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 staff, budget and partners.
Core responsibilities
- Plans the project work, timeline and budget
- Leads staff, 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