How To Write A Project Manager Job Description

If you work in an environment where you or your team complete various projects, you may consider hiring a project manager. Project managers play the lead role in the planning, executing, monitoring, controlling, and completing projects.

Their responsibility is to manage the entire project scope, the project team, and the resources used. The success of the projects they manage typically falls on their shoulders.

Project managers can make or break a team and the projects they work on. They are essentially the point person on any project at any given time. They must know where deliverables are, what kind of progress has been made, and what roadblocks are in the way of bringing the project to competition.

Project managers typically develop a plan which is then shared with the team. They assign team members different responsibilities and deadlines to complete the project in the appropriate amount of time.

Project managers may also conduct check-in meetings regularly with the team, especially if the project is ongoing, where they will check the status of deliverables. Project managers may also be responsible for financials and vendor management, depending on the needs of the projects.

They will be responsible for coordinating with internal and external shareholders and typically have various projects under their belts, especially if they work with a dynamic organization.

When you’re searching for a project manager, you want to be sure you find the right person with the right qualifications who will be a valuable asset to your team. Below, we discuss the different areas to consider when developing your job description for hiring a project manager.

Duties and Responsibilities of a Project Manager

Project managers are typically well-versed in a variety of different things, making them effective at their job. Duties and responsibilities will always vary depending on the organization and need for the specific projects, but there is plenty of overlap across industries and organizations.

The role of a project manager focuses ultimately on completing a project as efficiently and promptly as possible. Consider including these duties and responsibilities in your project manager job description.

• Leading project planning. Project planning is the first step that a project manager will take in this role. You’ll want to make sure they understand that this is essential and can not be done in a silo. Articulate that your project manager will lead project planning and goal setting while collaborating with other stakeholders within the organization.

• Coordinating internal resources. A project manager should be aware of all the internal resources and staff available for the project at any given time. Their responsibilities will include coordinating all of these resources to ensure they have enough dedicated time to commit to this project or within the project budget.

• Managing project progress. This is the essential part of being a project manager, but it’s important to include it in your duties and responsibilities. You’ll want to assess your candidates to understand how they manage project progress and what they do when the project goes off course.

• Ensuring deadlines are met. This is equally as important as making sure you have a project manager who knows how to manage a project properly. Deadlines are essential for most organizations, so you want a candidate that not only knows how to work towards deadlines but can motivate others on the team to hit them, too.

• Managing relationships with stakeholders. Your project manager may be the only liaison between your team and the other stakeholders involved in the project. These stakeholders may include internal employees and even clients.

  This is an important responsibility to list, as you’ll want to make sure your candidate is comfortable with relationship building and networking.

• Managing contracts and vendor relationships. Depending on your project and team dynamic, your project manager may also be required to design and manage contracts. They may need to work closely with your legal team.

  Still, you’ll want a project manager who has experience negotiating with vendors and has at least a high-level understanding of managing contracts.

• Overseeing all SOPs and project documentation. Your project manager should be incredibly organized and responsible for documenting everything that happens within the project. This will help the process for future projects and is an essential skill for any project manager.

• Creating and presenting executive reports and reviews. Depending on the type of exposure your project is getting, you may want your project manager to concisely present it to your company’s management or executive team.

• Optimizing processes. Sometimes projects can go off the rails, or your team may learn something in the middle of the process. This is an important responsibility for your project manager, as you’ll want to ensure they’re constantly looking for ways to improve the project’s efficiency and that they have no problem making a shift when needed.

• Initiating new projects. You may want a project manager who identifies necessary projects in your team or company’s processes. This can be an important responsibility for project managers, especially if your teams are constantly busy.

• Managing large and diverse teams. As the leader of a project, your project manager should have skills in managing teams of all kinds.

Project Manager Skills and Qualifications

Now that we know what kinds of duties and responsibilities you may want to consider when hiring for a project manager, you’ll also want to consider the specific skills and qualifications you want your project manager to have.

