Runner Job Description: Templates and Guide
Runner job description templates and guide: which runner you mean, from office and legal to warehouse and courier, plus links to restaurant runner roles.
Runner Job Description: Templates and Guide
Six editable templates covering the very different runner roles, office, legal, warehouse, courier, and the restaurant versions, so you can pick the one that matches the job you are actually filling.
Runner is one job title for several different jobs. A food runner carries plates from the kitchen to tables in a restaurant; an office runner makes bank and supply runs; a legal runner files court documents; a warehouse runner moves parts; a courier runner delivers packages. They share a focus on moving things quickly and reliably, but little else. So the first step in writing the job description is deciding which runner you actually mean.
This guide disambiguates the role and gives six editable templates, one for each main type, with the FLSA classification and licensing notes each setting needs. The restaurant versions, food runner and server assistant, have dedicated pages that go deeper on tipped pay and food-handler rules, and this guide links straight to them.
What a Runner Is (and Which One You Mean)
A runner moves things, food, documents, parts, or packages, quickly and reliably from one place to another. What that means in practice depends entirely on the setting, and so do the pay, the rules, and the kind of candidate you want. The most important decision before writing the posting is which runner you are hiring.
| Type of runner | Where | Pay | Tipped? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Food runner | Restaurants, bars, catering | Hourly, plus tips | Often tipped |
| Server assistant / restaurant runner | Restaurants | Hourly, plus tips | Often tipped |
| Office / errand runner | Small offices, dealerships | Around $15 to $16 an hour | No |
| Legal / court runner | Law firms, process servers | Around $14 an hour | No |
| Warehouse / parts runner | Distribution, auto, construction | Around $16 to $18 an hour | No |
| Courier / delivery runner | Delivery and courier firms | Hourly | No |
The two restaurant versions, food runner and server assistant, are the most searched, so each has a dedicated page. This guide covers all six runner types at a glance and goes deeper on the non-restaurant versions, where the duties and licensing differ most.
Which Template Should You Use?
Pick the template by your setting. Because the roles differ so much, choosing the right one matters more here than for most titles. Each template emphasizes the duties, pay, and rules that fit a specific kind of runner.
6 Editable Runner Job Description Templates
Download all six as a single editable Word document, or copy individual templates. Each follows the same structure: organization and job summary, key responsibilities, qualifications, a compensation block, and how to apply, with an EEO statement. Fill in the brackets and post.
Template 1: Food Runner (Restaurant)
The most common small-business version: deliver food from the kitchen to tables, check orders against tickets, and support servers.
Template 2: Server Assistant / Restaurant Runner
The restaurant runner by another name: run food, clear and reset tables, refill drinks, and support servers throughout the shift.
Template 3: Office / Errand Runner
For a small office: deliveries, bank and supply runs, mail, and day-to-day logistics. Needs a valid driver's license and a clean record.
Template 4: Legal / Court Runner
For a law office: court filings, document delivery, and errands, with confidentiality and deadline awareness front and center.
Template 5: Warehouse / Parts Runner
For a warehouse, auto shop, or distributor: pull, stage, and deliver parts and materials, often between sites or counters.
Template 6: Courier / Delivery Runner
For a courier or delivery service: pick up and deliver documents and packages on a route or dispatch schedule, with reliable service.
Office, Legal, Warehouse, and Courier Runners
Outside restaurants, runner roles are built around driving and delivery rather than food service, so the duties and requirements shift. These four versions are non-exempt, hourly, and not tipped, and most need a valid driver's license and a clean record. Here is what each one centers on.
The common requirement across these four is a driver's license and a clean driving record, since each involves getting items from one place to another by car. If the role you are filling is really about driving a set route or making scheduled deliveries, a delivery driver job description may fit better than a runner posting.
Restaurant Runners: Food Runner and Server Assistant
The two restaurant runner roles are the most common small-business hire in this group, and they carry rules the other runners do not: tipped pay, tip-pool participation, and a food-handler permit where local rules require one. Because those details matter and are searched heavily on their own, each role has a dedicated page rather than a full treatment here.
The short version for a restaurant: food runners are non-exempt, hourly, and frequently tipped, and they can participate in a valid tip pool alongside servers and bussers. The federal tip credit sets a direct cash wage as low as $2.13 an hour against the $7.25 floor, though many states require more, so check local law.
Skills and Requirements
Scale the requirements to the specific runner role rather than copying a generic list. Across all six, reliability, speed, and a team-first attitude matter more than long experience, since most runner jobs train on the job. The setting decides the rest: a license for delivery-based runners, a food-handler permit for food runners.
| Requirement | What to look for |
|---|---|
| Experience | Usually none required; training provided |
| Physical | Able to stand, walk, carry, and lift around 50 lbs |
| Pace | Comfortable moving quickly during a rush |
| License | Valid driver's license for office, legal, warehouse, and courier runners |
| Permit | Food-handler card for food runners where required locally |
| Classification | Non-exempt, hourly; tipped only for restaurant food runners |
Keep the posting neutral and inclusive, since the EEOC prohibits job advertisements that show a preference based on a protected characteristic, and the SHRM guide covers the standard sections of a job description.
