Essential Components in Crafting a Project Manager Job Ad: Identifying Key Skills and Role Duties
A Project Manager is a vital figure in the successful execution of projects, bridging the gap between the creative and technical aspects of a project and ensuring its timely and efficient completion.
Key Responsibilities
The Project Manager reviews PSD files and ensures that details and specifications are in place for handoff to internal developers. They manage the timeline for development and proactively communicate any changes to clients to ensure successful project launches.
A Project Manager stays one step ahead by anticipating clients' needs, as well as the needs of internal teams. They coordinate teams, manage resources, and communicate with stakeholders to achieve project goals efficiently.
Qualifications and Skills
Typically, a Project Manager holds a bachelor's degree, often in fields like business, customer success, marketing, English, communications, journalism, or technology. Several years of successfully managing projects, ideally cross-functional initiatives, is usually required.
Project Management Certifications such as the PMP (Project Management Professional) or CAPM (Certified Associate in Project Management) from PMI are highly valued and demonstrate proficiency. Technical skills, familiarity with project management tools, and sometimes specialized technology relevant to the industry are also essential.
Exceptional communication skills, leadership and team facilitation abilities, analytical and problem-solving skills, and soft skills like emotional intelligence, adaptability, interpersonal skills, and customer service orientation are all important for managing relationships and project dynamics.
Tools of the Trade
Common project management tools include Asana, Basecamp, Citrix, Confluence, Google Apps, Jira, Scoro, Trello, Zoho. Project managers may work in various industries and markets and may be employed for the duration of a project or full-time for ongoing projects.
The Project Manager's Role in the Larger Picture
As an ambassador for their company and team, project managers must maintain the utmost professionalism and transparency throughout the entire project lifecycle to build client relationships and maintain trust. The career path of a Project Manager may lead them into a role as a program director, a senior manager, or even the C-suite.
As they advance, project managers may be responsible for onboarding, training, and mentoring new hires. They contribute to the evolution of proposal strategy, including competitive analysis and win theme development. A Project Manager is responsible for planning, executing, and overseeing company projects to ensure they are completed on time, within scope, and on budget.
The Project Manager's Multifaceted Role
Project managers are exceptional communicators and multitaskers, constantly assessing risks, establishing budgets, and meeting deadlines. They generate draft proposals in response to customer requirements, work closely with cross-functional subject matter experts to complete all required proposal sections, and perform intake and evaluation of submitted RFPs and Information Security questionnaires.
In the end, a Project Manager's role is to ensure that every project is a success. They do this by managing resources, communicating effectively, anticipating needs, and maintaining professionalism and transparency throughout the project lifecycle.
[1] Project Management Institute (PMI). (n.d.). What is project management? [2] The Balance Careers. (2020). Project Manager Job Description [3] CareerExplorer. (2020). Project Manager Job Description [4] ZipRecruiter. (2020). Project Manager Job Description [5] Indeed Career Guide. (2020). Project Manager Career Path
A Project Manager's role extends beyond project execution, as they also contribute to the evolution of proposal strategy and onboard, train, and mentor new hires, demonstrating potential careers in business such as program director or C-suite roles. With a bachelor's degree, often in fields like business, finance, or technology, and project management certifications, they ensure every project is a success by managing resources, communicating effectively, anticipating needs, and maintaining professionalism throughout the project lifecycle.
In addition to managing cross-functional projects, Project Managers also manage careers, aiming for advancement in business by leveraging their exceptional communication skills, leadership abilities, analytical thinking, and soft skills like emotional intelligence, adaptability, and interpersonal skills.
