Do you know what the responsibilities of a project manager are ? This is a very important role to ensure good project results and team productivity .
A quick search for job openings on LinkedIn reveals that there are over 1,200 open opportunities for project managers in Brazil alone. With so much demand, the outlook for those who want to pursue a career in this field is quite positive. But you need to prepare yourself . After all, the profession involves a series of challenges that range from managing people to setting deadlines and monitoring project results .
Here we will explain better:
What is project management;
What are the responsibilities of a project manager;
How much does a project manager earn;
What are the skills required to practice this profession;
How to become a project manager.
Let's go?
Project management ( also known as Project Mana vk statistics and user count gement) is a function that aims to organize, manage, optimize and monitor processes . In other words, the project manager and team are responsible for understanding the operational aspects of a company, identifying the best way to structure the execution dynamics together with the team.
When thinking about digital businesses , teams often need to manage a product portfolio with several solutions. But even if the company works with just one product, new features can be launched all the time. According to the Panorama of the Product Management Market in Brazil , for example, 45% of the people interviewed said that their organizations launch new features or products every month.
In this sense, many technology companies end up having to manage several projects at the same time or in sequence. Within this context, the figure of a Project Manager can act as operational support, supporting the strategic initiatives led by Product Managers .
This professional plays a central role in ensuring good results in a company's projects, especially in the case of complex projects that mobilize many of the organization's resources.
Importance of the project manager
Since they are professionals who directly contribute to optimizing a company's resources, the project manager is naturally considered an important figure for modern companies (which deal with constant changes). Managing resources intelligently and efficiently is far from being a simple task, which often ends up impacting the evolution of a business. Therefore, identifying the need to have someone in this role may be a seemingly simple decision, but it can have very positive impacts in the short and long term.
What does a project manager do?
The role of the project manager is to ensure that the project being developed brings value to the company and to the clients . Therefore, the project coordinator needs to be very aware of the purpose of all tasks to avoid wasting time, financial resources and people.
Project managers also define the goals and deadlines of the project and the role of each person in carrying out the activities. They are also responsible for identifying what is not working in the adopted methodology, monitoring the results and redefining the route when necessary. In this sense, Project Managers must pay attention to the details in the deliverables and control all stages of a project.
Other functions performed by this professional include:
Map the tasks required to complete a project;
Ensure that tasks and projects are delivered within the agreed deadline;
Help the team define tasks and deadlines;
Engage the team in carrying out activities and achieving established goals;
Delegate tasks to people on the team;
Manage people and ensure the productivity of professionals during the project;
Define the project planning;
Be able to manage complex projects, which involve many variables and many people;
Manage stakeholder interest ;
Manage deadlines, charging the team when necessary;
Align expectations of the product team, leaders and also stakeholders ;
Restructure planning if necessary;
Ensure that the project is aligned with the company's objectives;
Ensure project results for the company and customers;
Master project management tools to optimize results;
Define the team's work methodology for executing the project;
Define the scope of the project;
Evaluate and establish the budget for the project;
Analyze the risks involved in a project and communicate them to leaders;
Manage changes;
Monitor management meetings and backlog prioritization ;
Track project data to optimize what will be delivered.
One of the most important tasks of Project Managers is to assess project costs and plan the budget . After all, it is important that projects generate a good return on investment for companies. With this in mind, project managers need to have a good understanding of the resources needed to carry out activities in order to avoid financial losses for the business .
What is the difference between a project manager and a product manager?
Although they work together in the Product area, each role has its own responsibilities. The Product Manager is more strategic, responsible for establishing the product vision , managing the portfolio and defining the product objectives. A Project Manager, on the other hand, focuses more on the operational side, making goals possible and overseeing projects from start to finish.
Therefore, the functions of Product Management and Project Management are complementary and not mutually exclusive . Professionals in these areas must work together to ensure the execution of strategies that will bring value to the company and users, optimizing the organization's results and engaging professionals in the objectives involved.
