What Does A Project Manager Do?

Project managers drive the success of crucial projects and programmes. They ensure project and business goal alignment, manage project teams, set the project schedule, create work plans, achieve project objectives, and communicate progress with key stakeholders.

Project Manager Role

The project management role has similarities across business sectors, including the methodologies such as Agile project management. However, junior and senior project managers tend to gravitate toward a speciality; after all, construction project managers require different knowledge from information technology project managers overseeing software development projects.

The different project manager roles include:

• Technical Project Managers
• Construction Project Managers
• IT and Software Project Managers
• Digital Project Managers

Project Manager Responsibilities And Duties

Your project manager job description will include the role’s objectives, responsibilities, duties, and tasks. Although the business sector may change, typical responsibilities and duties comprise:

• Attaining the project scope and defining the project lifecycle
• Designing and creating a detailed project plan that is aligned with the company’s goals
• Setting project performance and quality standards
• Conducting risk management and assessing technical feasibility
• Building the project team and providing direction and purpose
• Assigning tasks to the project team based on aptitudes, strengths, and weaknesses
• Identifying project team training needs
• Ensuring project resource availability, coordinating internal and external project resources
• Developing relationships with third-party vendors
• Driving project progress and project performance
• Leveraging appropriate project management tools to ensure flawless execution
• Reacting to changing project goals, needs, and requirements
• Ensuring the project is delivered on time and within budget
• Using appropriate verification techniques
• Compiling status reports for upper management
• Communicating progress with relevant stakeholders

Project Manager Skills

The job description for a project management professional (PMP) should include not only responsibilities but also the skills needed to manage teams, maintain relationships, and deliver on key client projects. Employers can use these to screen cover letters and CVs and test for them during job interviews.

The top project management skills include:

• Leadership skills – motivation, coaching, delegation, mentorship
• Written and verbal communication skills
• Monitoring progress and process optimisation skills
• Inventory control and database proficiency
• Project management software literacy
• Problem-solving and analytical skills
• Decision-making skills
• Interpersonal and client relationship skills
• Time management and planning
• Health and safety knowledge
• Business management skills
• Managing risk
• Persistence and determination
• Attention to detail
• Ability to use own initiative

Project Manager Qualifications And Education

A project management professional (PMP) should have at least two A levels and a Bachelor’s degree in a relevant subject. For instance, a software or IT project manager might have a Bachelor’s degree in computer science or information systems.

Many project managers go on to further their project management education with a Master’s project management degree or postgraduate certified associate qualifications in project management accredited by professional organisations such as the Association for Project Management, Chartered Management Institute, or Project Management Institute.

Required Project Manager Experience

The size of your organisation and the number and complexity of projects will be a factor in the project management experience your job description requests. Even if you are hiring junior project managers, you might ask for transferable experience performing risk management, resource scheduling, administration, and management tasks. When recruiting project managers for technical fields, you might request applications from candidates with a relevant foundation degree, such as IT or engineering.

Project Manager Training

Many project managers enter the profession after successfully completing a project management apprenticeship. Apprenticeships last around four years and give proficiency in all areas of project manager work.

Project Manager Job Description FAQs

WHAT IS A PROJECT MANAGER?

Project managers plan and execute projects and programmes for businesses, ensuring the company’s goals are achieved. They set deadlines, manage resources, track progress, identify potential risks, and oversee projects through to completion.

WHAT MAKES A GOOD PROJECT MANAGER?

An experienced project manager will have project management qualifications with outstanding business management and people management skills.

WHAT ARE THE ROLES IN PROJECT MANAGEMENT?

The critical project management roles include initiation, planning, implementation, monitoring, controlling, and closing. The project manager’s role includes overseeing projects through the entire project lifecycle.