How to hire a special projects coordinator

How to hire a special projects coordinator, step by step

Here's a step-by-step special projects 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 special projects coordinator job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new special projects coordinator
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a special projects coordinator do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the special projects coordinator you need to hire. Certain special projects coordinator roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

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

   Yes

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a special projects coordinator to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a special projects coordinator that fits the bill.

   Here's a comparison of special projects coordinator salaries for various roles:

   Type of Special Projects Coordinator	Description	Hourly rate
   Special Projects Coordinator		$14-29
   Program Administrator	Program administrators are responsible for planning, directing, and coordinating their organization's program or service. Their duties and responsibilities may vary depending on the industry they work at, such as educational, community, and social services... Show more	$16-35
   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... Show more	$13-26

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • PowerPoint
   • Financial Reports
   • Human Resources
   • Data Collection
   • Professional Development
   • Event Planning
   • Payroll
   • Community Outreach
   • Data Analysis
   • Press Releases
   • Technical Assistance
   • Oversight
   • Strategic Plan
   • Market Research

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage most aspects of major grants, in charge of HUD grants distribute by the organization.
   • Manage Excel/ SharePoint reporting and communicate project status to stakeholders.
   • Manage the database development for the wholesaler product disbursement system and the merchandising operations payroll system.
   • Provide oversight of various contract research projects.
   • Coordinate team-building efforts and interpret federal and state policy and guidance for county-level public health emergency preparedness coordinators.
   • Create and maintain Facebook page.

   More special projects coordinator duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the special projects coordinator job description is a good way to get more applicants. A special projects coordinator salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.

   For example, the average salary for a special projects coordinator in Alabama may be lower than in New York, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level special projects coordinator. Additionally, a special projects coordinator with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average special projects coordinator salary

   $44,576yearly

   $21.43 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level special projects coordinator salary

   $31,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 21, 2026

   Average special projects coordinator salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	New York	$56,702	$27
   2	Massachusetts	$54,173	$26
   3	New Jersey	$52,263	$25
   4	Virginia	$51,471	$25
   5	Washington	$48,698	$23
   6	Pennsylvania	$47,231	$23
   7	District of Columbia	$46,939	$23
   8	Texas	$46,593	$22
   9	California	$46,524	$22
   10	Maryland	$44,860	$22
   11	North Carolina	$44,013	$21
   12	Michigan	$44,004	$21
   13	Illinois	$43,088	$21
   14	Alaska	$42,323	$20
   15	Georgia	$41,370	$20
   16	Colorado	$40,906	$20
   17	Florida	$40,769	$20
   18	Kansas	$40,632	$20
   19	Ohio	$40,588	$20
   20	Arizona	$39,282	$19

   Average special projects coordinator salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Cloudflare	$98,520	$47.37	2
   2	Boston Public Schools	$59,605	$28.66	5
   3	Holthouse Carlin & Van Trigt LLP	$58,866	$28.30
   4	PRWeek	$56,742	$27.28
   5	National Basketball Retired Players Association	$54,387	$26.15
   6	Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory	$52,997	$25.48	1
   7	HHMI	$52,667	$25.32
   8	Guidehouse	$51,646	$24.83	12
   9	Boulder County	$51,493	$24.76
   10	Nissin International Transport U.S.A.	$51,289	$24.66
   11	University of California	$51,288	$24.66	14
   12	CDC Foundation	$51,108	$24.57
   13	University of California-Berkeley	$50,993	$24.52	9
   14	Washington State University	$50,263	$24.16
   15	BASF	$50,102	$24.09	1
   16	Brown University	$49,632	$23.86	3
   17	University of Colorado Boulder	$49,438	$23.77	1
   18	Democracy Prep Public Schools	$49,228	$23.67	2
   19	The Christian Post	$48,954	$23.54
   20	Marriott International	$48,738	$23.43	29

4. Writing a special projects coordinator job description

   A special projects 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 special projects coordinator job description:

   Special projects coordinator job description example

   The Project Coordinator for Engagement Initiatives-Special Populations serves as a project manager for first-generation initiatives as well as the Memphis Pipeline project. This person is responsible for helping to institutionalize support/retention mechanisms for first-generation identifying students on campus. Specifically, this person is responsible for coordinating, implementing, and managing efforts that inform and engage first-generation identifying students in opportunities and resources to help support their personal, career, and academic success. This includes managing communication efforts to students and campus constituents, coordinating and overseeing workshops and campus-wide programs for first-generation students and/or their families, managing Rutgers-Camden first-generation celebration week, updating/maintaining RU-C's first-generation web and social media pages, and collaborating with campus partners to continue to create a campus culture of inclusivity.
   
   Additionally, this person is responsible for managing the Memphis Pipeline project, which is a brand new initiative that aims to enroll students from Memphis into Rutgers-Camden as part of the institution's efforts to provide higher education access to students from urban communities. This person would be responsible for partnering with enrollment management to develop a recruitment plan, coordinate recruitment efforts, assist with the college application process for identified students, as well as facilitating anti-melt programs/communications.
   Minimum Education and Experience
   
   Requires a Bachelor's degree or an equivalent combination of education and/or experience. Requires a minimum of three years of relevant professional experience in an administrative and/or supervisory function, excellent communication skills, and computer literacy. Experience working with underrepresented/minoritized college aged populations required Experience with training, public speaking, and/or conducting presentations
   
   Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
   
   Must have a strong working knowledge of issues related to access, persistence, and retention of underrepresented students as well as student-centered approached and programs to promote student success Ability and willingness to work collaboratively. Ability to process/analyze complex information and effectively communicate it to students, parents, and/or administrators. Strong knowledge of student support programs and ability to make proper referrals based on comprehensive assessments. Attention to detail and the ability to follow through with assisting students. Strong written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills. Ability to function in multi-campus and team environments. Ability to use personal computer and other office equipment
   
   Overview
   
   Rutgers University-Camden is a diverse, research-intensive campus of approximately 7,400 undergraduate and graduate students and 1,100 faculty and staff members located in Camden, N.J., directly across the Delaware River from Philadelphia. The campus thrives with a supportive culture that helps students achieve their goals and fosters collaboration among employees. The university is recognized as a national model for civically engaged urban universities and was selected by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching for its Community Engagement classification. Washington Monthly magazine consistently ranks Rutgers University-Camden among its "Best Bang for the Buck" universities and best national research universities. Recently, Rutgers-Camden earned Carnegie classification as an R2 research university.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find special projects coordinators for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

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

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit special projects coordinators, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates can move on to the technical interview.

   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 special projects coordinator

   Once you've decided on a perfect special projects coordinator candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your 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 special projects 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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How much does it cost to hire a special projects coordinator?