A career as a field administrator is often fitting for a person with a passion for helping his community and working with others. In general, these individuals are employed by a community services program or volunteer organization and are supervised by an organizing director. While the specific duties of this job often vary, a field administrator usually has five main responsibilities. These include acquiring volunteers or personnel, training those individuals, identifying an organization's goals, communicating with other organizations and monitoring the budget.
One of the most important duties of a field administrator is acquiring suitable volunteers or personnel. To help an organization thrive, it's necessary to choose individuals who are hard workers and have a passion for helping others. For example, if a field administrator is working for a program that helps at-risk youth, he might search for volunteers or personnel who have experience working with kids. Since the quality of an organization often hinges upon the staff, it helps for a field administrator to be an effective decision maker and a good judge of character.
Along with hiring staff members, it's usually the responsibility of a field administrator to train those individuals. In the case of an at-risk youth program, he might hold a training seminar that instructs staff on how to build rapport with kids and how to offer guidance. While the degree of training will often vary from organization to organization, it's imperative to ensure that everyone on staff is knowledgeable and able to fulfill the necessary job duties.
Another integral part of this position is identifying an organization's goals. The needs of a community sometimes change, it's important for an organization to work toward goals that will meet those needs. For example, if a field administrator is working for a homeless shelter, he might analyze new strategies for making the shelter more comfortable and improving meals. Determining goals can be done in a variety of ways, and could include surveys or talking one-on-one with individuals, for example.
In many cases, a field administrator must also communicate with other organizations. Due to the fact that communities are interconnected, it's often beneficial to build rapport with different programs. This typically involves participating in meetings to discuss policies and new ideas.
Additionally, a field administrator will often need to monitor his organization's budget. Keeping track of expenses is crucial for a program to maintain stability, so it's up to him to maintain accurate records. In some cases, he may also be in charge of organizing fundraisers or donation programs as well.