Of course, this is not a rule and varies greatly from one company to another, depending on the context of each organization. Some teams, for example, still work with Product Owners . Others, which already deal with a certain complexity in the portfolio, hire Project Managers to support the PMs. And still, there are those who prefer to structure an entire Product Operations area to establish more consistent processes in the development of new solutions.
How much does a project manager earn?
The salary of a project manager can vary depending on the hiring company and the professional's level of experience, but overall, the outlook is very encouraging. According to the website Glassdoor , the average salary is R$11,100/month . For different levels of experience, we have:
Junior: R$6,373/month;
Full: R$ 9,610/month ;
Senior: R$ 14,515/month .
How much does a project manager earn?
Skills of the Project Manager
The main characteristic of a project manager is organization. Without a doubt, this professional needs to be very clear about what needs to be done, as well as discerning what is a priority and what can generate a more significant return. But that's not all: the ideal profile for project management brings together several important skills and abilities. Here we list the main ones:
Business knowledge and strategic thinking
Project managers need to think strategically and about the financial return that the project will bring to the company, without losing sight of the organization's goals.
Furthermore, these professionals need to have good decision-making skills , even without access to all the necessary information. After all, the direction of the project may have to change and managers need to act on this point.
Knowing how to plan and having a good understanding of costs are also important skills for project managers. You can develop them with practice.
Time management
One of the main responsibilities of a Project Manager is to manage the entire project, including deadlines and team productivity . In this sense, the professional needs to have time management skills, which involves knowing various methodologies and tools, such as Scrum and Kanban .
Furthermore, as we mentioned, this person needs to be extremely organized (both in relation to their own tasks and in relation to the activities of others). In this sense, some tools, such as Google Calendar , greatly facilitate the work routine in project management, which involves scheduling frequent meetings.
Leadership
For a project manager to be successful, it is important to know how to lead the teams involved in the project , understand the skills of each person to allocate professionals to the most appropriate activities and delegate tasks according to this knowledge.
In addition, these managers need to lead meetings to discuss the project and define tasks. The project manager gathers the team to make presentations and organize workshops (to, for example, teach self-management skills to the team members). This type of initiative aims to further optimize the productivity of the professionals and boost the project's results. However, in order to teach organizational strategies to your subordinates, it is important that you know how to organize yourself well.
Self-management
In addition to managing teams, project managers also need to develop self-management skills . This skill provides these professionals with more experience in managing their subordinates. In this sense, time management and emotional intelligence skills are very welcome for Project Management professionals.
Teamwork
Teamwork is a constant in the routine of Project Managers, who need to manage conflicts between team members and align expectations with stakeholders . Leading the work of teams also involves understanding the profile of each professional in order to allocate them to the tasks that make the most sense for each one.
Therefore, relying on the help of personality tests , such as MBTI and DISC , can be useful to understand the profile of each person on the team. These test models point out the strengths and weaknesses of each profile, providing more information for project managers to make the best decisions regarding the organization of people.
In this case, it is also important for project managers to actively listen to understand the problems the team faces and seek solutions to overcome these issues. To solve problems, one tip is to use specific frameworks for this, such as the GUT Matrix (to prioritize problems) and the Ishikawa Diagram ( to find the root of the problems).
Communication
One of the most important skills for project managers is communication . These professionals need to constantly communicate with the team, stakeholders and leaders, presenting results or reporting changes in the direction of the project.
Developing communication involves knowing how to convey information clearly , adapting the presentation of ideas according to the target audience.
Furthermore, as we have already mentioned, Project Managers often work alongside Product Managers to ensure that projects are aligned with the company's purpose and objectives . In this sense, communication between project managers and the Product area is constant.
Along with the ability to communicate comes the ability to negotiate , which can also be quite useful for project managers, especially when they perceive the need for changes in scope, costs or deadlines and need approval from leaders.
- Board index
- All times are UTC
- Delete cookies
- Contact us