What does a special projects coordinator do?

A special project manager spearheads and oversees special projects and programs, ensuring it adheres to deadlines and budgets. Among their responsibilities include managing staff and timelines, setting objectives and guidelines, monitoring the progress of projects, and producing progress reports for the executives. Should there be any issues and concerns, it is essential to resolve them promptly and efficiently. Furthermore, a special projects manager must lead and encourage staff to reach goals, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations.
Special projects coordinator responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real special projects coordinator resumes:
- 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.
- Review all deny Medicare claims and assist in re-coding and reprocessing.
- Certify in CPR, also transporting of patients in handicap equipped vehicles.
- Maintain the Facebook and Tumblr pages, while researching new avenues for social media outreach.
- Compile spreadsheets for coding data, denial data, and profit and loss for Medicare department.
- Provide the advice and assistance veterans need as they transition through the chapters of their lives.
- Provide referrals to local veterans and dependents.
- Provide administrative support and oversight to various marketing and meeting activities of the department.
- Report and monitor behavior changes/improvements and make revisions to IEP under supervision of school psychologist.
- Assist in developing individual educational plans (IEP) design to promote educational, physical and social development.
Special projects coordinator skills and personality traits
We calculated that 9% of Special Projects Coordinators are proficient in PowerPoint, Financial Reports, and Human Resources. They’re also known for soft skills such as Communication skills, Decision-making skills, and Leadership skills.
We break down the percentage of Special Projects Coordinators that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- PowerPoint, 9%
Created training materials and trained voluntary agency Case Managers using PowerPoint presentations regarding FEMA practices.
- Financial Reports, 7%
Prepared management and financial reports including payment trend analysis and HMO/PPO contract monitoring.
- Human Resources, 7%
Worked in partnership wit Human Resources to produce job descriptions and performance evaluations for all clinical and non-clinical hospital positions.
- Data Collection, 6%
Designed, organized, and conducted focus groups; Developed data collection instrument and administered research; Prepared research/feasibility report.
- Professional Development, 5%
Led curriculum and material development, supplemental material development, lesson- planning and teacher professional development components of the project.
- Event Planning, 5%
Assisted the Special Projects Director with event planning, educational material development and merchandise sales.
"powerpoint," "financial reports," and "human resources" are among the most common skills that special projects coordinators use at work. You can find even more special projects coordinator responsibilities below, including:
Communication skills. The most essential soft skill for a special projects coordinator to carry out their responsibilities is communication skills. This skill is important for the role because "teacher assistants need to be clear and concise in discussing student progress with teachers and parents." Additionally, a special projects coordinator resume shows how their duties depend on communication skills: "prepared executive communications including speeches and press releases. "
The three companies that hire the most special projects coordinators are:
- Americorps3 special projects coordinators jobs
- Inteplast Group2 special projects coordinators jobs
- The Wonderful Company2 special projects coordinators jobs
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Special projects coordinator vs. Executive
An Executive's responsibilities vary depending on an organization or company. However, most of the time, it involves a great deal of leadership and communication. An Executive must oversee and direct employees towards particular sets of goals and vision, create strategies and plans that will benefit the company's financial gains and workforce, and as well as evaluate and analyze the progress of various company departments. Moreover, an Executive holds the power of decision-making, such as in the aspects of budget, promotions, and policies.
These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of a special projects coordinator are more likely to require skills like "powerpoint," "data collection," "professional development," and "community outreach." On the other hand, a job as an executive requires skills like "customer service," "digital transformation," "healthcare," and "customer satisfaction." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.
Executives tend to reach similar levels of education than special projects coordinators. In fact, executives are 0.3% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.8% more likely to have a Doctoral Degree.Special projects coordinator vs. 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. Among these duties are selecting and supervising the staff to manage a certain program or project, managing the program's budget, and evaluating the success of a program. To become successful in this role, a program administrator must have in-depth knowledge of project management disciplines, leadership skills, and decision-making and problem-solving skills.
In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, special projects coordinator responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "community outreach," "press releases," "market research," and "real estate." Meanwhile, a program administrator has duties that require skills in areas such as "customer service," "patients," "project management," and "client facing." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.
On average, program administrators earn a higher salary than special projects coordinators. Some industries support higher salaries in each profession. Interestingly enough, program administrators earn the most pay in the government industry with an average salary of $60,280. Whereas special projects coordinators have higher pay in the finance industry, with an average salary of $52,621.In general, program administrators achieve similar levels of education than special projects coordinators. They're 3.9% more likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 0.8% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Special projects 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.
The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, special projects coordinators are more likely to have skills like "data collection," "professional development," "community outreach," and "data analysis." But a administrative coordinator is more likely to have skills like "customer service," "patients," "data entry," and "office procedures."
Administrative coordinators earn the highest salary when working in the government industry, where they receive an average salary of $43,324. Comparatively, special projects coordinators have the highest earning potential in the finance industry, with an average salary of $52,621.When it comes to education, administrative coordinators tend to earn lower degree levels compared to special projects coordinators. In fact, they're 5.3% less likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.8% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Special projects coordinator vs. Project manager
Project managers oversee a specific project related to the organization's business. They manage the whole project from inception to evaluation. They initiate planning with involved departments, follow-through on the plans, ensure smooth execution of the plans, and evaluate the project for further improvements should these be needed. In line with this, project managers also ensure that the project is cost-efficient and well within the budget. They also manage the different work teams involved in the project and ensure that things are running smoothly on this aspect as well.
Even though a few skill sets overlap between special projects coordinators and project managers, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, a special projects coordinator might have more use for skills like "powerpoint," "financial reports," "human resources," and "data collection." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of project managers require skills like "project management," "project scope," "customer service," and "infrastructure. "
The technology industry tends to pay the highest salaries for project managers, with average annual pay of $95,904. Comparatively, the highest special projects coordinator annual salary comes from the finance industry.In general, project managers hold similar degree levels compared to special projects coordinators. Project managers are 0.9% more likely to earn their Master's Degree and 0.2% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Types of special projects coordinator
Updated January 8, 2025











