List of Business Positions

by Sam Ashe-Edmunds, studioD

As your company grows and expands, you’ll need to hire more employees. You should do so in a thoughtful, proactive way, rather than as a reaction to understaffing. Creating a long-term organization chart with positions and titles will help you end up with the most efficient organization possible and avoid problems associated with random hiring.

Staff Positions

Workers who do not supervise others or manage a function or department are known as staff. This can include production and office staff. Staff members often earn hourly wages and work part-time, without benefits. Some staff members are employees with salaries and benefits. These workers do not have titles and have a direct supervisor. Examples of staff positions would include an assembly line waiter, secretary, receptionist, waiter or janitor.

Entry-Level Management

When your business is large enough, you’ll need to assign support staff to your higher-level management team members. These people often hold the title coordinator, supervisor or manager. They have direct responsibility for making sure specific tasks are completed but often do not have authority to create tasks, projects or other initiatives; these duties fall to executives and department heads. Coordinators often support managers, who provide explicit instructions and give little autonomy. Managers often work for directors and often have some flexibility to execute assigned projects. Give your entry-level managers a title, job description and a raise in pay to signify that they are valued and have a future with the company. This also elevates their status with their subordinates.

Executive Management

People who manage departments are known as directors or vice presidents. Top management comprises the “C Suite,” or positions of chief executive officer, chief financial officer and chief operating officer. A CEO is equal to a president or executive director position, while a CFO might be called a treasurer. Executives generally set the strategies and budgets for specific areas of the company, including marketing, production, sales, human resources and IT. At many small businesses, these positions begin with manager titles until a department or function grows large enough to have multiple employees. For example, your first marketing person might be called a marketing manager, becoming director when you have enough staff to warrant a second-in-command.


Some business positions are filled by contract workers who perform seasonal, contract or project work. For example, small business accounting might be performed by a part-time bookkeeper. Your general counsel might be an attorney you pay a monthly retainer or pay on an as-needed basis. Some publications hire freelance editors to manage their newsletter or magazine. Your IT person might be a part-time contractor you use to maintain and troubleshoot your computers and website.

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