From Hiring to Onboarding
Once a candidate accepts, the job description becomes the basis for the offer and onboarding. Every runner role benefits from a quick, structured start, and the specifics depend on the setting: a food runner needs a food-handler permit before a busy floor, while an office, legal, or courier runner needs a verified driving record.
Once your offer is ready, the offer letter template handles the next step, and an onboarding template gives the new hire a structured start. FirstHR connects the offer, e-signature, onboarding workflow, training, and document management in one place, so a small business can run the full process from one system. FirstHR is an onboarding and HR platform, not a POS or scheduling tool, and it does not run payroll, so connect those separately. Applicant tracking is coming soon to FirstHR.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a runner do?
It depends on the setting, because runner is one title for several different jobs. In a restaurant, a food runner delivers food from the kitchen to guests, checks orders, and supports servers. In an office, an errand runner handles deliveries, bank and supply runs, and logistics. In a law firm, a legal or court runner files documents and delivers paperwork. In a warehouse, a parts runner moves materials and orders between areas. In a courier service, a delivery runner picks up and delivers packages. The common thread is moving things quickly and reliably from one place to another, but the duties, pay, and setting differ sharply. The first step in writing the job description is deciding which runner you mean. This is general information, not legal advice.
What should a runner job description include?
Start by deciding which runner you mean: food, server assistant, office, legal, warehouse, or courier. Include a short organization summary, a job summary that makes the setting clear, and responsibilities specific to that role, such as court filings for a legal runner or pulling and staging parts for a warehouse runner. State the FLSA classification, which is non-exempt and hourly across these runner roles. Post a pay range that meets federal and state minimums. List qualifications honestly, usually a high school diploma or no experience with training provided, plus a driver's license for delivery-based runners. Close with an equal opportunity statement and apply instructions. This is general information, not legal advice.
What does an office or errand runner do?
An office runner, sometimes called an errand runner, handles the deliveries and logistics that keep a small office moving. Typical duties include delivering documents and packages, making bank and supply runs, picking up and dropping off items between offices or sites, helping with mail and filing, and restocking common areas. Because the role usually involves driving, a valid license and clean driving record are common requirements, along with reliability and trustworthiness with confidential documents. The role is non-exempt and hourly, and it is not a tipped position, which sets it apart from a restaurant food runner. Small offices, dealerships, and professional practices are the usual employers. This is general information, not legal advice.
What does a legal or court runner do?
A legal runner, also called a court runner, handles filings, document delivery, and errands for a law office. The core duties are filing documents at courts and government offices, delivering and picking up legal paperwork, running trips to clients and agencies, tracking filing deadlines, and confirming completion. Confidentiality and reliability matter more here than in most runner roles, since the paperwork is sensitive and deadlines are strict. A valid driver's license and clean record are usually required, and familiarity with court filing helps though it is often trained on the job. Like other runner roles outside restaurants, it is non-exempt, hourly, and not a tipped position. This is general information, not legal advice.
What does a warehouse or parts runner do?
A warehouse runner, often called a parts runner, moves parts, materials, and orders between the warehouse, staging areas, and job sites or counters. Duties include pulling and staging items, delivering parts where they are needed, verifying items against pick lists, loading and unloading deliveries safely, and restocking inventory. Distribution centers, auto shops, and construction suppliers are common employers, and a valid driver's license is often needed if the runner delivers between sites. The role is physical, non-exempt, and hourly, and it is not tipped. Basic inventory or warehouse experience helps but is frequently not required. This is general information, not legal advice.
Are runner roles exempt or non-exempt under the FLSA?
Across these settings, runner roles are non-exempt and paid hourly. Whether it is a food runner, office runner, legal runner, warehouse runner, or courier, the work is manual and entry-level and does not qualify for a white-collar exemption, so the employee is entitled to overtime at one and a half times the regular rate for hours over 40 in a workweek. For restaurant food runners who are tipped, overtime must be calculated on the full minimum wage rather than the lower direct cash wage, which is a common error. Some states add their own overtime rules on top of the federal standard. Classify runner roles as non-exempt and hourly, and tipped only where the setting applies. This is general information, not legal advice.
Do office, legal, or warehouse runners need a driver's license?
Usually yes, because these runner roles are built around driving. An office or errand runner making bank and supply runs, a legal runner filing at courts across town, a warehouse runner delivering parts between sites, and a courier all typically need a valid driver's license and a clean driving record, and some employers verify the record as part of hiring. A food runner inside a restaurant is the exception, since that role does not involve driving and instead may need a food-handler permit where local rules require one. Match the requirement to the setting rather than copying a generic list. This is general information, not legal advice.
Where do I find the restaurant runner templates?
This page includes a food runner template and a server assistant template as part of the full runner set, and it links to the dedicated restaurant pages that go deeper. For a restaurant hiring specifically for someone to run plates from the kitchen to tables, the food runner job description page covers the concept variations, tipped-pay rules, and food-handler guidance in full. For a role that leans more toward table support and clearing, the server assistant job description page is the closer match. Decide whether the job is mostly running food or mostly supporting servers and clearing, then use the page built for that role. This is general information, not legal advice.