Project Coordinator

The mechanism of a clock requires many turning parts, cogs, and wheels in order for the clock to successfully run; each part relying on the momentum of the others. The role of the Project Coordinator to a business is like the cogs and wheels to a clock. An invaluable asset to project planning and the business, ensuring it runs smoothly and efficiently.

Often, Project Coordinators will have a varied role working to a variety of deadlines. This consists of supporting others in the Project team with administrative tasks, scheduling of resources, planning, analytics and reporting. Having a supportive role means the Project Coordinator is often the bridge between other teams such as Finance, Development, Manufacturing, Management and Operations, helping to bring together connections between teams to gain a full sight of data and activities. Additional duties include identifying which activities could impact a project, and simultaneously how the project could impact the business.

To have connection, communication skills and insights are beneficial to both the success of the project and the stakeholders involved. They can feel reassured that the Project Coordinator will have an eye on each detail and each moving part of the project. This support is irreplaceable, being the connector between the other cogs and wheels, all needing support from each other to keep moving forward.

Within the Project Coordinator role, there can be a variety of responsibilities. This can differ depending on the type and size of the organisation and the structure of the project team members. Some of the key responsibilities are:

These could involve approving invoices relating to project work or completing forms, project schedules and documentation for the project.

When scheduling team resources, the Project Coordinator will be responsible for identifying team availability for completing tasks critical to project success. This should be done efficiently to balance with the other schedules and commitments the team may have.

Resources must be planned to ensure their availability for the project. Should the Project Coordinator identify challenges in this planning, they can also escalate these risks to the Project Manager. The resources will vary depending on the project; these can be people, materials, equipment, software etc.

The Project Coordinator will often be working with systems and data to record and track project progress and activities. These should be regularly reported on to ensure stakeholders and senior management have visibility of project progress.

In addition to reporting, Project Coordinators may also need to analyse data, identify trends or anomalies that could indicate a risk. Then, to escalate appropriately and provide support in preventing issues occurring in the project. On the other hand, the analysis may also highlight successes of the project that can be shared with stakeholders.

The managing of stakeholders requires clear and regular communication, from the birth of the project and beyond, ensuring stakeholders’ understanding of the activities and status of the project.

To perform as a Project Coordinator and succeed in the role when conducting a variety of tasks, a range of technical and soft skills are pivotal. Some key skills are:

Being able to communicate with project stakeholders, in a clear and concise way. Understanding what information they need and when can have an incredibly positive impact on a project; ensuring everyone is considered and kept up to date with project activity, assessing impacts and tracking progress.

Project Coordinators will often need to respond to requests from project teams in a punctual way. By prioritising and managing workloads they ensure high priority and urgent tasks are completed to required deadlines.

Coordinating resources and reporting often requires updating and managing data within a variety of scheduling and reporting tools. These can include Microsoft Excel, Trello, Jira, Todoist, Motion and many more. There is also a rise in AI tools designed specifically for managing projects and data anlysis. With this it's likely that Project Coordinators will have exposure to using various AI tools to improve the efficiency of their role.

Projects will often impact change - though the intention will be a positive change - it can still be confronting for those impacted. Having some awareness of how to support the management of change in an organisation can have a beneficial impact on the success of the project.

When it comes to analysis and reporting, the Project Coordinator should be meticulous and precise to ensure data is accurate.

The Project Coordinator and Project Manager work in great unison. They communicate regularly to coordinate priorities and the tasks needed for project success. The roles differ in authority and responsibility, whilst both being centred around the success and delivery of projects. 

Project Coordinators play a supporting role; delivering day-to-day project activities to the defined scope and deadlines, facilitating stakeholder communication, updating project documentation, and scheduling resources. Detailed awareness gives them a direct view of project activities and insight to potential risks. Insights can then be utilised and communicated to their main point of support and escalation; the Project Manager. This enables the Project Manager to determine the relevant information for improved decision-making, and thus a more successful project.

The Project Manager will have overall sight and responsibility of the project’s direction and strategic goals, informing the tasks and activities needed from the Project Coordinator. They can make decisions on actions to mitigate risk, how to manage the project budget, time management and resources, defining the scope of the project in alignment with stakeholder requirements, and uphold quality standards throughout the project lifecycle.

You can refer to this Project Manager Article for a more detailed insight to the Project Manager’s role.

In a world with ever-increasing costs, income is important to consider - the Project Coordinator role averages a pay of £28,959 (USD$37,959) according to Indeed.

Further demonstrating the importance of the role in business, and the Project Coordinator as a reputable career path, the APM Salary and Market Trends Survey 2023 also noted an 18% increase in salaries.

The path to become a Project Coordinator can vary, much like the role itself.  It is a role that can be found in many industries, requiring different levels and types of experience. Here are some ideas to help you reach the next step in your career as a Project Coordinator:

Forever the plight of a job hunter: gaining experience in a role to be able to get the role! There are a few routes to gaining experience; one being to plan your career path to work towards the Project Coordinator role. This could be via administrative roles, jobs such as a PMO or Project Administrator. Another would be to work in roles with transferable skills, such as other analyst or coordinator roles. This experience can then be applied to the responsibilities needed from the Project Coordinator.