Project Manager Job Description

Hiring a Project Manager? Or thinking of becoming one?
Here’s a no-fuss breakdown of what project managers do, what skills they need, and where the job can take you.

Project Manager Job Description

What is Project Management?

Project management is how you get things done properly. It’s about planning, running, and delivering projects that hit deadlines and budgets. It’s a skillset that’s become essential as more businesses invest in digital, infrastructure, and big change projects.

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What does a Project Manager do?

A Project Manager keeps everything moving, the team, the budget, the timeline, the plan. Whether it’s an IT rollout or a full business transformation, they’re the ones making sure it all comes together.

Key responsibilities:

  • Set project goals, scope and deliverables
  • Build and manage the budget
  • Keep teams and vendors on track
  • Spot risks and deal with them early
  • Update stakeholders and adapt plans when things shift
  • Make sure the end result actually meets the brief
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Key responsibilities (The short list)

  • Define the “what, who and how” of a project
  • Allocate people and resources
  • Manage budgets and track spending
  • Build timelines and hit milestones
  • Lead teams through delivery
  • Share updates with stakeholders
  • Tackle changes without derailing the whole thing
  • Keep communication clear and focused
  • Unblock issues and keep momentum
  • Deliver results everyone’s happy with

What skills do IT Project Managers need?

For tech projects, project managers need both brains and people skills. That means:

Good technical know-how (especially in software dev)
Business sense and financial awareness
Problem-solving chops
Strong communication and stakeholder management
Great time and priority management
Leadership and the ability to bring people with you
Experience with tools like Jira, MS Project or Asana

Know these terms? You should. 

Here are a few project buzzwords you’ll hear a lot: 

  • Milestone 
  • Project plan 
  • Agile / Scrum / Waterfall 
  • Gantt chart 
  • PRINCE2 
  • Risk mitigation 
  • Change management 
  • Use case / Business case 
  • Critical path 
  • Stakeholder 
  • SWOT analysis 

 

Do you need qualifications? 

Some Project Managers come through uni (IT, business, engineering), others fall into the job and pick it up on the fly. Both routes are valid. What matters most is being able to deliver. 

That said, these certifications are widely recognised: 

  • PRINCE2 
  • PMP (Project Management Professional) 
  • Agile / Scrum certs 

 

What’s the career path like? 

There’s a clear ladder: 
Start as a Project Coordinator or Administrator, grow into a Project Manager, then level up to Senior PM, Program Manager, or Head of PMO. Or pivot into consulting. Plenty of options. 

 

Who do Project Managers report to? 

Depends on the size of the company. In smaller teams, it might be the CEO or a department head. In bigger businesses, it’s usually a Program Manager, Project Sponsor, or Head of PMO. 

 

Looking to hire a project manager? 

We can help you find experienced Project Managers, Coordinators, or Program Managers across IT, transformation, and infrastructure. Tell us what you need — we’ll make it happen. Contact us here. 

 

Looking for a Project Manager job? 

Explore our latest project management jobs here. Whether you're just starting out or stepping up, we can connect you with the right opportunity.