WHAT DOES AN ADMINISTRATIVE PROFESSIONAL DO?
Published: May 22, 2026. The Administrative Professional supports office operations through administrative coordination, records management, project documentation, customer communication, and workflow organization to ensure efficient business processes. This role manages scheduling, reporting, invoices, meetings, vendor coordination, and document control while maintaining accuracy, compliance, and operational support across multiple departments. The individual also contributes to organizational productivity by improving administrative workflows, supporting project execution, and delivering reliable clerical and customer service support in fast-paced environments.
Key Responsibilities of an Administrative Professional
1. Administrative Professional Responsibilities
- Records Management: Create and maintain records, logs, files, forms, project documentation, departmental records, and expense documentation.
- Process Improvement: Identify potential process issues and improvement opportunities to support stronger administrative workflows and operational efficiency.
- Solution Implementation: Implement solutions within assigned responsibility areas or recommend changes and escalate concerns on demand.
- Project Planning: Adjust project plans based on completed work, changing priorities, updated due dates, and potential issue visibility.
- Project Monitoring: Monitor, update, and report project goals, deliverables, and schedules to support timely project coordination.
- Project Coordination: Coordinate and update established project plan elements to maintain accurate timelines and administrative alignment.
- SOP Development: Coordinate and assist with process map and SOP development, organization, standardization, and inventory maintenance.
- Process Standardization: Revise, develop, streamline, and standardize processes and templates to support consistent administrative execution.
- Quality Management: Facilitate process transitions into quality management systems and monitor completed transitions for ongoing maintenance.
2. Administrative Professional Accountabilities
- Travel Support: Provide Defense Travel System support to workforce members while assisting with travel documentation and administrative troubleshooting.
- Travel Compliance: Ensure government travel records are completed accurately and on time while resolving identified problem areas.
- Data Management: Maintain data accuracy, updates, and access management for Out of Office web-based application functions.
- Time Administration: Maintain data accuracy, updates, and access management for automated time and attendance system submissions.
- Awards Processing: Assist with processing military and civilian award packages and military officer evaluation reports.
- SharePoint Administration: Serve as SharePoint Organizational Site Owner and administer site content, organizational data, user access, and permissions.
- Technical Coordination: Assist users with defining SharePoint functionality requirements and coordinate with SharePoint Developers for technical support.
- Internal Controls: Support development and maintenance of internal controls across administrative operations and compliance-related functions.
- Policy Coordination: Coordinate and implement administrative policies, procedures, directives, and regulatory requirements governing administrative functions.
- Program Support: Provide resources supporting working groups, integrated product teams, technical meetings, process reviews, and program reviews.
3. Administrative Professional Functions
- Accounts Payable: Verify, allocate, post, and reconcile accounts payable and accounts receivable transactions to maintain accurate financial documentation.
- Payroll Processing: Verify, prepare, and process payroll activities, tax payments, garnishments, benefits administration, and payroll tax return documentation.
- Journal Entries: Journalize monthly income and expense activities to support accurate accounting records and financial reporting procedures.
- Real Estate Accounting: Process real estate transaction income and issue commission payments to agents according to established accounting procedures.
- Financial Analysis: Analyze financial statements for discrepancies and identify process improvements that enhance operational efficiency and financial productivity.
- Budget Management: Analyze and prepare organizational budgets to support financial planning activities and effective resource allocation processes.
- Financial Reporting: Provide accurate financial statements to tax accountants and record adjusting journal entries for annual accounting completion procedures.
- IRS Compliance: Prepare and process annual IRS forms and submit required documentation in compliance with federal reporting regulations.
- Excel Management: Create and maintain Excel spreadsheets that support accounting operations, reporting accuracy, and financial record organization.
- Financial Recommendations: Provide financial recommendations that improve productivity, strengthen accounting performance, and support organizational financial objectives.
4. Administrative Professional Overview
- Order Management: Manage customer orders and schedule production resources to support accurate fulfillment and operational coordination.
- Customer Communication: Communicate with internal and external customers to provide timely updates and support service-related needs.
- Customer Support: Maintain professionalism and resourcefulness when assisting customers with questions, concerns, and service requests.
- Production Coordination: Coordinate with production departments to communicate priorities, urgent needs, and order-related production requirements.
- Vendor Coordination: Work with outside vendors to expedite products required for customer orders and delivery commitments.
- Product Launches: Collaborate with Engineering and Sales on new product launches to support smooth administrative coordination.
- Problem Solving: Partner with team members to solve problems and ensure exceptional customer service across daily operations.
- Process Improvement: Implement and improve processes to strengthen workflow efficiency, service consistency, and administrative support quality.
- Customer Inquiries: Handle customer inquiries through email and phone calls while providing accurate information and timely responses.
- Issue Resolution: Oversee reports to identify potential customer-related issues and support proactive resolution efforts.
- Delivery Monitoring: Monitor and improve on-time delivery for assigned customer accounts and order fulfillment requirements.
- Order Review: Assist team members by second-checking customer orders for accuracy, completeness, and processing readiness.
5. Administrative Professional Details and Accountabilities
- Office Support: Provide office and clerical support through correspondence preparation, report generation, meeting minutes, and presentation document management.
- Administrative Support: Assist administrative operations and provide backup support for administrative and clerical personnel across multiple office functions.
- Office Coordination: Coordinate staff itineraries, organize meetings, greet visitors, answer phones, and manage office supply inventory requirements.
- Mail Distribution: Collect, sort, distribute, and prepare mail, messages, and courier deliveries to support daily office communication activities.
- Phone Management: Answer and distribute incoming phone calls while maintaining professional communication and accurate message handling procedures.
- File Management: Maintain project files in accordance with established procedures to support accurate recordkeeping and document accessibility.
- Document Tracking: Receive and file incoming and outgoing documentation while entering records into project management and tracking systems.
- Report Logging: Collect daily reports and maintain Daily Report Logs to support project tracking and operational documentation accuracy.
- Invoice Processing: Review and submit invoices while supporting accurate financial processing and administrative documentation procedures.
- Staff Coordination: Manage staff certifications, training registrations, project timesheets, and onboarding coordination for newly hired employees.
- Proposal Preparation: Prepare proposals, pricing documentation, and change orders to support project administration and client service requirements.
- Vendor Coordination: Coordinate with vendors regarding office support services, equipment maintenance, access management, vehicle records, and billing documentation.
- Meeting Coordination: Organize and schedule project meetings while preparing agendas and required supporting documentation for meeting participants.
Editorial Process and Content Quality
This content is developed by the Lamwork Editorial Team using structured analysis of real-world job data, skill requirements, and hiring patterns.
Research framework by Lam Nguyen, Founder & Editorial Lead.
Reviewed by Thanh Huyen, Managing Editor.
Learn more about our editorial standards.