What Does a Records Coordinator Do?

A records coordinator is a person who organizes and manages either paper files, electronic files or both. These individuals are typically employed by government institutions, universities or medical facilities. To perform this job effectively, a records coordinator must be extremely organized and maintain confidentiality. Some common job duties associated with this position include filing forms, accessing forms for individuals, supervising subordinates, obtaining necessary data for reports and creating reports.

Routinely filing forms is one of the most fundamental responsibilities of a records coordinator. Every time a form needs to be archived, it's up to him to classify it and place it in the appropriate spot. This duty requires a records coordinator to be organized and have a thorough knowledge of the records that he keeps. In addition, he will need to consistently organize records to ensure that all forms are in the correct location. In some cases, he may also need to occasionally destroy certain records, such as legal documents, after a designated period of time.

Accessing records for individuals is also a large part of this job. For example, if he is working in a university, he might need to locate student records to gather information. If he is working in a government institution, he might need to access legal documents. This aspect of the job requires complete confidentiality, so it's vital that a records coordinator doesn't share information with any unauthorized individuals.

Supervising subordinates is also common. In smaller departments, he may only supervise a handful of employees. In larger ones, he may have a fairly large staff that assists in keeping accurate and organized records. This element of the job calls for a person with sound leadership skills and the ability to oversee a department.

Another part of being a records coordinator involves obtaining necessary data for reports. For example, if he is working for a government institution, he may need to find information to produce a budget report. This practice involves locating relevant documents and extracting the necessary data. At times, accumulating data can be tedious and time-consuming if there is a large volume of documents involved.

In addition, the records coordinator must also create reports after the necessary data has been found. In most cases, this requires him to input data into a computer. Afterward, he will print out charts or graphs that explain data trends. Once he has obtained the charts or graphs, he will usually share the information with relevant individuals either face to face or by online correspondence.