diff --git a/src/cmd/root.go b/src/cmd/root.go
index 5680635..15956b8 100644
--- a/src/cmd/root.go
+++ b/src/cmd/root.go
@@ -2,15 +2,11 @@ package cmd
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
-	"os"
-	"path"
 	"regexp"
 
 	"github.com/Samasource/jen/src/cmd/do"
 	"github.com/Samasource/jen/src/cmd/exec"
 	"github.com/Samasource/jen/src/cmd/pull"
-	"github.com/Samasource/jen/src/internal/constant"
-	"github.com/Samasource/jen/src/internal/helpers"
 	"github.com/Samasource/jen/src/internal/logging"
 	"github.com/Samasource/jen/src/internal/model"
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
@@ -49,34 +45,12 @@ continues to support you throughout development in executing project-related com
 
 func initialize(config *model.Config, flags flags) error {
 	var err error
-	config.ProjectDir, err = findProjectDirUpFromWorkDir()
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
 	config.VarOverrides, err = parseOverrideVars(flags.varOverrides)
 	config.TemplateName = flags.templateName
 	config.SkipConfirm = flags.skipConfirm
 	return err
 }
 
-func findProjectDirUpFromWorkDir() (string, error) {
-	dir, err := os.Getwd()
-	if err != nil {
-		return "", fmt.Errorf("finding project's root dir: %w", err)
-	}
-
-	for {
-		filePath := path.Join(dir, constant.JenFileName)
-		if helpers.PathExists(filePath) {
-			return dir, nil
-		}
-		if dir == "/" {
-			return "", nil
-		}
-		dir = path.Dir(dir)
-	}
-}
-
 var varOverrideRegexp = regexp.MustCompile(`^(\w+)=(.*)$`)
 
 func parseOverrideVars(rawVarOverrides []string) (map[string]string, error) {
diff --git a/src/internal/model/config.go b/src/internal/model/config.go
index 4e5006c..0026cea 100644
--- a/src/internal/model/config.go
+++ b/src/internal/model/config.go
@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@ type Config struct {
 	TemplatesDir    string
 	TemplateName    string
 	TemplateDir     string
-	ProjectDir      string
 	Spec            *Spec
 	Values          Values
 	BinDirs         []string
diff --git a/src/internal/persist/loadOrCreateJenFile.go b/src/internal/persist/loadOrCreateJenFile.go
index 48ad30b..365d413 100644
--- a/src/internal/persist/loadOrCreateJenFile.go
+++ b/src/internal/persist/loadOrCreateJenFile.go
@@ -10,12 +10,17 @@ import (
 	"github.com/Samasource/jen/src/internal/constant"
 	"github.com/Samasource/jen/src/internal/home"
 	"github.com/Samasource/jen/src/internal/model"
+	"github.com/Samasource/jen/src/internal/project"
 )
 
 // LoadOrCreateJenFile loads the current project's jen file and, if it doesn't
 // exists, it prompts users whether to create it.
 func LoadOrCreateJenFile(config *model.Config) error {
-	if config.ProjectDir == "" {
+	projectDir, err := project.GetProjectDir()
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	if projectDir == "" {
 		if !config.SkipConfirm {
 			err := confirmCreateJenFile()
 			if err != nil {
@@ -28,7 +33,7 @@ func LoadOrCreateJenFile(config *model.Config) error {
 		}
 	}
 
-	err := LoadConfig(config)
+	err = LoadConfig(config)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
diff --git a/src/internal/persist/loadSaveConfig.go b/src/internal/persist/loadSaveConfig.go
index 4d5b0f7..d313732 100644
--- a/src/internal/persist/loadSaveConfig.go
+++ b/src/internal/persist/loadSaveConfig.go
@@ -5,11 +5,16 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/Samasource/jen/src/internal/constant"
 	"github.com/Samasource/jen/src/internal/model"
+	"github.com/Samasource/jen/src/internal/project"
 )
 
 // LoadConfig loads config object from jen file
 func LoadConfig(config *model.Config) error {
-	jenfile, err := LoadJenFileFromDir(config.ProjectDir)
+	projectDir, err := project.GetProjectDir()
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	jenfile, err := LoadJenFileFromDir(projectDir)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
@@ -31,7 +36,11 @@ func SaveConfig(config *model.Config) error {
 		Variables:    config.Values.Variables,
 	}
 
-	err := SaveJenFileToDir(config.ProjectDir, jenfile)
+	projectDir, err := project.GetProjectDir()
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	err = SaveJenFileToDir(projectDir, jenfile)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
diff --git a/src/internal/project/project.go b/src/internal/project/project.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..266869c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/internal/project/project.go
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+package project
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"os"
+	"path"
+
+	"github.com/Samasource/jen/src/internal/constant"
+	"github.com/Samasource/jen/src/internal/helpers"
+)
+
+// GetProjectDir returns the project's root dir. It finds it by looking for the jen.yaml file
+// in current working dir and then walking up the directory structure until it reaches the
+// volume's root dir. If it doesn't find it, it returns an empty string.
+func GetProjectDir() (string, error) {
+	dir, err := os.Getwd()
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", fmt.Errorf("finding project's root dir: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	for {
+		filePath := path.Join(dir, constant.JenFileName)
+		if helpers.PathExists(filePath) {
+			return dir, nil
+		}
+		if dir == "/" {
+			return "", nil
+		}
+		dir = path.Dir(dir)
+	}
+}
diff --git a/src/internal/steps/exec/exec.go b/src/internal/steps/exec/exec.go
index 734bfbc..7b405f3 100644
--- a/src/internal/steps/exec/exec.go
+++ b/src/internal/steps/exec/exec.go
@@ -1,9 +1,8 @@
 package exec
 
 import (
-	"path/filepath"
-
 	"github.com/Samasource/jen/src/internal/model"
+	"github.com/Samasource/jen/src/internal/project"
 	"github.com/Samasource/jen/src/internal/shell"
 )
 
@@ -16,12 +15,12 @@ func (e Exec) String() string {
 	return "exec"
 }
 
-// Execute executes one or multiple shell commands with project's variables and bin dirs
+// Execute runs one or multiple shell commands with project's variables and bin dirs
 func (e Exec) Execute(config *model.Config) error {
-	dir, err := filepath.Abs(config.ProjectDir)
+	projectDir, err := project.GetProjectDir()
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
 
-	return shell.Execute(config.Values.Variables, dir, config.BinDirs, e.Commands...)
+	return shell.Execute(config.Values.Variables, projectDir, config.BinDirs, e.Commands...)
 }
diff --git a/src/internal/steps/render/render.go b/src/internal/steps/render/render.go
index b3dd96b..1855f62 100644
--- a/src/internal/steps/render/render.go
+++ b/src/internal/steps/render/render.go
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/Samasource/jen/src/internal/evaluation"
 	"github.com/Samasource/jen/src/internal/model"
+	"github.com/Samasource/jen/src/internal/project"
 )
 
 type Render struct {
@@ -16,6 +17,11 @@ func (r Render) String() string {
 }
 
 func (r Render) Execute(config *model.Config) error {
+	projectDir, err := project.GetProjectDir()
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
 	inputDir := path.Join(config.TemplateDir, r.Source)
-	return evaluation.Render(config.Values, inputDir, config.ProjectDir)
+	return evaluation.Render(config.Values, inputDir, projectDir)
 }