Project Manager Job Description

What is a Project Manager?

A Project Manager is responsible for managing a project, including planning, organizing, supervising, directing, and completing. The primary goal of a Project Manager is to ensure that a specific project is completed successfully on time and within budget. Since these projects often directly contribute to the success of a business, a Project Manager plays a critical role within a company. Some Project Managers work in-house, and some work as consultants hired by clients to oversee specific projects. 

Project managers across industries are in charge of what is known in project management as "The Project Life Cycle," which consists of five stages: project initiation, project planning, project execution, project monitoring and control, and project closure. A Project Manager is responsible for the successful management and execution of each of these stages. This means that Project Managers must wear a lot of hats and possess a lot of skills.

The Project Management Institute (PMI) estimates that by 2027 over 22 million new project management jobs will the created. Project Management as a job field is expected to increase by 33% over the next five years.

The industries experiencing the most significant and fastest growth in project management jobs are Manufacturing and Construction, Information Services and Publishing, Finance and Insurance, Management and Professional Services, Utilities, and Oil and Gas. The Manufacturing and Construction industry is expected to add 9.7 million Project Management jobs by 2027, and 5.5 million Project Management jobs will be added to the Information Service and Publishing Industry. 

While some of this skyrocketing growth is due to expansion within these industries, it is also because many professional Project Managers are reaching retirement age. This means that in addition to the 22 million new jobs being added, some Senior Project Manager jobs will also be opening to Junior Project Managers. Project management is also growing because of the growing awareness of the benefits of having a Project Manager. These factors mean that Project management is a career that will remain in demand for some time. It also means that this is a great time to start training for a career in project management. 

The average annual salary for a Project Manager varies by industry and experience level. Still, the current average salary for a Project Manager is more than $115,000 a year. Project Managers in the Tech and Aerospace sectors typically make higher salaries than other types of Project Managers. For example, the average salary for a Software Project Manager is nearly $125,000 a year, and an IT Project Manager typically earns around $100,000 per year. However, the average salary outside the tech sector is slightly lower, with a Construction Project Manager earning an average salary of around $90,000 a year. 

The actual work done by a Project Manager also varies by industry: a Software Project Manager who works at a tech company may oversee a project to create a digital product. In contrast, a Construction Project Manager might oversee the building of a physical structure. This means that Project Managers will need additional experience and knowledge of the industry in which they work. For example, a Construction Project Manager may need knowledge about lumber costs, licenses, permits, and cost estimation of construction tools. A Software Project Manager may also need knowledge of programming languages and software development workflows. 

Despite differences in industries, there are some daily tasks that Project Managers across industries will be expected to complete. These include regular communication with team members and stakeholders, budget and resource monitoring, problem-solving and issue resolution, and making budget and schedule adjustments when needed.

By 2027, nearly 90 million jobs will require project management skills. A Project Manager takes a leadership role in completing a project throughout its stages to ensure the project is finished on time and within budget. 

In project management, the five-phase process that a project undergoes from inception to completion is known as "The Project Life Cycle." The Project Manager's job is to guide a project through this life cycle. The five phases of a Project Life Cycle are initiating, planning, executing, monitoring and controlling, and closing. 

• Initiation: Project Managers establish the main objectives of the project: its feasibility, its purpose, its scope, and its goals. A Project Manager may also be asked to create a Business Case Document that justifies the project's need and profit potential. 
• Planning: The Project Manager begins to establish the concrete details of the project, such as budget, timeline, and task lists. This phase might also include obtaining resources or financing, acquiring materials, assigning tasks, and creating a project plan for approval. 
• Execution: The Project Manager oversees completing the tasks planned during the previous phase. This phase also typically includes team management and leadership, resolving issues, adjusting timelines and budgets when necessary, and meeting deadlines. 
• Monitoring and Controlling: This phase includes monitoring the progress, controlling the budget, monitoring performance and completion of tasks, and making necessary adjustments to meet goals. 
• Closing: The final phase of the Project Life Cycle happens when the project ends. Project Managers are often asked to account for the project's success to their clients or bosses. 

In addition to overseeing the Project Life Cycle, there are also some general tasks that Project Managers should expect to be a part of their regular workday. 

One of those tasks is communicating with team members. Experts in project management, such as PMI and Cesar Abeid, host of the Project Management for the Masses podcast, estimate that Project Managers spend 90% of their time communicating. Project Managers need to be great communicators because 28% of employees report that poor communication is the primary reason for not completing a project on time. 

Communication is critical because Project Managers need to regularly receive status updates and ensure that all team members stay on task. They're also responsible for identifying and resolving issues with projects as they happen. A Project Manager must regularly ensure that goals are being met and adjust accordingly. This means that attention to detail, conflict resolution, and collaboration are essential skills for a Project Manager. 

Another regular task required of a Project Manager is continuously overseeing the budget and reallocating resources when necessary. This might also include ensuring that third-party vendors are being paid regularly. 

Project Managers are also time managers because "the most common causes of project failure involve poor planning." They must oversee their team's schedules and ensure that all assigned tasks are completed on time. Time management will also overlap with team management tasks such as timesheets, managing employees' time off, and ensuring that goalposts for tasks are met. 

The final significant responsibility of a Project Manager is leadership and team-building: effectively managing a project requires managing the people working on it. A Project Manager must be the coach of a team, motivating workers to meet project goals. 

A typical day for a Project Manager begins by checking upcoming deadlines and then checking in with the team members responsible for those deadlines. Throughout the day, a Project Manager is in meetings to answer questions, make budget and schedule adjustments, give reports, and resolve any issues that arise in real time. 

Job Requirements

• Strong background in business, either through work experience, entrepreneurship, or college
• Ability to coordinate a budget for projects, including payroll, analysis, and budget reporting 
• Management skills, including team-leading and building, decision-making, and task delegation
• Problem-solving skills: a Project Manager needs to be able to resolve any issues to ensure the completion of the assigned project
• Strong familiarity with project management software tools and best practices, such as Microsoft Office, Trello, Slack, or Microsoft Project. 
• Experience guiding a project through the complete Project Life Cycle: project initiation, project planning, project execution, project monitoring and controlling, and project closing. 
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills since Project Managers are required to manage teams, report to stakeholders and upper management and meet with any project partners.
• Ability to complete projects according to scope, budget, and timeline
• Strong organizational skills, including attention to detail and progress monitoring

Job Responsibilities

• Determining and defining a project's scope and objectives
• Communicating with stakeholders, management, and team members on the status of tasks and workflows
• Working with vendors to coordinate deliverables
• Developing and managing a detailed project schedule and work plan 
• Monitoring workflow requirements to meet timelines and quality expectations
• Prioritizing requirements and managing resources
• Creating comprehensive project briefs
• Preparing a budget based on the scope of work and availability of resources
• Establishing and managing timelines and milestones
• Organizing and overseeing workflows
• Establishing clear directions for projects and communicating effectively about them to team members
• Conducting video calls and meetings
• Meeting deadlines and ensuring deliverables.
• Monitoring and redefining project objectives when needed
• Coordinating inter-project dependencies, resource allocation

Skills

• Planning and forecasting: The most common reason for project failure is poor planning
• Effective communication, both written and verbal:seasoned Project Managers estimate that they spend 90% of their time communicating
• Scheduling and time management: An effective Project Manager must schedule both tasks and the people handling them 
• Negotiation: Project Managers must communicate and collaborate effectively with stakeholders, team members, upper management, and third-party vendors. 
• Leadership: Project Managers must be strong leaders who effectively guide and motivate others to successful completion of a project