An efficient office means a properly managed council and a satisfied council taxpayer. Office managers have important parts to play in ensuring that this happens.

Every type of council has corporate or ‘core’ services with jobs that are crucial to the planning and implementation of its work. Each function is for the benefit of employees and the entire organization, in all the services. Officer managers will be found in policy, personnel, finance, information technology, marketing, legal and other departments and the skills acquired are transferable to different work environments. The actual job titles will vary from council to council. In small authorities they may be responsible for work which is normally done by facilities managers - running the building, cleaning and so on. In large councils they may specialize in a particular resources such as budget management or other aspects of the authority’s brief.

Work Environment

This is mostly office based and involves liaising with colleagues both within and outside the section, including the finance department. There is no travel involved, no anti social shifts required and the total hours worked vary from 35- 40 per week.

Daily Activities

The overall aim of the job is office administration: keeping the files and accounts in good order, delegating tasks to staff and supervising their work. The office manager ensures that office systems are in good order so that colleagues have access to accurate and well organised information and that office staff are pulling together for ‘best value’ – giving the public a service to which it is entitled in the most cost effective manner possible. For example, the budget support officer may work to an office manager who will have a degree of supervisory responsibility in monitoring estimates and expenditure for the financial director.

Office managers spend a lot of time on the phone and working with word processing software using various office systems, spreadsheets and databases.

They will also plan and manage conferences and determine staff workloads with the long term target of maintaining a streamlined customer focused service.

Sometimes office managers are part of special projects such as looking at ways to improve the administration of council contracts. Or, they may organise events- opening the offices to the public or even staging an ‘Open Day’ on benefits where advisors will work from vans in the town centre car park.

Office managers are expected to work on their own initiative within the broad guidelines of council policy.

Skills & Interests

You would need to have a methodical nature, be patient and have good listening skills to do this job well. It is also important to have:

• practical ability
• a good head for figures and detail
• project management ability
• the ability to get on with people from different backgrounds and status within the organisation
• good communication skills.

Entry Requirements

There are no formal requirements because you would have already have had two or three years experience rising from clerical to office administration. But you would be expected to continue your professional development with management studies.

Estimated salary range

£18,000 - £25,000

Please note that salary information is a guide only and there may be local agreements in place. For further information about salaries for particular positions, please contact your local council directly.

Future prospects & opportunities

There is a wide range of opportunities in any of the service departments within the authority and in offices outside the sector. With suitable further qualifications and experience in various administrative skills, the promotion path is good leading towards senior management jobs such as Head of Administration and Resources. The top job is Chief Executive.

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