Depending on the team for which they’ll be working and the type of project they’ll conduct, you may require them to have degrees in specific fields like engineering, IT, computer science, business, business administration, or management. This will vary by company and industry.

Overall, project managers should have similar skill sets. This can include the following:

• Written and verbal communication skills. The most important quality you will look for in a project manager is their ability to communicate. The project manager’s communication is essential for success on a project.

  They need to gather up an entire team of people and put them all on the same page. They must articulate deadlines and goals very clearly while defining the project to make sense to all departments.

• Ability to manage high-stress projects. Depending on the project at hand, you’ll want to make sure your project manager is no stranger to stress. Being a project manager, especially with multiple deadlines, can be anxiety-inducing.

• Skilled multitasker and organization expert. Project managers must be comfortable with multitasking, as they will likely be working on various projects at any given time. They should also be incredibly organized so that they can find the specific thing someone may be looking for at any given time.

• Leadership skills. Again, the project manager is the lead on any given project. This means that they should have some leadership skills to bring to the table and not be afraid to push back on those who stall the efficiency of a project.

• Strategic thinking. A project leader should be strategic, especially if they are responsible for developing KPIs and specific goals for the team to hit. They should articulate to both the team and executive leadership why the project is so important.

• Attention to detail. Project managers should be incredibly detail-oriented. The details make the project move smoothly and ensure little to no mistakes. You want someone who is tuned into the small things so that there is no need to micromanage.

• Conflict resolution skills. No project will end without any conflicts arising. Your project manager is the decision-maker and should possess some conflict resolution skills to mediate between stakeholders or contributing teams.

Depending on how experienced you want your project manager to be, you may consider a project management professional (PMP) certification requirement. A PMP is an internationally recognized professional designation offered by the Project Management Institute. This exam is one of eight that the institute offers and the most common.

Objectives of the Project Manager Role

It’s important to identify the objective of the project manager role before you release your job description. Not just that, but putting them in your job description means you’ll attract the right kind of candidates who believe the objectives of the role speak to them. If you’re stuck on identifying objectives of the project manager role, consider the following:

• Improve project productivity and performance by X%

• Improve team communication and collaboration

• Deliver projects on time and within budget

• Manage stakeholders expectations

• Align project objectives to business goals

• Develop technology and business acumen

• Balance between strategic goals and employee needs

Project Manager Salary Expectations

For project managers, the median salary is just over $85,000 annually. However, the range, based on your experience, can vary. At the lowest or bottom 10%, a project manager can expect to make $62,000 or above per year. At the highest end (the top 10% of project managers), you can anticipate earning $116,000 annually.

Again, your pay rate will heavily depend on your work experience, education, skills, qualifications, and the type of company and industry you decide to work within. Your geographical location can also have an impact on your salary. Be sure to do a quick search on salary within your general area and industry to ensure you are fairly compensated.

Project Manager Education and Experience Requirements

As mentioned previously, you may require your project manager to have degrees in specific fields like engineering, IT, computer science, business, business administration, or management.

However, project management doesn’t necessarily mean you need a college education. Many project management candidates have a high school diploma and a CAPM or PMP certification, along with required hours of project management education or training.

If you are looking for an even more experienced project manager, you can look for candidates with bachelor’s degrees in project management or operations management.

As for the experience, the criteria you set will depend on the type of projects you need to be handled. If you are looking for an individual to grow with the company, it’s a great idea to get a candidate with less experience and let them learn on the job.

However, if you have many deadline-driven projects that need to be completed, it’s a better fit to hire someone with more years of experience.

Example of a Project Manager Job Description

Author

Caitlin Mazur

Caitlin Mazur is a freelance writer at Zippia. Caitlin is passionate about helping Zippia’s readers land the jobs of their dreams by offering content that discusses job-seeking advice based on experience and extensive research. Caitlin holds a degree in English from Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia, PA.