What does a Coordinator do?
A Coordinator oversees all aspects of a particular project, event or program. They often work for corporations, but they may also work for event planning companies, entertainment venues and political campaigns. The specific duties may vary based on the specific type of Coordinator you hire.
For example, Event Coordinators oversee all aspects of planning corporate and private events. Project Coordinators handle the administrative aspects of a company project to assist the Project Manager. In other settings, you might have Activity Coordinators to plan and oversee entertainment or Service Coordinators, who help connect clients with necessary services.
Coordinator skills and qualifications
Several soft skills, including communication, organization and emotional intelligence, go into working as a successful Coordinator. Candidates also need job-related and technical skills and qualifications, such as:
- Experience with scheduling, resource coordination and time management in fast-paced or deadline-driven environments
- Proficiency with project management or event planning tools such as Asana, Trello, Microsoft Project or Cvent
- Budget tracking and resource allocation skills, including experience managing vendor relationships or supply ordering
- Familiarity with relevant regulations or compliance standards, such as HIPAA for healthcare coordinators or state licensing rules for child care coordinators
- Knowledge of field-specific best practices (e.g., memory care programming for an Activities Coordinator in senior living or safety protocols for a Logistics Coordinator)
- Working knowledge of project management principles, especially for coordinating timelines, deliverables and collaborators across departments
Coordinator experience requirements
Candidates often have industry experience when applying for a Coordinator position. For instance, a Coordinator for an educational program might have previously worked as a Teacher or Teacher’s Assistant. This provides them with a background in the typical processes and best practices, which they can then apply to their Coordinator duties.
Other candidates might come from administrative roles, since their duties often overlap. They may also have experience as an Assistant Coordinator or as a Coordinator in another industry.
Coordinator education and training requirements
Coordinator positions don’t usually have specific degree requirements. This makes the role a good fit for skills-based hiring, which allows you to prioritize specific job-related skills.
In addition to transferable skills, candidates might need licensing, depending on your industry. For example, a Nursing Coordinator may need to be a licensed Nurse.
Coordinator salary expectations
According to Indeed Salaries, the average salary for a Coordinator is $21.52 per hour. Salary rates are often adjusted to fit the location, company, candidate experience and industry.
Coordinator salary expectations
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Common salary:
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Typical salaries range from
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Job description samples for similar positions
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Coordinator job description FAQs
What qualities make a good Coordinator?
An effective Coordinator is typically someone who prioritizes organization to keep all of the details of the project or event in order. Leadership skills are also beneficial because the Coordinator needs to make decisions and delegate tasks to team members. Successful Coordinators use their creative mindset to develop unique ideas and resolve issues that arise during the project or event planning.
What is the difference between a Coordinator and a Manager?
A Coordinator typically focuses on the day-to-day aspects of carrying out a project or event. They have a specific task to see to completion. Meanwhile, Managers usually employ a strategic approach toward overseeing a department or team. Both roles make decisions, but a Coordinator handles decisions on specific tasks related to the project they’re overseeing, while Managers make bigger-picture decisions that help align the company with its goals.
What are the daily duties of a Coordinator?
A Coordinator typically starts the day by reviewing progress and communications. They might check in with the team to determine if they’re staying on track with the timeline or need any additional resources. These check-ins often continue throughout the day as issues arise and new deadlines approach.
Coordinators often spend a large part of their day in meetings. They might lead meetings on the projects or events they’re coordinating or participate in related meetings held by other leaders. Coordinators also spend time making phone calls to vendors and stakeholders to coordinate details, negotiate terms and resolve problems.
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