Project coordinator job description template: whose projects, what they track, CAPM and overtime status
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A project coordinator in construction spends the day on submittals, RFIs and subcontractor paperwork. In a software PMO, the same title means sprint calendars, status reports and risk logs. At an agency, it means trafficking creative work through reviews and deadlines. Postings usually say "support project managers with scheduling, documentation and communication," which fits all three and attracts candidates from all three, most of whom will not know your documents or systems. The facts that matter are the industry, the projects the coordinator supports, the specific documents they own, what they can decide alone and how many project managers they serve. Below is a copy-ready project coordinator job description template, the certification and overtime lines checked against PMI and the Department of Labor, screening questions and scorecard rows, and common mistakes. The general method is in how to write a job description that screens.
Name the industry and the documents
| Seat | What the coordinator tracks | Must-have that separates it |
|---|---|---|
| Construction | Submittals, RFIs, change order paperwork, subcontractor insurance certificates, meeting minutes | Has logged submittals and RFIs on a live job and chased them to closure |
| IT or software PMO | Project schedules, status reports, risk and issue logs, release calendars | Has kept a risk and issue log that a steering group actually used |
| Marketing or agency | Creative briefs, review rounds, asset deadlines, client approvals | Has moved work through several review rounds without missing a launch date |
| Engineering or manufacturing | Drawings and revisions, supplier deliveries, test dates, document control | Has controlled document revisions so the right version reached the floor |
| Grants and nonprofit programs | Milestones, funder reports, budgets against awards, partner deliverables | Has prepared funder reports on deadline from several contributors' inputs |
Then fix the scope: how many projects at once, how many project managers supported, project size and length, the systems used, and where the coordinator's authority stops, for example "can schedule meetings and request updates, but scope, budget and schedule changes go to the project manager."
Coordinator, assistant project manager or project administrator?
Companies use these titles differently, so pick the one that matches the authority. A coordinator tracks and communicates; an assistant project manager usually runs part of a project, such as a trade package or a workstream, and makes some decisions within it; a project administrator often handles the paperwork for several projects with little meeting work. If there is a real path to assistant project manager within a year, say so in the summary, because it is a strong draw for ambitious coordinators.
The project coordinator job description template
Project Coordinator, [Construction / IT PMO / Marketing / Programs]
[Company], [city] — [On-site / Hybrid: days / Remote within: states]
Pay: $[min]–$[max] per [hour / year]. [Benefits summary, if required.]
[Overtime-eligible / exempt, after review.]
SUMMARY
You will coordinate [N] [type] projects at a time for [N] project
managers, typically [size: e.g. $N, N months, N people each]. You
will own [submittal and RFI logs / status reports and risk logs /
review schedules], keep [system] current, and make sure the right
people know what is due. You will report to [title].
WHAT YOU WILL DO
- Maintain [project documents] in [system] and track every open item
to closure.
- Schedule and prepare [weekly project / client / site] meetings,
and send minutes with owners and dates within [one business day].
- Produce [weekly status reports] from updates you collect.
- Track deadlines and flag slips to the project manager early.
- [Process [invoices / purchase orders / change paperwork] within
[limits].]
- Keep [clients / subcontractors / internal teams] informed.
YOU MUST HAVE
- Coordinated projects in [industry] or a comparable setting,
including [the key documents].
- Tracked many open items at once and closed them without
reminders.
- Written clear meeting notes, status updates or emails that others
acted on.
- Used [type of system: project management tool, document control,
spreadsheets] daily.
NICE TO HAVE
- CAPM or project management coursework.
- Experience with [named system].
If you meet the must-haves and none of these, please apply.
FIXED CONDITIONS
- [Site visits / client meetings: frequency.]
- Approvals: scope, budget and schedule changes are decided by the
project manager.
HOW WE HIRE
[Recruiter screen; conversation with [project manager]; a 30-minute
exercise turning messy meeting notes into actions; meeting the team.]
[EEO STATEMENT]
If you need an adjustment, contact [address].CAPM, overtime status and pay
Not legal advice. Overtime points were checked against federal regulations and Department of Labor guidance as of October 2026. State rules can be stricter; confirm with counsel.
