Leadership role

Project Director

Directs one or more defined projects from planning through completion.

Reporting and scope

Reports to a Director of Programs, Chief Program Officer or the funder-designated lead of the organization. Authority covers the assigned project, its team, budget and partners.

Core responsibilities

  • Plans the project work, timeline and budget
  • Leads the project team, subgrantees and consultants
  • Meets deliverables and compliance terms of the grant or contract
  • Tracks progress and reports to funders
  • Manages risks and scope changes
  • Closes out the project and shares results

How it differs

The Program Manager runs ongoing programs, while the Project Director leads projects with a defined end. The Director of Grant Programs oversees grant-making or a grant portfolio.

By organization size

In small organizations a Project Director may lead one federal grant. In large organizations the role can lead multi-year, multi-site projects with sizable budgets.

Filings from the last five years mapped to this role commonly report titles such as: Project Director; Senior Project Director; Sr. Project Director; Project Dir.; Executive Project Director

Related roles

Roles this description compares with Project Director, or that compare themselves with it.

Program Manager
Plans, coordinates and manages the delivery of one or more of an organization's programs or services.
Director of Grant Programs
Directs an organization's grant work, whether seeking grant funding or administering the grants it makes.

See what this role pays

Median reported total compensation, nationally: $162,000. Based on 746 IRS Form 990 filings, fiscal years 2021–2025.

This median spans organizations of every budget size and sector, so it will not match a benchmark for one organization.

Benchmark pay for this role

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