Identikit of the project coordinator: missions, salary and pathway
Sometimes functional leaders or project managers cannot perform all the tasks required in project management by themselves. For this reason, the professional figure of the project coordinator was created. But what are the activities that a project coordinator covers?
Appvizer has already devoted multiple articles to the figure of project managers and their roles and responsibilities, and all the methodologies applicable to project management. Today, however, we want to explore the role of the project coordinator.
Where does the project coordinator fit in?
To understand the position of the project coordinator within the organizational hierarchy of the company, we need to explain the position of the different figures involved in project management. For the development and implementation of a project, one must have a functional leader and a project manager. The project coordinator is the communication bridge between the team and the functional leader or project manager. At the hierarchical level, they are second in command right after the project manager and functional leaders, and their area of expertise is primarily the logistics of project management.
The missions of the project coordinator
A project coordinator is in charge of coordinating the , budget, problems and risks of the project. His or her mission is to ensure the smooth running of the project, avoiding all possible mishaps. To ensure smooth operations, he or she will have to communicate with all departments that are part of the company's organizational structure, so that each team can work with the same means and operational data.
Project coordinators must distinguish themselves by their adaptive qualities in a fast-paced and challenging work environment. The creation of a project always involves multiple problems. The project coordinator is the person everyone turns to in order to resolve unforeseen issues encountered along the way.
What are the skills of a project coordinator?
The list of skills that a project coordinator must possess are many and belong to different fields of work. We have made a selection of the most important ones for you.
Details-orientation . Attention to detail is essential at a time when a project has multiple variables to keep under control. Every detail of the project is like the cog in a complex machinery that must work perfectly for the project's well-being and success.
Reliability. The project coordinator handles all the details of project management in detail and provides the project manager with an accurate report of the analysis. Therefore, since the project coordinator oversees the tasks of all team members, he or she must have a high degree of reliability.
Good speaking skills. As we have repeated many times, the project coordinator is the one who is responsible for the communication of the various components of a team and beyond. He or she must also communicate progress or problems encountered to the outside of the team. For this reason, he cannot be a person who is afraid of public speaking and who is unable to interpret and convey a clear and precise message.
High productivity rate. The project coordinator is the engine oil that keeps all the components of a machine running. Therefore, within the team if he fails to be productive, the project coordinator will be the cause of problems for the rest of the team. His productivity will proportionally affect that of the other members.
Effectiveness in task completion. The project coordinator has a fairly independent role within the team. Since he himself is the supervisor of the others' tasks, he must be assertive in completing his alone without someone constantly reminding him. The project manager needs a project coordinator who is an ally and not an obstacle to the team's success.
What are the tasks of a project coordinator concretely?
If you are interested in this professional figure, you should know that the project coordinator can appear under different titles such as principal project coordinator or building project coordinator.
But you may wonder: what are really the functions of a project coordinator in the workplace? What are his or her daily tasks?
Project coordinator responsibilities (responsibilities) include:
- Provide each team member with appropriate working conditions to complete the project.
- Establish a detailed road map with daily and monthly follow-ups and deadline dates set according to the team's cruising speed. You will need to present this outline to management for validation and approval
- Assist the team in understanding the ultimate goals and expectations of stakeholders and customers towards the current project through the creation of explanatory interactive meetings.
- Be a full-fledged team member, attending all meetings and discussing with each team member the progress of the project
- Be the team's cheerleader, providing continuous care, support, and collaboration to the team so that they can meet and even surpass the required performance scores.
The information that makes a difference on the CV
What is the typical educational background of a project coordinator? What specialized degrees will an HR person go for?
At the educational level, a project coordinator will need to present:
- a bachelor's degree in business administration or a related field.
- a PMP certificate from the Project Management Institute that is recent and found to be focused on the latest in project management.
Soft skills
- Be your own boss, i.e., be able to assign yourself tasks and meet them independently
- Being up to the task of managing all the inherent dynamics within the team
- Know how to use all software related to project management with some familiarity
Salary of the project coordinator
Given that this role originated in the Silicon Valley environment and is more prevalent in the United States, to estimate the average annual salary of a delivery manager, we averaged the remuneration of this professional figure in the United States, which is between $130,000 and $150,000.
In Italy, there is not enough data on a large scale to be able to make an overall and reliable average.
It must, therefore, be pointed out that the salary may change depending on the region, city, size of the company, years of career, and the scale of the project to be managed.
What about you, what do you think about this professional figure? Do you have more detailed questions about the role of delivery manager? Write them in the comments.
Article translated from Italian