CAPM. PMI's Certified Associate in Project Management requires a secondary degree, such as a high school diploma or equivalent, and 23 hours of project management education completed before the exam (PMI). That makes it accessible to career changers and a fair nice-to-have for coordinators, unlike the PMP, which requires years of project leadership and is discussed in the project manager job description template.
Overtime status. The administrative exemption requires a salary of at least $684 a week, office work related to the management or general business operations of the employer, and discretion and independent judgment on matters of significance (DOL Fact Sheet 17C). The regulation says that discretion "does not include clerical or secretarial work, recording or tabulating data, or performing other mechanical, repetitive, recurrent or routine work" (29 CFR 541.202(e)). On the other side, an employee who leads a team assigned to complete major projects generally meets the duties test even without direct reports (29 CFR 541.203(c)). Most coordinator seats, as described above, sit nearer the first description than the second, which is why many are posted as overtime-eligible.
Pay and EEO. Post the approved range and check pay transparency laws by state. BLS's closest Occupational Outlook Handbook entry is project management specialists (last modified August 27, 2026), which does not separate coordinators from project managers, so this page does not quote figures. Close with your EEO statement and an accommodation contact.
From must-haves to screening questions and scorecard rows
| Must-have | Screening question | Scorecard competency | Evidence of a strong answer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Industry documents | "Which project documents did you own, and what made one of them hard to keep current?" | Domain fluency | Names the documents correctly and describes the real bottleneck, such as a slow reviewer |
| Tracking open items | "How many open items were you tracking at your busiest, and how did you make sure none were forgotten?" | Organization | A number, a system, and a routine for chasing owners |
| Flagging slips | "Tell me about a deadline you saw slipping before the project manager did. What did you do?" | Early warning | Raised it with evidence and options, not just a complaint |
| Clear writing | "What did your meeting notes look like, and how did people use them?" | Written communication | Decisions, actions, owners and dates; sent promptly |
| Knowing the limits | "A subcontractor or vendor asks you to approve a change. What do you say?" | Judgment within authority | Records the request, routes it to the decision owner, tells the requester when to expect an answer |
For a role that owns scope and budget, start from the project manager phone screen questions instead. The interview guide for project managers and interview questions for project management skills both have rounds you can scale down for coordinators.
Common mistakes in project coordinator job descriptions
A project manager job at coordinator pay
If the person will manage budgets, negotiate scope and answer for delivery, retitle and repay the role.
No industry
A coordinator who knows RFIs is not interchangeable with one who knows release calendars. Name the industry and the documents.
"Other duties as assigned" covering admin work
If a third of the week is reception, travel booking or office tasks, say so. Candidates who find out later leave.
Degree requirements by habit
Many excellent coordinators came up from field or administrative roles. Require a degree only if the work truly needs it.
Exempt by default
Salaried is not the same as exempt. Review the duties before the offer.
Before you publish
- The industry, project types, number of projects and project managers supported are stated.
- The documents and systems the coordinator owns are named.
- Authority limits are written down.
- Overtime status is reviewed and posted.
- An approved pay range, the EEO statement and an accommodation contact close the posting.
Questions people ask
What is the difference between a project coordinator and a project manager posting?
Authority. A project manager owns scope, budget and schedule decisions and answers for the outcome. A project coordinator keeps the project's information, meetings, documents and follow-ups in order so those decisions can be made and carried out. If the person will approve changes or manage the budget, it is a project manager role.
Should a project coordinator job description require CAPM?
No, but it is a reasonable nice-to-have. PMI's CAPM requires a secondary degree, such as a high school diploma, and 23 hours of project management education, so it shows interest and vocabulary rather than experience. Screen for coordination work the candidate has actually done.
Is a project coordinator exempt from overtime?
Often not. The administrative exemption requires a salary of at least $684 a week and discretion and independent judgment on matters of significance, and the regulation says recording or tabulating data and routine work do not count. A coordinator who mainly tracks schedules, takes minutes and chases updates is usually reviewed as nonexempt. One who leads a team on major projects may be different.
Does a project coordinator need a degree?
Not usually. Many strong coordinators come from administrative, operations or field roles where they learned the industry. Ask for the projects they have supported, the documents they kept and the systems they used rather than a degree, unless the industry or a client requires one.