Assistant Manager Job Description: Duties, Skills and Template
Short answer: An assistant manager is the second-in-command at a store, restaurant or service business. They supervise shifts, train and coach staff, handle escalated customer issues, open and close, help build the schedule and run the business when the general or store manager is off. Most report to the store or general manager.
The assistant manager runs the floor when the manager is not there.
Assistant manager job description template
Job title: Assistant Manager
Reports to: Store manager or general manager
Supervises: Shift leads, key holders and hourly team members
Summary: Help the manager run daily operations, lead the team on every shift you work, and take full charge of the location when the manager is away.
Duties
Run opening and closing procedures, including cash counts, safe checks and security.
Lead shift huddles, assign stations or zones, and adjust coverage when someone calls out.
Train new hires, coach current staff and give feedback on performance and attendance.
Resolve customer complaints that front-line staff cannot settle.
Help build the weekly schedule, approve shift swaps and time-off requests within policy.
Review timesheets, fix missed punches and watch for overtime before it happens.
Track sales, labor and inventory numbers and report them to the manager.
Enforce safety, cash handling and company policies, and document issues.
Act as manager on duty: make operating decisions and handle emergencies when the manager is off.
Skills and requirements
Usually 1 to 3 years in the industry, often including time as a shift lead or supervisor.
Clear, calm communication with staff and customers.
Comfort with a POS, scheduling and time clock software, and basic spreadsheets.
Ability to solve problems on the spot and set priorities during a rush.
Availability for opens, closes, weekends and holidays.
High school diploma or equivalent; a degree is rarely required for store-level roles.
Pay and schedule
Write the actual range in the posting. Assistant managers are paid hourly in many restaurants and stores and salaried in others. A salaried assistant manager is only exempt from overtime if the job meets the federal salary and duties tests, so check the FLSA overtime rules before you classify the role.
Assistant manager vs manager vs shift supervisor
Shift supervisor
Assistant manager
Store or general manager
Scope
One shift
Whole location, under the manager
Whole location and its results
Hiring and firing
Gives input
Interviews, recommends, sometimes decides
Decides
Schedule
Fills gaps on the day
Drafts and adjusts
Approves and owns labor budget
Numbers
Cash drawers, shift tasks
Daily sales, labor, inventory
P&L, targets, budgets
Versions by industry
Retail assistant store manager
Adds sales goals, merchandising and visual standards, receiving freight, shrink control and fitting-room or stockroom oversight. Pair it with the retail sales associate job description for the team below.
Restaurant assistant manager
Adds food safety, line checks, comps and voids, server cash-outs, tip reporting and coordination between front and back of house. See restaurant manager duties.
Assistant general manager
Common in hotels, larger restaurants and multi-department sites. Adds budgets, vendor contracts and supervising department heads rather than hourly staff directly.
Interview questions for assistant managers
Two people call out an hour before the dinner rush. Walk me through the next 30 minutes.
Tell me about an employee you coached who improved. What did you say and what changed?
How do you handle a team member who was your peer last month?
What numbers did you track in your last role, and what did you do when one went the wrong way?
A customer demands a refund outside policy. What do you do?
First 90 days checklist
Days 1 to 30: learn opening and closing, cash procedures, the POS and the time clock; work every shift type once.
Days 31 to 60: run shifts alone, draft one weekly schedule, lead a new-hire training.
Days 61 to 90: own a metric (labor, shrink or service scores), cover a full week as manager on duty.
Give assistant managers the right tools
With EZTime scheduling, assistant managers build shifts, approve swaps and time-off requests from their phone, and get overtime and break alerts before they become problems. The time clock gives them clean timesheets and payroll-ready exports to review at the end of each week.
Frequently asked questions
What does an assistant manager do?
Supervises shifts, trains staff, handles escalated customer issues, helps with scheduling and inventory, and runs the location when the manager is off.
Is an assistant manager paid hourly or salary?
Either. Many restaurants and stores pay hourly. A salaried assistant manager must meet the federal salary and duties tests to be exempt from overtime.
What is the difference between an assistant manager and a shift supervisor?
A shift supervisor leads one shift. An assistant manager supports the manager across the whole location and steps in as manager when needed.
