WHAT DOES AN ADMINISTRATIVE DIRECTOR DO?

Published: Nov 13, 2024 - The Administrative Director formulates startup research development strategies for divisions, spearheads new programs, and secures grants for national initiatives. Manages research activities, including clinical trials, ensuring compliance with regulatory standards and protocol requirements. Develops systems, policies, and educational programs to enhance research operations and quality assurance, maintaining a focus on strategic planning and effective management of resources.

A Review of Professional Skills and Functions for Administrative Director

1. Administrative Director Duties

  • Strategic Planning: Develop a comprehensive long-range strategy to achieve the organization’s mission, incorporating resource development, financial management, grants management, and impact strategy.
  • Leadership Coordination: Lead the Board and staff through comprehensive strategic planning, progress tracking, and outcomes monitoring.
  • Resource Development: Create and implement a resource development strategy to ensure sufficient resources for the organization to achieve its goals, incorporating individual giving, major gifts, special events, bequests, and sponsorships.
  • Financial Oversight: Direct, implement, and monitor financial policies and procedures for the organization to ensure healthy, transparent financial management in accordance with all applicable laws and best practices.
  • Board Liaison: Serve as the primary liaison to the Board of Directors.
  • Governance Support: Develop and support the board in following governance best practices and develop strategies for effective information sharing and action throughout the organization.
  • Staff Management: Oversee the Impact Director and provide support in management of the staff team including HR functions, staff development, and evaluations.
  • CRM Management: Management of customer records through CRM updates.
  • Document Preparation: Creating invoice drafts.
  • Report Finalization: Reviewing, proofreading, formatting, and finalizing final reports for consulting engagements.
  • Proposal Management: Writing, reviewing, proofreading, formatting, and finalizing proposals in support of new client acquisition.
  • Calendar Management: Managing executive calendars and scheduling meetings upon request.
  • Support Provision: Providing responsive support to colleagues using project management, CRM, and accounting applications.
  • Customer Interaction: Answering occasional live chats, emails, and phone calls from prospects.
  • Administrative Tasks: Performing a variety of other administrative-oriented tasks and duties.

2. Administrative Director Details

  • Administrative Operations Management: Directs Health Center's administrative operations, establishes, reviews, and updates policies and procedures, including all safety, compliance, and risk management policies.
  • University Liaison: Serves as the University liaison in implementing and monitoring the health care partnership with Geisinger Medical Center.
  • Health & Wellness Needs Assessment: Assesses student health and wellness needs and explores innovative practices for high-quality and efficient programs.
  • Strategic Planning: Organizes and leads strategic planning for the Health Center, including gap analysis and benchmarking for divisional alignment.
  • Budget Management: Proposes and manages the Center's budget.
  • Staff Supervision & Evaluation: Supervises and evaluates Health Center and student staff, including scheduling and orientation.
  • Policy & Procedure Development: Partners with the Lean Nurse to establish, review, and update best practices, evidence-based policies, procedures, and protocols.
  • Stakeholder Communication: Presents Health Center operations to parents and prospective students and coordinates health record acquisition and review for new students.
  • Student Health Benefits Management: Responsible for managing student health benefit services.
  • Data Collection & Reporting: Collects and maintains Center statistics, completes year-end totals and annual reports, and sets goals for the following year.
  • Health Trend Monitoring: Monitors statistics and trends in communicable illnesses on and off campus.
  • Wellness & Prevention Outreach: Partners with the Dean of Health & Wellness on wellness and prevention programs.
  • Employee Health Program Development: Develops a program to support employee health, including pre-employment screening and immunizations.
  • Accreditation & Quality Improvement: Maintains AAAHC accreditation, updates practices as required, and ensures continuous quality improvement in Health Center programs.
  • Critical Incident & Public Health Response: Coordinates departmental response preparation for critical incidents and public health threats, including effective communication.
  • Quality Improvement & Benchmarking: Develops, evaluates, and participates in QI/QA studies and benchmarking, both internal and external.
  • Nursing & On-Call Duties: Performs regular nursing duties and participates in on-call rotation.

