy. While these positions often have some office experience and skill requirements, they can serve as entry-level positions within an organization. Examples of this level include:

• Administrative assistant
• Receptionist
• HR assistant
• Projects administrator
• Personal assistant
• Junior office assistant
• File clerk
• Data entry clerk
• Typist
  Administrative coordinator
• Virtual assistant
• Administrative specialist
• Administrative analyst
• Front desk agent

These roles typically report directly to the administrative manager and complete assigned tasks. You might choose one associate title for your administrative roles, or your organization can utilize several different options. For example, you may hire a receptionist for the building entrance to greet clients, an HR assistant to support the human resources department and administrative assistants for other departments.

Mid-level office administrator jobs often require specialized skills to help manage projects and departments. Associate-level roles can help candidates learn those skills. You might highlight opportunities for career growth to make your entry-level administrative positions more appealing.

When structuring your team, consider the variety of administrative titles available, including entry-level, managerial and specialized roles like contract administrator. Using creative job titles can better reflect duties and attract suitable candidates. For example, a Chief Happiness Officer (CHO) may attract more applicants than labeling your job title “HR Manager,” while demonstrating the role’s priority to create a positive workplace culture.  

Administrative job titles in different industries

Administrative job titles are not one-size-fits-all; they often reflect the specific needs and functions of different industries. For example, in healthcare, you might encounter roles such as medical office manager, healthcare administrator or medical records clerk. Each is responsible for unique administrative tasks tailored to patient care and compliance. 

In the finance sector, administrative job titles such as financial administrator, accounting clerk or investment administrator focus on financial reporting, budget management and operations support.

The technology industry features positions including IT administrator, technical support specialist or network administrator. In this industry, administrative support is closely tied to managing digital infrastructure and project management software.

Understanding how administrative job titles vary by industry helps both job seekers and employers. As a business owner, specializing your job positions and titles can help you attract candidates with specific administrative skills.

How to use an administrative hierarchy in your organization

You may not need every level in the administrative hierarchy, depending on your team size and company needs. If you are a small organization, you might only need a few administrative team members. 

You can create a customized organization chart for your administrative department based on the positions you have. This chart can rely on skills mapping, identifying the necessary abilities for each role and potentially guiding hiring decisions based on competencies rather than experience. 

Building a clear structure helps cover key administrative duties. It also helps you write job descriptions and postings that clearly show who the role reports to. When you need to expand your administrative team, you can refer to the structure to understand where the new role might fit in.