What does an Administrative Director do?

An administrative director primarily functions to oversee daily operations within a company, ensuring everything is running smoothly. Among their responsibilities include monitoring the budget and audits, allocating funds to every department, coordinating with supervisors, and analyzing key data such as finances and progress reports. Additionally, they are also responsible for implementing policies and regulations, even crafting new ones when necessary. They typically report all progress and concerns to higher officials such as the president and vice president.
Administrative director responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real administrative director resumes:
- Manage payroll system and provide staff and directors with essential reporting necessary for managing employee resources.
- Manage A/P, A/R and general accounting.
- Lead a change in system philosophy on physician equity interest in surgery centers.
- Manage administrative operations for the business -purchasing, accounting, payroll, safety and environmental safety training and testing.
- Receive and process incoming Medicaid, Medicare, government grants and donation checks.
- Charge with improving customer service for patients and physicians as well as re-capturing lose outpatient radiology business.
- Ensure compliance with NCAA rules and regulations for numerous athletes.
- Coordinate post-season NCAA travel and events for women's basketball, soccer and cross country teams.
- Restructure and improve operations; correct serious HIPAA and compliance issues; and negotiate contract with insurance provider.
- Promote from associate general counsel, to general counsel to CAO for this SaaS and consulting services company.
- Direct TRICARE operations for 17K enroll beneficiaries , 24K outpatient records , 1.6K monthly referrals, and HIPAA privacy compliance.
- Process gross pay, state and federal tax withholding, social security, medicare, and other deductions for all employees.
- Maintain appropriate utilization of FTE caregiver and supply management.
- Develop sales and marketing materials, including multimedia PowerPoint presentations.
- Spearhead JCAHO accreditation and general planning, direction and administrative services.
Administrative director skills and personality traits
We calculated that 11% of Administrative Directors are proficient in Patients, Patient Care, and Customer Service. They’re also known for soft skills such as Analytical skills, Detail oriented, and Communication skills.
We break down the percentage of Administrative Directors that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Patients, 11%
Improved certification accommodating International patients and insurance policies
- Patient Care, 9%
Coordinated direct Patient Care in the Facility according to policies and procedures, state and federal regulations and accepted accreditation standards.
- Customer Service, 6%
Published a customer service newsletter that was distributed to over 6,000 military organizations worldwide, providing critical policy information to beneficiaries.
- Human Resources, 5%
Managed administrative functions for Richmond's Community Service Board, including human resources, accounting, information technology and medical billing.
- Financial Reports, 5%
Compile statistical and financial reports illustrating company-wide cost analysis through income statements in collaboration with the Chief Financial Officer.
- Payroll, 5%
Managed administrative operations for the business -purchasing, accounting, payroll, safety and environmental safety training and testing.
Most administrative directors use their skills in "patients," "patient care," and "customer service" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential administrative director responsibilities here:
Analytical skills. One of the key soft skills for an administrative director to have is analytical skills. You can see how this relates to what administrative directors do because "administrative services managers must be able to review an organization’s procedures and find ways to improve efficiency." Additionally, an administrative director resume shows how administrative directors use analytical skills: "chaired the system wide radiology value analysis committee. "
Detail oriented. Many administrative director duties rely on detail oriented. "administrative services managers must pay attention to details," so an administrative director will need this skill often in their role. This resume example is just one of many ways administrative director responsibilities rely on detail oriented: "acquired jcaho accreditation, oriented new franchisee to homecare and improved internal and external communications. "
Communication skills. administrative directors are also known for communication skills, which are critical to their duties. You can see how this skill relates to administrative director responsibilities, because "much of an administrative services manager’s time is spent working with other people." An administrative director resume example shows how communication skills is used in the workplace: "created, edited, and finalized communications for direct marketing campaigns and press releases. "
Leadership skills. A big part of what administrative directors do relies on "leadership skills." You can see how essential it is to administrative director responsibilities because "in managing workers and coordinating administrative duties, administrative services managers must be able to motivate employees and deal with issues that may arise." Here's an example of how this skill is used from a resume that represents typical administrative director tasks: "provided management and leadership to the diagnostic radiology and the physical therapy departments. "
The three companies that hire the most administrative directors are:
- Memorial Healthcare System10 administrative directors jobs
- CHRISTUS Health7 administrative directors jobs
- University of Pennsylvania6 administrative directors jobs
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Administrative director vs. Director, facilities & operations
Directors of facilities operations plan, organize and maintain the operations of an organization's infrastructure systems and facilities. They hire, evaluate, train, discipline, and recommend staff dismissal. These professionals develop, recommend and administer processes, procedures, and policies that support building maintenance operations and grounds maintenance operations. Besides monitoring and overseeing the external contractors' work to ensure the project runs smoothly, these professionals also collect and analyze several complex information and data, such as utility usage and utility costs.
