What is a roles and responsibilities template?

A roles and responsibilities template is a form that helps define the tasks and responsibilities for a position, though it differs from a job description in scope. These templates focus only on a position’s tasks and expectations. A job description typically also covers a job summary, qualifications and benefits. 

Completed roles and responsibilities templates can help you develop your job descriptions by outlining a position’s duties and requirements. They’re often used in team settings to clarify roles and establish a reporting structure. 

Using these templates, you might upload your finished document to your company’s webpage and document it internally. This can help inform your posting on job boards like Indeed to help attract quality applicants. They can also be useful when training a new employee or making changes to a department. 

Introduction to roles and responsibilities

Understanding each template’s components will help you use them more effectively. Roles refer to the job titles or positions, such as senior accountant or office manager. Responsibilities include the specific duties and tasks involved with a particular role, including its contributions to the company.

Defining roles and responsibilities can be essential for team success, as it helps establish clear expectations and avoid confusion. Clearly defined roles can help team members understand their specific tasks and responsibilities, allowing them to prioritize their work and contribute to the team’s objectives. 

Benefits of defining roles and responsibilities

Defined roles and responsibilities may help improve team performance, increase productivity and enhance job satisfaction. When team members understand their roles, they can generally collaborate more effectively, voice concerns about overextended job scope and align their efforts with the team’s goals. 

Benefits of using these templates may include:

• Task delegation: Having clear roles and responsibilities allows supervisors to delegate tasks and distribute the workload effectively.
• Task completion: Teams may be able to complete required tasks without confusion over who’s responsible for them.
• Improved collaboration: Role clarity helps prevent role conflict and task overlap. It can help team members understand how to work together and what to expect from their teammates. Project planning: When planning a new project, you can use the roles and responsibilities document to verify that the team has appropriate coverage for various tasks. This information may help determine whether you need additional talent or resources, and it can help establish a project timeline based on the existing coverage.
• Improved hiring: Defining the roles and responsibilities can help you know which skills to check for when actively recruiting. Using it to identify skills gaps may help you hire quality candidates who add to the company’s existing talent.

How to define roles and responsibilities

Consider following these steps to encourage team participation in defining roles and responsibilities:

1. Schedule a meeting with all team members: If you’re working virtually, you can use a shared whiteboard or similar tool to share information easily.
2. List all the roles within the team once, even if multiple people hold that position: If you have different levels of the same role, such as software testers and senior software testers, you might list those roles separately to address the responsibility differences.
3. Have each person write down the major responsibilities for their role: Employee feedback can help highlight daily tasks overlooked by management.
4. Have employees write what they perceive as the responsibilities of other team members: Comparing answers helps identify misunderstandings about roles, improving team communication and project success. 
5. Determine whether multiple roles need to handle the same responsibility: You might assign a primary person if responsibilities overlap. Other employees may provide additional support if the primary worker can’t complete it.
6. Identify gaps in responsibilities: Consider whether you can assign the responsibility to an existing role or if you need to add a position to the team.
7. Use this information to complete the official roles and responsibilities template: While managers have final approval, employee feedback helps determine if revisions are necessary.

How to use a roles and responsibilities template

Roles and responsibilities documents can help leaders determine whether they have the staff to cover important tasks. If additional support is needed, they can recruit candidates for a part- or full-time position, a temporary employee or an independent contractor. 

These tips can help you create an effective roles and responsibilities template:

1. Identify the job details

Specify the job title in the first section of the template. If your company has multiple departments, include a line for each. This can be helpful if similar roles operate differently in each department. 

2. Write a job overview

While not required, including a job overview section can help provide more context. Consider writing several sentences to summarize the role.

3. Include a list of responsibilities

In this section, you can be more specific about the duties and responsibilities for the role, ensuring they align with the team’s overall objectives. Topics may include:

• Software programs the company uses
• Collaborating cross-functionally
• Problem-solving in real-time
• Day-to-day tasks
• Occasional tasks
• Collaboration 

4. Outline the reporting structure for the position

This portion can be useful when training a new hire, as it helps clarify team member roles and reporting structures. This section can also help employees plan their career paths and set goals for advancement.

Roles and responsibilities template

When creating a new position or filling a particular role, a roles and responsibilities template can simplify the process. The following template can help you get started.

Job title: 

Department:

Job overview:

Job responsibilities: 

Reports to:

Examples of roles and responsibilities documents

Here are a few examples of filled-in roles and responsibilities documents:

Example 1 

Job title: Customer service manager

Department: Customer service

Job overview: The customer service manager creates a welcoming atmosphere for customers and leads a team of sales associates. Providing quality customer service and facilitating communication between the team and upper management are key roles for this position. Necessary skills for success include leadership, communication and conflict resolution. 

Job responsibilities:

• Supervise the sales associates team, including scheduling their shifts and delegating tasks
• Provide quality customer service
• Maintain the store’s cleanliness and organization
• Handle cash and card transactions
• Process customer returns and exchanges following the company’s return policy

Reports to: Director of sales; monthly meetings are held to ensure the customer service and sales manager is achieving company objectives.

Example 2 

Job title: Dog handler

Job overview: The dog handler is responsible for ensuring all pets at the dog daycare facility behave appropriately. They engage with the dogs and lead basic training throughout their shift. The dog handler also collaborates with other team members to ensure the smooth operation of the facility.

Job responsibilities:

• Overseeing the safety and behavior of dogs
• Leading basic dog training, including teaching dogs to sit, stay, lie down and come
• Cleaning up any messes from the dogs
• Transporting dogs to and from their cages
• Administering food, water and applicable medications
• Communicating with pet owners 
• Collaborating with team members 
• Occasionally checking dogs in at the front desk

Reports to: Dog daycare manager

Example 3

Job title: Graphic designer

Department: Marketing

Job overview: The graphic designer works with the creative team to develop advertising materials for our clients. 

Job responsibilities:

• Create deliverables using Adobe Creative Cloud
• Work with the creative team to brainstorm innovative advertising campaigns
• Design deliverables, such as logos, brochures, print and digital advertisements, magazines and e-books
• Resize images using Adobe Photoshop
• Complete minor HTML/CSS coding as needed
• Research emerging design trends
• Attend an annual graphic design conference

Reports to: Senior graphic designer for day-to-day inquiries or creative director for further assistance.

Roles and Responsibilities Template for PDF and Word

Check out our roles and responsibilities template to help define roles internally and supplement your next job description.

Reviewing past projects can provide valuable insights when filling out the template.