TL;DR
- An office manager is responsible for organising the work of an office: its systems, space, suppliers, budget and, often, its administrative team.
- Prospects groups the role into three areas: office management and compliance, HR and finance support, and communication and coordination. This article turns them into six duties for a job description.
- The main requirements are organisation, digital skills, communication, leadership and a working knowledge of finance, HR and data protection. Many office managers rise from administrative roles.
Ask ten companies what their office manager does and you will hear ten answers. In one, the office manager orders the coffee and books the rooms. In another, the same title runs a team of six, a six-figure budget, the lease, the insurance and half of HR. A job description has to say which job it is.
This article gives an office manager job description (JD): what the role is, the three areas that it covers, six duties, the job requirements, how it differs from similar roles and a template that you can adapt.
Office managers live by processes and approvals. See how New Dynamics workflows let you shape forms, stages and approvals around the way you work.
What is an office manager?
The Cambridge Business English Dictionary defines an office manager as “a person whose job is to be responsible for the organization of the work of an office”.
Prospects, the UK graduate careers service, gives a fuller picture in its office manager job profile: “Office managers are responsible for overseeing the day-to-day office operations that keep organisations running smoothly”. The role, it says, involves organising people, information and resources so that administrative processes operate efficiently.
Size changes everything. Prospects notes: “In smaller companies, you may carry out most of the tasks yourself, while in larger organisations you'll lead and supervise a team.” It adds that job titles vary, and may include business manager, administrative manager and operations manager.
The office itself has changed too. Prospects points out that some organisations now offer hybrid working, “while others are completely remote and have no physical office”. An office manager may be managing a way of working as much as a building.
Three areas of responsibility
Prospects lists the key areas of responsibility as typically including three.
- Office management and compliance. Systems, space, equipment, suppliers, health and safety and data protection.
- HR and finance support. Onboarding, records, staffing cover, budgets, invoices and expenses.
- Communication and coordination. Meetings, travel, reports, and the link between senior managers, staff, suppliers and visitors.
Use the three areas to decide the shape of your own role. A post that is mostly the first area is a facilities job. One that is mostly the second is close to an HR or finance administrator.
Office manager duties: six responsibilities
These six draw on the responsibilities that Prospects lists. Choose and adapt the ones that fit.
- Systems and procedures. Prospects puts it first: to “implement and maintain a range of office policies, procedures and systems”. That includes digital and paper filing, with data protection law observed, and working with IT so that the office technology functions properly.
- Budgets and suppliers. Manage office budgets, monitor spending and report on it. Order supplies and equipment, and manage contracts with cleaners, landlords, caterers and maintenance firms.
- Facilities and safety. Organise the layout, oversee maintenance and repairs, and ensure compliance with health and safety policies. Prospects mentions arranging regular testing of electrical equipment and safety devices, in the office or at home for remote staff.
- Leading the administrative team. Delegate work, manage workload and output, arrange cover for absences and peaks, and support training and development.
- HR and finance support. Help with the onboarding of new staff, keep records, and work with the accounts department “to process invoices, expense claims and payroll”.
- Coordination. Manage schedules, meetings, appointments and travel. Prepare reports for senior management, and handle complaints.
On safety, the legal duty belongs to the employer, and the office manager often carries it out. The UK Health and Safety Executive's guide to managing risks and risk assessment at work states: “As an employer, you're required by law to protect your employees, and others, from harm.” It sets out the minimum: identify the hazards, decide how likely and how serious the harm could be, and take action to eliminate the hazard or control the risk. If the job includes risk assessments, say so, and provide the training. This is general information, not legal advice.
Office manager job requirements: five to name
- Organisation. Prospects lists “excellent administrative, organisational and time-management skills”, together with the ability to prioritise and to perform well under pressure.
- Digital skills. Strong IT skills, including familiarity with office management systems and the usual office software.
- Communication. Clear writing and speech, “with the ability to engage at senior and board level”, and the negotiation and relationship skills that suppliers and landlords demand.
- Leadership. The ability to lead and motivate a team, and to manage your own workload while supervising others.
- Working knowledge of finance, HR and the law. Prospects mentions basic financial administration and HR processes, and “a familiarity with legislation in the areas of employment, equality, diversity and inclusion, and data protection”.
Qualifications. Prospects says that you can become an office manager with a degree in any subject, and that entry without a degree is possible with relevant office experience and skills. It adds: “Many office managers enter at office administrator level and work their way up”. Some employers ask for a management qualification, and apprenticeships in business administration offer another route.
Write requirements that you can justify. Asking for a degree when experience would do shrinks your field and may shut out capable people. Our guide to job requirements explains how to separate the essential from the merely familiar.