While similarities exist, there are also some differences between administrative directors and director, facilities & operations. For instance, administrative director responsibilities require skills such as "patients," "patient care," "financial reports," and "payroll." Whereas a director, facilities & operations is skilled in "preventative maintenance," "hvac," "plumbing," and "facility operations." This is part of what separates the two careers.
Directors, facilities & operations earn the highest salaries when working in the manufacturing industry, with an average yearly salary of $62,031. On the other hand, administrative directors are paid more in the media industry with an average salary of $98,897.The education levels that directors, facilities & operations earn slightly differ from administrative directors. In particular, directors, facilities & operations are 6.6% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than an administrative director. Additionally, they're 1.5% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Administrative director vs. Facilities manager
A Facilities Manager has different responsibilities depending on the line of work or industry. However, most of the time, they specialize in ensuring that the building or work area is in good condition and adheres to its policies and regulations. A facility manager's duties can also involve maintaining the amenities to ensure that they are up to standards, handle budgets, manage the space accommodation, create reports, and offer recommendations when necessary. Furthermore, they supervise the maintenance, parking, and security aspects while coordinating with the personnel in charge.
In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, administrative director responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "patients," "patient care," "human resources," and "financial reports." Meanwhile, a facilities manager has duties that require skills in areas such as "facility maintenance," "hvac," "building maintenance," and "real estate." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.
On average, facilities managers earn a lower salary than administrative directors. Some industries support higher salaries in each profession. Interestingly enough, facilities managers earn the most pay in the technology industry with an average salary of $83,160. Whereas administrative directors have higher pay in the media industry, with an average salary of $98,897.In general, facilities managers achieve lower levels of education than administrative directors. They're 11.1% less likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 1.5% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Administrative director vs. Chief executive officer
A chief executive officer is the overall head of the company's operations. Chief executive officers are responsible for making corporate decisions that would define the company's performance in the market. A chief executive officer must display exceptional leadership and decision-making skills to create business growth and development strategies. The chief executive officers also provide a regular business update to the board regarding the company's status. They should also be able to identify business opportunities and create long-lasting, professional relationships with business partners and other organizations.
The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, administrative directors are more likely to have skills like "project management," "program development," "health system," and "administrative oversight." But a chief executive officer is more likely to have skills like "healthcare," "oversight," "r," and "strategic partnerships."
Chief executive officers make a very good living in the start-up industry with an average annual salary of $183,901. On the other hand, administrative directors are paid the highest salary in the media industry, with average annual pay of $98,897.Most chief executive officers achieve a similar degree level compared to administrative directors. For example, they're 0.6% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 2.0% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Administrative director vs. Director of facilities
The director of facilities is responsible for monitoring the facilities' operations, including the inspection of tools, equipment, and machinery, scheduling routine maintenance, and managing resource budgets. Directors of facilities also maintain the safety and security of the facilities, immediately reporting potential risks to avoid hazards within the premises. They facilitate training and programs for the employees to mitigate risks, negotiate with contractors, and coordinate with the management for any facility remodeling and renovation. A director of the facility must have excellent communication and leadership skills, especially for managing staff's performance and needs.
Even though a few skill sets overlap between administrative directors and directors of facilities, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, an administrative director might have more use for skills like "patient care," "financial reports," "payroll," and "program development." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of directors of facilities require skills like "life safety," "hvac," "oversight," and "osha. "
The media industry tends to pay the highest salaries for directors of facilities, with average annual pay of $87,213. Comparatively, the highest administrative director annual salary comes from the media industry.In general, directors of facilities hold lower degree levels compared to administrative directors. Directors of facilities are 5.1% less likely to earn their Master's Degree and 0.7% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Types of administrative director
Updated January 8, 2025