What Is a Project Coordinator? Job Description & Salary

Project management requires the participation of certain individuals or groups of people such as the project manager, project stakeholder, and other members of the project team.

While the project manager is the most visible and popular member of the project team, other members such as project coordinators also play a crucial role in managing multiple projects successfully.

The role of a project manager can get difficult. He or she is responsible for managing all aspects of the projects. There are lots of tasks to do, meetings to schedule and oversee, clients to communicate with at each stage of the project management life cycle, and the project team to manage.

With so many tasks and responsibilities assigned to project managers, it is difficult to balance them all. This is where project coordinators prove handy. They work under a project manager and ensure that the project team is organized and projects are successfully completed as at when due.

In this article, you will learn everything about project coordinators including qualities they should have and their salary range.

Let’s get started.

What Does a Project Coordinator Do?

A project coordinator is in charge of coordinating schedules, resources, and information needed in handling a project in any sector such as healthcare, construction, and technology.

He or she operates closely with project team members and managers to assist in carrying out tasks such as proper documentation, organizing meetings, dissemination of information, finances reporting, supervision of the equipment, and reports creation and review.

Successful project coordinators must be capable of multitasking and working both independently and with others. They can predict risks and proffer solutions when necessary, determine possible changes and ensure deadlines are met.

A project coordinator has to attend project meetings, develop essential project management reports, work alongside the project manager to control documentation, and serve as analytical support. After gathering experience over many years, the project coordinator can get promoted to the position of project manager.

1. Record Keeping

Records management is an important aspect of managing a project, thereby, making it possible for the smooth handling of project documentation. The project coordinator must be good at keeping and managing records for accountability.

Keeping records is vital because it helps to avoid errors, retrieve necessary information easily, and direct document flows by the project coordinator.

2. Managing Information Workflow

A project workflow is a planned sequence of tasks needed to complete a particular project. Project coordinators manage workflow by making lists of tasks to be done, gathering required resources, assigning tasks to team members, and creating a flowchart depicting the order to complete assigned tasks.

3. Scheduling and Planning

Good project coordinators create a good project schedule to define tasks, activities, and how they should be carried out. They keep the team members up to date by organizing and creating a timeframe for work plans, thereby, keeping them on track.

4. Tracking Progress

The project coordinator tracks the progress and performance level of a project to know where adjustments and improvements are needed. They use this information to make predictions and manage risks. You can track progress by using charts, tasks lists, calendars, or project tracking software.

Project Manager vs Project Coordinator

1. Job Description

The main role of a project manager is to focus on the goals, budgets, and the completion of a project. On the other hand, the project coordinator focuses on explaining the project requirements, assists the team members and the project manager in managing the projects. He or she serves as a means of communication between the project team and stakeholders.

Project coordinators help relieve some of the duties and responsibilities of the project manager. They handle administrative tasks on behalf of project managers. The professional responsible for hiring the project coordinator is the project manager.

2. Financial Responsibility

The project manager is responsible for financial issues that affect the project’s life cycle such as budgeting and procurement while the project coordinator is responsible for purchasing the equipment needed.

3. Areas of the Project Managed

A project manager oversees the project from start to completion while a project coordinator carries out the necessary daily tasks needed to ensure the project is on track.

The project manager directs the project coordinator by assigning tasks but the project coordinator consults the project manager while carrying out the tasks.

Qualities of a Good Project Coordinator

A good project coordinator must possess the essential project management skills to carry out his or her duties successfully.

1. Good Communication Skills

A good project coordinator must be able to communicate efficiently with the project team. Communicating promotes discussions of new ideas and goals, guiding the team to work effectively, receiving and giving honest feedback, boosting morale, and sharing important information. A project coordinator must have great communication skills.

2. Multitasking and Problem-solving Skills

Project coordinators should have the ability to solve issues affecting the project and the project team. Finding solutions and settling disputes on time is essential.

Another quality of a good project coordinator is multitasking. The ability to perform more than one task to get things done quickly is an important ability a project coordinator must possess.

3. Detail-oriented

A project coordinator needs to pay attention to every detail to maintain accuracy and complete tasks on time. Projects involve a lot of processes, therefore, project coordinators have to notice, manage and organize these details to accomplish the project goals.

Paying attention to details about the project improves productivity, effectiveness, and performance.

4. Team Management Skills

The ability to lead a team to be successful, perform their best, and achieve common goals makes a good project coordinator. Team management skills a project coordinator should possess include top decision-making, effective communication, promoting teamwork, delegating tasks, problem-solving, transparency, and being open to changes.

A project coordinator must understand and work around each team member. Good team management skills show a unified process of leading and building a team.

5. Financial and Budget Management Skills

A project coordinator must be able to create a budget, track the budget, set a spending limit, and make sure all income and expenses are balanced. This is important because it helps to control spending and saves more.

A successful project coordinator should make good financial decisions, avoid debts, prepare for emergencies, and create future financial plans.

Project Coordinator Salary and Job Prospects

Project coordinators earn based on their work experience, service demand, and the work sector. The salaries for project coordinators vary by industry with the more technical fields attracting the highest salaries.

According to a survey by Payscale, the top annual salary for a project coordinator is $71,000, the median annual salary is $51,000, and the low annual salary is $38,000.

Job prospects for project coordinators are expected to grow over the next decade. The Project Management Institute predicts that there will be over 90 million project manager jobs by 2027, many of which will be project coordinators.

Project Coordinator FAQ

Was This Article Helpful?