How to hire a senior project coordinator

How to hire a senior project coordinator, step by step

Here's a step-by-step senior project coordinator hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a senior project coordinator job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new senior project coordinator
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a senior project coordinator do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a senior project coordinator, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A senior project coordinator's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, senior project coordinators from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   The following list breaks down different types of senior project coordinators and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Senior Project Coordinator	Description	Hourly rate
   Senior Project Coordinator		$19-45
   Director, Special Projects	The primary responsibility of a director of special projects is to ensure the successful conclusion of construction-related projects. Special project directors lead, organize, and perform corporate projects outside their duties... Show more	$43-88
   Project Officer	A project officer provides vital support to a project by monitoring deadlines for each project task and closely monitors the project schedule. They work with the project manager and other team members to reach the project target... Show more	$19-40

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Project Management
   • PowerPoint
   • Meeting Minutes
   • Project Documentation
   • SharePoint
   • Purchase Orders
   • Client Facing
   • Project Support
   • Data Entry
   • Data Collection
   • Financial Reports
   • Project Scope
   • Management System
   • Microsoft Project

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Assist with preparation of presentations for monthly operating committee and PMO meetings for senior management leadership and work stream leads.
   • Achieve significant improvements in productivity by coordinating project tasks with other trades onsite.
   • Maintain and manage reference documentation on SharePoint portals including version control to ensure business continuity.
   • Create PowerPoint presentations, including animations, charts, etc.
   • Prepare and submit certify payroll from the subcontractors to the government.
   • Generate monthly report and Adhoc reports using SQL and PL/SQL programming.

   More senior project coordinator duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your senior project coordinator job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A senior project coordinator can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, senior project coordinators' average salary in north dakota is 42% less than in rhode island.
   • Seniority. Entry-level senior project coordinators 57% less than senior-level senior project coordinators.
   • Certifications. A senior project coordinator with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a senior project coordinator's salary.

   Average senior project coordinator salary

   $61,879yearly

   $29.75 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level senior project coordinator salary

   $40,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 17, 2025

   Average senior project coordinator salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$75,962	$37
   2	Pennsylvania	$68,467	$33
   3	New York	$68,249	$33
   4	Oregon	$67,929	$33
   5	New Jersey	$67,531	$32
   6	Texas	$65,412	$31
   7	District of Columbia	$64,526	$31
   8	Illinois	$63,993	$31
   9	Massachusetts	$63,569	$31
   10	Washington	$61,055	$29
   11	Connecticut	$60,287	$29
   12	Nevada	$57,372	$28
   13	Michigan	$56,964	$27
   14	Missouri	$56,834	$27
   15	Maryland	$54,304	$26
   16	North Carolina	$53,964	$26
   17	Arizona	$53,307	$26
   18	Minnesota	$52,199	$25
   19	Georgia	$51,153	$25
   20	Florida	$50,305	$24

   Average senior project coordinator salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Apple	$117,118	$56.31	19
   2	Ernst & Young	$98,177	$47.20	1
   3	Fox Rothschild	$91,345	$43.92
   4	City of Seattle	$86,426	$41.55	2
   5	Halliburton	$85,184	$40.95
   6	Essex Property Trust	$84,322	$40.54
   7	Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory	$82,177	$39.51	1
   8	Pacifi	$81,404	$39.14
   9	AbbVie	$81,319	$39.10	27
   10	Cambium Learning Group	$81,248	$39.06	2
   11	Broadridge	$81,156	$39.02
   12	Bristol-Myers Squibb	$79,244	$38.10	7
   13	Hensel Phelps	$79,124	$38.04	7
   14	PRA Group Careers	$78,862	$37.91
   15	Booz Allen Hamilton	$77,899	$37.45	28
   16	HBK Engineering	$75,625	$36.36
   17	HDR	$74,451	$35.79	160
   18	Columbia University in the City of New York	$74,381	$35.76	23
   19	QuintilesIMS	$71,650	$34.45	21
   20	Edward Jones	$71,052	$34.16	1

4. Writing a senior project coordinator job description

   A senior project coordinator job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. Below, you can find an example of a senior project coordinator job description:

   Senior project coordinator job description example

   UT Health San Antonio is one of the country's leading health sciences universities and is designated as a Hispanic-Serving Institution by the U.S. Department of Education. With missions of teaching, research, patient care and community engagement, its schools of medicine, nursing, dentistry, health professions and graduate biomedical sciences have graduated 39,700 alumni who are leading change, advancing their fields, and renewing hope for patients and their families throughout South Texas and the world. UT Health San Antonio is a 2021 Forbes Best-In-State Employer and is fast becoming known as a place that launches and advances careers.
   As an employer, UT Health San Antonio provides:
   An excellent benefits package with lower-cost health insurance options for employees as well as competitive dental and vision plans. A defined benefit retirement plan with matching contributions higher than the market average. Three to five weeks of paid time off per year, plus sick leave and paid holidays. Discounts at UT Health providers and facilities.
   Job Summary:
   
   Under limited supervision, responsible for overseeing the completion of the project life-cycle, including preparing and maintaining project plans, budgets, and staffing requirements. Oversees project activities to include training, data management and statistical analysis and budget preparation. May lead or mentor lower level team members.
   
   Job Duties:
   
   Works with center director(s) leadership to understand and execute portfolio management planning processes to include linking projects to strategic goals, coordination, and prioritization. Create and update Center website, coordinate seminar series, multi-PI research grants, support center core faculties and facilities. These projects typically support operational development and improvement and that includes funded research projects such as wet and dry lab research. Center leads the project portfolio management function, builds infrastructure to facilitate change, and provides project management expertise and services to the Research Center. Facilitates ongoing portfolio management for the research mission by meeting with project owners on a regular basis to define and update project status. Pre and Post award management or budget management. Assists on efforts to build infrastructure needed at UTHSA/Center to facilitate effective projects. Provides assistance, when needed, on data analytics and process mapping for the research mission. Helps embed project management skills within the research mission.
   
   Education:
   Bachelor's degree in related field is required. Master's preferred.
   Experience:
   Five (5) years related experience is required.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right senior project coordinator for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with senior project coordinators they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit senior project coordinators who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your senior project coordinator job on Zippia to find and recruit senior project coordinator candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting senior project coordinators requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new senior project coordinator

   Once you've selected the best senior project coordinator candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new senior project coordinator. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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