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What does a department coordinator do?

Updated January 8, 2025
6 min read
What does a department coordinator do

A department coordinator is responsible for supporting business operations and management tasks to ensure that the company meets its daily operational goals and objectives. Department coordinators coordinate the project progress of each department and maintain the adequate allocation of funds and resources to perform operations timely and efficiently. They also negotiate contracts with suppliers and vendors for materials that are essential for company products and processes. A department coordinator must have excellent communication and organizational skills, especially in writing reports, attending meetings, and handling clients' inquiries and concerns.

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Department coordinator responsibilities

Here are examples of responsibilities from real department coordinator resumes:

  • Manage RFP process; act as key liaison for corporate clients and corporate sales director.
  • Manage hotel database, Delphi, including assigning ballroom for events, issuing contracts and arranging menus.
  • Manage end-to-end request for proposal (RFP) process; from client presentation creation to demonstration via on-site or WebEx.
  • Implement financial monitoring systems and monitor cash management including controlling production expenditures, and managing payroll and petty cash.
  • Administer, organize, and file patient paperwork including HIPAA forms.
  • Facilitate bi-rotational meetings on various healthcare topics which includes HIPAA and culture of safety.
  • Possess a complete working knowledge of Delphi software system used for reserving conference room space for clientele.
  • Prepare agendas, PowerPoint presentations and assemble annual business plans.
  • Create and execute PowerPoint presentations for training and analysis purposes.
  • Research and track federal legislative and regulatory developments affecting psychiatry and patients, including pending bills and existing law.
  • Maintain payroll record systems by collecting, entering and updating data such as department/division transfers and insurance coverage changes.
  • Provide therapeutic assessment/intervention for pediatric patients throughout the hospital units by implementation of normative activities, procedure preparation, family/bereavement support.
  • Assist the department by planning events, maintaining Facebook page and occasionally doing the odd job for a professor.
  • Develop and implement Facebook for the department.
  • Assist nursing staff in preparation for JCAHO.

Department coordinator skills and personality traits

We calculated that 20% of Department Coordinators are proficient in Customer Service, Patients, and Patient Care. They’re also known for soft skills such as Writing skills, Interpersonal skills, and Organizational skills.

We break down the percentage of Department Coordinators that have these skills listed on their resume here:

  • Customer Service, 20%

    Liaised with international corporate partners and distributed branding information, with a focus on providing outstanding customer service and fostering partnerships.

  • Patients, 20%

    Provided therapeutic assessment/intervention for pediatric patients throughout the hospital units by implementation of normative activities, procedure preparation, family/bereavement support.

  • Patient Care, 8%

    Job description: Provide time-critical Stat reading communications to health care professionals in order to facilitate proper patient care and management.

  • Data Entry, 6%

    Conducted research to acquire new housing software system for accurate data entry and property inventory maintenance.

  • Payroll, 5%

    Maintained payroll record systems by collecting, entering and updating data such as department/division transfers and insurance coverage changes.

  • PowerPoint, 5%

    Coordinated annual Linguistics conference, which included arranging accommodations for guest speakers, PowerPoint presentations, student awards and reception.

Most department coordinators use their skills in "customer service," "patients," and "patient care" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential department coordinator responsibilities here:

Writing skills. One of the key soft skills for a department coordinator to have is writing skills. You can see how this relates to what department coordinators do because "secretaries and administrative assistants write memos and emails when communicating with managers, employees, and customers." Additionally, a department coordinator resume shows how department coordinators use writing skills: "designed the radiology legal department from the ground up which included writing the policy and procedures that followed the hipaa laws. "

Interpersonal skills. Another essential skill to perform department coordinator duties is interpersonal skills. Department coordinators responsibilities require that "secretaries and administrative assistants interact with clients, customers, or staff." Department coordinators also use interpersonal skills in their role according to a real resume snippet: "maintained excellent interpersonal skills in dealing with patients, providers, and scca co-workers * demonstrated excellent customer service skills"

Organizational skills. Another skill that relates to the job responsibilities of department coordinators is organizational skills. This skill is critical to many everyday department coordinator duties, as "secretaries and administrative assistants keep files, folders, and schedules in order so that an office runs efficiently." This example from a resume shows how this skill is used: "strengthened communication and organizational skills in order to execute strategizing scheduling and payroll distribution for the women's department. "

All department coordinator skills

The three companies that hire the most department coordinators are:

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Compare different department coordinators

Department coordinator vs. Coordinator/manager

A coordinator/manager is an individual who is responsible for supervising the day-to-day operations of a facility by following a set of policies and guidelines. Coordinators/managers collaborate with board members to ensure the overall quality of the facility and maintain inventory levels for all components and parts. They negotiate with vendors on contracts and fees as well as provides the overall budget for facility projects. Coordinators/managers must also train staff and employees regarding facility procedures and safety codes.

