Project Managers are responsible for managing projects, and ensuring that they are delivered on time, within budget and to the customer’s expectations.
They are in charge of agreeing with stakeholders the projects standards along with the methodology to be used. As a lot of a Project Managers time will be within an office setting planning things, it is important that they are able to use Microsoft Project, Excel & other Microsoft Office programs. They should also possess outstanding organizational and leadership skills, coupled with an ability to understand the wider picture.
Apart from being experienced, Project Managers should also be commercially-minded professionals who have a knowledge of industry best practices. As leaders it is imperative that they promote in their staff a culture of teamwork, collaboration and success.
A Project Managers job description, including their routine daily duties:
- Managing the day-to-day operational aspects of a project.
- Being responsible for all aspects of a project from the design stage through to completion and handover to the client.
- Writing up all project documentation.
- Submitting progress reports to stakeholders and senior managers.
- Setting the standards and methodology to be used in a project.
- Creating a working environment that allows everyone to work to the best of their abilities.
- Taking responsibility of projects through their entire lifecycle.
- Properly scoping a project.
- Managing project budgets.
- Managing project resources.
- Communicating with stakeholders to clarify the desired outcome of a project.
- Ensuring that all relevant processes are followed on projects.
- Administering the allocation of jobs and budgets on a project.
- Managing project personnel to achieve project objectives.
- Regularly review and analyse the project scope.
- Managing client expectations.
- Identifying project risks.
- Negotiating with suppliers and sub-contractors.
- Driving cross-functional project teams.
- Agreeing project objectives.
- Taking into account a client’s interests.
- Ensuring that the highest quality standards are met.
Key skills required
- Knowledge and awareness of Project Management principles, documents and plans.
- Good facilitation and analytical skills.
- Ability to deliver results on time, on budget, and to the very highest standards.
- Ability to quickly gain the technical, behavioural and contextual elements of a project.
- PRINCE2 or equivalent.
- Running large and small scale projects.
- Project reporting.
- Stakeholder management.
The personal skills that are required for the job:
- Strong drive and resilience.
- Action and result oriented.
- Ability to build strong relationships with people at all levels.
- A willingness to see things through to the end.
- A team player who is comfortable working with other professionals.
- Ability to influence people at all levels.
- Ability to work efficiently under pressure and to tight deadlines.
- Being an inspirational leader who is able to demonstrate enthusiasm, passion.
- Willingness to take on project ownership and accountability.
Related links
List of job descriptions
Related resumes
Assistant project manager resume
Project manager CV