

The main difference between Project Coordinator and Project Manager is the scale of responsibility.



Project Manager is ultimately responsible for identifying project goals and objectives, directing, managing and controlling project work, aligning it with strategy and delivering the project. While Project Coordinator is more of a traffic controller, arranging assignments, analyzing course of the project and reporting its status to the management and stakeholders. Project Coordinator doesn’t define project strategy or make strategic decisions, they are directed top-down.



While Project Manager is responsible for budget and procurement, Project Coordinator is responsible for coordinating those aspects and reporting issues, risks or wins to strategic management.



Project Coordinator can be working under Project Manager and/or Project Director, covering team coordination, groundwork, data collection, tracking, etc. In a functional organization structure Project Coordinators manage projects within the department under a functional lead. Project Coordinator role can also exist on its own in small companies where strategic decision-making, finances, and procurement are covered by CEO or Director.