If we compare the average department coordinator annual salary with that of a coordinator/manager, we find that coordinator/managers typically earn a $5,076 higher salary than department coordinators make annually.While the two careers have a salary gap, they share some of the same responsibilities. Employees in both department coordinator and coordinator/manager positions are skilled in patients, patient care, and payroll.

There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, department coordinator responsibilities require skills like "customer service," "data entry," "provides administrative support," and "purchase orders." Meanwhile a typical coordinator/manager has skills in areas such as "social work," "oversight," "discharge planning," and "community resources." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.

On average, coordinator/managers reach similar levels of education than department coordinators. Coordinator/managers are 1.6% more likely to earn a Master's Degree and 0.0% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Department coordinator vs. Administrative coordinator

An Administrative Coordinator oversees the line of communication and schedules within a company, ensuring that every necessary information is delivered and conveyed. An administrative coordinator's responsibilities include responding to inquiries and requests from workforce personnel or client, managing calls and correspondence, maintaining and rotating various forms of documentation, and designing or improving systems that would help the company's operating procedures. Furthermore, it is also essential for an Administrative Coordinator to evaluate the methods and progress, continuity of workflow, and resolve issues as needed within the company.

On average, administrative coordinators earn a $4,074 lower salary than department coordinators a year.A few skills overlap for department coordinators and administrative coordinators. Resumes from both professions show that the duties of each career rely on skills like "customer service," "patients," and "data entry. "

In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, department coordinator responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "patient care," "data collection," "hr," and "patient charts." Meanwhile, an administrative coordinator has duties that require skills in areas such as "office procedures," "excellent organizational," "excellent interpersonal," and "phone calls." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.

On average, administrative coordinators earn a lower salary than department coordinators. Some industries support higher salaries in each profession. Interestingly enough, administrative coordinators earn the most pay in the government industry with an average salary of $43,324. Whereas department coordinators have higher pay in the finance industry, with an average salary of $55,485.In general, administrative coordinators achieve similar levels of education than department coordinators. They're 2.9% less likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 0.0% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Department coordinator vs. Senior administrative coordinator

A senior administrative coordinator is primarily in charge of overseeing all administrative operations within a company or an organization. Their responsibilities typically revolve around assessing the performance of junior staff and assisting them when necessary, reporting to supervisors or directors, and devising strategies on how to improve the line of communication among all departments. Moreover, a senior administrative coordinator may perform clerical tasks such as preparing progress reports, managing schedules, and maintaining records of all transactions. As a senior, it is also vital to implement the company's policies and regulations, recommending new ones if deemed necessary.

An average senior administrative coordinator eans a lower salary compared to the average salary of department coordinators. The difference in salaries amounts to senior administrative coordinators earning a $2,433 lower average salary than department coordinators.department coordinators and senior administrative coordinators both have job responsibilities that require similar skill sets. These similarities include skills such as "customer service," "patients," and "data entry," but they differ when it comes to other required skills.

Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from department coordinator resumes include skills like "patient care," "purchase orders," "clerical support," and "patient charts," whereas a senior administrative coordinator is more likely to list skills in "sr," "excellent interpersonal," "project management," and "logistics. "

When it comes to education, senior administrative coordinators tend to earn similar degree levels compared to department coordinators. In fact, they're 0.3% less likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.4% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Department coordinator vs. Transit department clerk

It's the job of a Transit Department Clerk to process and verify all shipment documents that are both inbound and outbound. Your primary job will be to perform a ton of clerical duties in a transportation environment/organization. The Transit Clerk also ensures that all goods are safely processed and well secured for shipment. Furthermore, you'd have to identify and tag goods with the help of the shipment documents. Finally, your job will also be to supervise the delivery of goods to customers to their specific locations.

Transit department clerks tend to earn a lower pay than department coordinators by an average of $9,298 per year.While both department coordinators and transit department clerks complete day-to-day tasks using similar skills like customer service, patients, and patient care, the two careers vary in some skills.Each job also requires different skills to carry out their responsibilities. A department coordinator uses "provides administrative support," "data collection," "coordinators," and "administrative tasks." Transit department clerks are more likely to have duties that require skills in "customer satisfaction," "customer orders," "cleanliness," and "allergies. "transit department clerks enjoy the best pay in the finance industry, with an average salary of $35,204. For comparison, department coordinators earn the highest salary in the finance industry.transit department clerks reach lower levels of education compared to department coordinators, in general. The difference is that they're 6.7% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.7% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Types of department coordinator

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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