3. Administrative Director Responsibilities

  • Employee Supervision: Direct supervision of multiple employees, including hiring, firing, and performance management.
  • Professional Interaction: Ensuring professional interaction with the public, vendors, and staff.
  • Team Collaboration: Maintaining effective working relationships and cooperation with the site management team to meet customer and company objectives.
  • Emergency Response: Responding to all emergencies.
  • Documentation Preparation: Preparing files, reports, and other documents related to work performed.
  • Staff Evaluation & Recommendation: Evaluating staff and making recommendations for promotion and discipline.
  • Training & SOP Compliance: Ensuring staff receives training in complex maintenance activities and follows established, standard operating procedures.
  • Operational Understanding: Developing an understanding of office operations and using experience and skills to support the business positively.
  • Safety & Security Maintenance: Proactively maintaining a safe, comfortable, and secure environment for staff.
  • Policy Compliance: Ensuring compliance with applicable policies, including Health and Safety and lease obligations.
  • Supplier Management: Managing supplier relationships, including service provider contracts, developing new contracts, and ensuring service levels are met or exceeded.
  • Project Management: Managing internal building/maintenance projects, including department moves.
  • Priority Management: Managing competing priorities and informing relevant parties of task status.
  • Policy Adherence: Following and adhering to implemented policies and procedures.
  • Confidentiality Compliance: Ensuring practices comply with the company's non-disclosure and communication policies.
  • Emergency Availability: Being available for emergency out-of-hours assistance and coverage.
  • Facility Project Management: Managing office refurbishments, renovations, and moves, including appointing specialists and monitoring delivery quality.
  • Security & Emergency Procedure Management: Ensuring security and emergency procedures are robust and adhered to at all times, taking an active role in emergency situations.
  • Maintenance & Cleaning Team Leadership: Managing and leading the maintenance and cleaning team to ensure the facility meets expected standards.

4. Administrative Director Accountabilities

  • Strategic Research Development: Provides startup research development strategy for a division or equivalent-size department.
  • Program Development & Grant Management: Develops new programs and finds grant opportunities for national and multi-site programs.
  • Long-Term Strategic Planning: Provides long-term strategic planning on research initiatives, including options, directions, funding sources, feasibility, and priorities.
  • Clinical Trial Coordination: Coordinates clinical trials and research approvals and monitors the research study and reporting process.
  • Resource Allocation & Protocol Compliance: Ensures that staffing and operational support meets protocol priority requirements.
  • System & Process Management: Develops and manages the divisional implementation of systems, policies, and procedures, reporting of protocols, and submission of grant applications.
  • Research Operations Management: Manages research activities including laboratory and clinical operations, performance of clinical trials, drug accountability, regulatory compliance, quality assurance, and submission of patient data.
  • Educational Development: Develops and provides formal and informal education on administrative, quality, and operational requirements.

5. Program and Administrative Director Functions

  • Community Building: Works with HSCI leadership and faculty to define optimal avenues for strengthening the community.
  • Event Management: Develops collaborative approaches and executes all aspects of events and programming.
  • Strategy Oversight: Oversees the implementation of related outreach and communications strategies.
  • Financial Management: Provides programmatic and financial management of a $6M collaborative research project.
  • Program Management: Manages and organizes all aspects of a summer undergraduate internship program.
  • Event Coordination: Coordinates with other Harvard summer programs for shared events.
  • Alumni Relations: Maintains alumni communication, primarily through a Facebook group.
  • Fundraising Strategy: Works with HSCI Disease Program heads and principal investigators to leverage funding from various sources.
  • Community Coordination: Organizes disease communities to coordinate structure and issue RFPs.
  • Donation Management: Acknowledges and curates donations in concert with UDO.
  • Event Organization: Organizes bi-annual Directors’ Call for donor community in concert with University Development Office.
  • Donor Communication: Composes letters, manages spreadsheets of donors, contributions, and stewardship.
  • Donor Networking: Connects current and prospective donors with members of the research community.
  • Membership Management: Manages faculty membership in conjunction with the Executive Committee.
  • Administrative Support: Prepares letters of admission and constructs/updates website profiles.
  • Communication Management: Assembles and schedules weekly events emails, approves timecards, and reconciles PCard for expenses.