How the role differs from similar jobs
| Title | Usual focus |
|---|---|
| Administrative assistant | Supports a team with documents, diaries, records and enquiries |
| Office manager | Runs the office: systems, budget, suppliers, safety and the admin team |
| Executive assistant | Supports one or more senior leaders closely |
| Facilities manager | Buildings, maintenance, security and space, usually on a larger scale |
| Operations manager | The delivery of the organisation's main work, beyond the office itself |
| HR manager | People policy, recruitment, employee relations and development |
Our administrative assistant job description covers the first row. In a small firm, the office manager may do parts of every row. Say so honestly, and name the two or three that matter most.
Office manager job description template
Adapt the wording to your organisation. Replace the text in square brackets.
Job title: Office manager
Reports to: [Managing director, operations director or head of finance]
Responsible for: [Number] administrative staff. Office budget of [amount].
Location and hours: [Site, and the pattern of office and home working]. [Hours per week].
Purpose of the job: To make sure that the office, its systems and its administrative team run smoothly, safely and within budget, so that everyone else can do their work.
Main duties
- Maintain and improve office policies, procedures and filing systems, in line with data protection law.
- Manage the office budget, approve and code invoices, and report on spending each month.
- Manage suppliers and contracts for [cleaning, catering, maintenance, equipment, telephony].
- Look after the premises: layout, repairs, security, and health and safety checks, including [risk assessments, fire drills, equipment testing].
- Lead the administrative team: allocate work, arrange cover, hold one-to-ones and support development.
- Support HR and finance processes, including [onboarding, staff records, expenses, payroll information].
- Coordinate meetings, events and travel, and prepare reports for the senior team.
- Act as the first point of contact for [landlord, IT provider, visitors, complaints].
Essential requirements
- Experience of running office administration, including budgets or suppliers.
- Strong organisation, and calm under competing deadlines.
- Confident use of [office software, finance or HR system].
- Clear written and spoken communication with people at every level.
- Experience of supervising others, or clear potential to do so.
Desirable
- A business administration or management qualification.
- Knowledge of health and safety in an office, and of data protection.
- Experience in [sector].
Conditions: [Pay range], [holiday], [benefits].
For the general format, see our sample job description.
Common mistakes
A title without a level. Say whether the post manages people and money, or only tasks.
Everything that nobody else wants. A list of twenty unrelated duties describes a dumping ground, and good candidates can tell.
Hidden HR or finance work. If the role includes payroll information or disciplinary notes, name it, and check that confidentiality and training are in place.
Forgetting hybrid working. If half the staff work at home, the job includes equipment, safety and routines for them too.
No authority. An office manager who must ask permission to buy a kettle cannot manage an office. State the spending limit.
Never reviewing it. Offices change quickly. Review the description whenever the post holder or the working pattern changes.
Frequently asked questions
What is the job description of an office manager?
An office manager organises the work of an office. The job covers office systems and procedures, budgets and suppliers, premises and safety, leadership of the administrative team, support for HR and finance processes, and the coordination of meetings, travel and reports.
What are the duties and responsibilities of an office manager?
The main duties are to maintain office procedures and filing, manage the office budget and suppliers, look after the premises and health and safety, lead administrative staff, support onboarding, records, invoices and expenses, and coordinate meetings, travel and reports for senior managers.
What are the job requirements for an office manager?
Employers usually ask for strong organisation and time management, good digital skills, clear communication at every level, the ability to lead a team and a working knowledge of finance, HR processes and data protection. Relevant office experience often matters more than a particular degree.
Do you need a degree to be an office manager?
Not necessarily. Prospects says that entry without a degree is possible with relevant office experience and skills, and that many office managers start as office administrators and work their way up. Some employers ask for a management qualification.
What is the difference between an office manager and an administrative assistant?
An administrative assistant supports a team with documents, diaries and records. An office manager is responsible for the office as a whole: its systems, budget, suppliers and safety, and often the administrative staff, including the assistants.
What does JD mean in office manager JD?
JD is short for job description, the document that sets out the purpose, duties, scope and requirements of a job. An office manager JD is simply the job description for an office manager.
Your next step
If you are hiring, decide which of the three areas matters most, copy the template and fill in the square brackets, including the spending limit and the number of staff. If you are applying, match your experience to the six duties and give figures: budget size, headcount, suppliers managed.
For the whole hiring process, from the job description to the offer, read and download our recruitment and selection guide. The guide is free to read, and the PDF uses our short download form.
Want your own processes, approvals and reviews to run the way your office works? Book a New Dynamics demo and bring your current approach. You can also email contact@new-dynamics.com.
