Administrative Job Posting Template

About [YOUR ORGANIZATION’S NAME]

Give a quick elevator pitch on your organization. You may want to include:

• How long your organization has been in operation
• A brief description of your mission, as well as the services, programs, or products you offer

[TITLE]

First, a note: this is a template for an administrative role, but similar titles would fit comfortably here, such as operations, office management, and the like. No matter what title you’re using, make sure it effectively conveys levels of responsibility and experience.

A quick rule of thumb tells us that titles are generally (but not always) categorized as follows:

• Associate / Coordinator - 0-2 years of experience
• Specialist - 2-5 years of experience
• Manager - 5-7 years of experience
• Associate / Assistant Director - 7-10 years of experience
• Director - 10-15 years of experience
• Senior Director / Vice President - 15-20 years of experience
• Chief Officer - 20+ years of experience

Next, draft a one sentence summary of the role so that job seekers can easily get a preview of what’s to come. This is also a good place to note to whom the role will report. Here’s an example from Idealist for an HR & Operations Specialist:

Reporting to the Chief of Staff, the HR & Operations Specialist supports our staff by focusing on internal systems and processes, as well as on compliance with external requirements, to help ensure the smooth operation of our organization.

Responsibilities

This section should list the essential job functions that describe the nature of the role in plain language. No need to include everything; the details can come later.

There really aren’t set responsibilities for someone in this kind of role. Every organization seems to conceive of it differently. Generally, the functions included are:

• Human resources
• Information technology
• Finance
• Facilities and office management 
• Vendor relations

And, in general, the team charged with this work will organize and codify processes as needed. Directors and vice presidents in these roles will oversee the work and manage staff.

The exact wording of responsibilities will vary by organization, but responsibilities usually scale based on role. For example, a coordinator may support a piece of the work, a manager may be tasked with carrying it out, and a director may oversee it.

Who we’re looking for

It’s important to edit this section with an eye to what you truly need in a candidate, both in terms of skills/traits and experience.

For administrative roles, organizations usually ask for organized candidates with specific work area knowledge––in human resources, finance, etc.––and experience in specific tools and processes, like QuickBooks, equitable hiring, and more. Consider what your organization uniquely needs for this position to be successful.

One more thing to consider: only list your must-haves (i.e. skip the nice-to-haves). Nice-to-haves may cause potential applicants to opt out of the process, often with implications for race/ethnicity, gender, and more. Take a look at your list of desired skills and experiences, and edit meticulously! 

Salary and benefits

Even if your state or city doesn’t require a salary range on job postings, we strongly recommend that you include one. This helps communicate what your organization can offer, and gives candidates a better understanding as to whether it’s a fit for them.

You should also document benefits, both the standard stuff (medical, time off) and anything fun (bring your parakeet to work!) about your organization. Including your benefits as a list or bullet points rather than in a paragraph allow candidates to see this important information more clearly.

Internal Idealist job postings include a brief snapshot of benefits, things like:

• Specific paid time off, like vacation, sabbatical leave, time off to volunteer, sick leave, and parental leave
• Specific health insurances offered, like medical, dental, and vision
• Home office set-up allowance
• Reimbursement for learning and wellness

Other important aspects of the role

Here are a few suggestions for what to include in this catch-all section:

• Work environment. Normally, we’d advise this to be a space where you talk about your organization’s office environment and what candidates can expect in terms of equipment and facilities. However, as of this writing in 2022, many organizations are still working remotely. Be specific about what you require of the candidate, whether remote, in-person, or a hybrid work arrangement, and any specific days or times they might need to be at the office or other site.

It’s also worth noting typical work hours, for transparency’s sake.

• Encouraging diverse applicants. It’s common to see employers encouraging diverse candidates to apply. Sometimes this is for legal compliance for federal contractors, and in that case you should refer to those guidelines. 

For all organizations aiming to build more equitable teams, we suggest that you post something authentic to your organization culture. In past surveys, some members of our community of job seekers have expressed frustration when this kind of statement seems like “lip service.”

Here’s a sample from our friends at The Partnership for Public Service: 

“The Partnership is an inclusive organization that fosters learning, collaboration and respect. We actively recruit for diversity in our workplace, believing that a range of backgrounds, perspectives and experiences contributes to our mission of revitalizing government. The Partnership for Public Service is an equal opportunity employer and will not discriminate against any applicants for employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, veteran status, disability; or on any other basis prohibited by law.”

• How to apply. All parts of a listing should use clear and economic language, but this section should be especially clear and concise. Be specific in the materials you require––resume, cover letter, application exercise, work samples, etc.

Remember to check the listing to ensure that the application email address or link is typo-free. We recommend doing a test click to confirm.

If there’s a date by which the application period will close, include that here as well.

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Check out our other job posting templates for all of your organization's open roles!