Project Manager Job Description

A project manager is a person responsible for planning a project and seeing that it is completed successfully, within the given deadline. He/She needs to have excellent management skills to coordinate with the entire team and with the clients and stakeholders. Let us take a look at the qualifications, skills and responsibilities required to become a project manager.

Qualification and Experience
A person who wants to apply for the position of project manager should essentially have a degree in management. In addition, one can also take up training in this field. To acquire the position of a project manager in a company, it is important for a person to have 3 - 4 years of experience in project management. Having said this, it doesn't mean others who lack these qualifications cannot become project managers. There are scores of people, who although do not have the specific degree and doing great as project managers. It all depends if the higher level management feels you are capable of handling the responsibility of a project manager.

Duties of a Project Manager

Oversee Projects
A project manager's job description primarily entails handling a specific project/ projects. He/ She is expected to handle different functions right from strategic planning, organizing to looking into minute details of the project. The project manager acts like the brain and after a lot of planning, instructs the other parts of the body (team members) to perform certain functions, so as to attain a certain goal.

Allot Tasks
The planning process involves forming a team of experts required for effective completion of the project. He/She has to state the purpose of the project and assign specific roles to all the team members. He/She will also have to ascertain the time for completion of the project and likewise allot duties, such that the project is completed within the stipulated deadline.

Manage Resources
Besides recruiting and training new employees, the project manager is also expected to manage his team efficiently. He/She is supposed to supervise the team's daily work and ensure everybody is working efficiently. It is also a part of the project manager's job description to maintain a cordial relationship with clients.

Communicate Well
Just planning and allotting tasks is not enough. A project manager is expected to communicate the task in the best possible manner. He/She is also supposed to explain the job expectations and deadlines well, so that there are no losses incurred due to miscommunication. A project manager's task is not only to communicate with his own team members, but will also involve working in coordination with other teams to achieve the goal.

Work within Budgets
The project manager is also expected to ensure the project is completed within the estimated budget.

Regular Follow-up
It is part of the project manager's duty to conduct follow-up meetings on a regular basis and ensure everybody is on track. Any slackness should be dealt with there and then, such that there is no delay in completion of the project. He/She is also expected to make project reports on a timely basis, thereby documenting the progress.

Foresee Project Developments
The project manager has to have the ability to foresee. He/She should be able to quickly gauge if the project is heading on track or not. If the progress is not as expected, there might have to be a strategy change. Moreover, certain improvements and adjustments may have to be made to the original plan.

Multi-task
Since the project manager is unlikely to handle only one project at a particular time, he or she should have the ability to multi-task. He/She should see to it that all the projects under his/her supervision are going on smoothly. Moreover, the project manager should ensure no project is being neglected because of the other.

Crisis Management
Job description of a project manager also involves crisis management. In case of a hurdle or crisis, the project manager should be able to take lead and help resolve the issue, in the shortest time possible. If the problem is between the team members and the clients, he/she should be able to sort it amicably, such that the relationships are maintained and work is not affected.

Motivate the Team
Since the project manager is the captain of a ship, he/she is responsible for motivating the team members, right from the beginning to the end of a project. In case of a detour from the course of the planned project, the manager is to motivate the team they can accomplish the necessary requirements, even with the sudden changes. The success of a project manager will largely depend on how well the team work together.

Project Closure
After the project is completed, the project manager should conduct a meeting with the team to check the project and discuss the results. Here, the project manager should find the key factors that led to the completion of the project and those that were not beneficial for the project, so that they can be avoided in the future.

Key Competencies and Skills
As the job of a project manager carries huge responsibilities, he/she needs to have certain important skills. Two most important skills required to become a project manager are planning and organization skills. Along with these, a project manager should also possess the below-mentioned skills for project execution and management.

• Financial management skills
• Good communication (verbal and written) and interpersonal skills
• Excellent business management and developmental skills
• Leadership qualities
• Efficient team management skills
• Ability to resolve conflicting situations
• Computer or technical knowledge
• Effective problem solving skills

When a fresher joins a firm, he/she may have to start with the position of 'project assistant'. With hard work and experience, he/she can reach the level of 'project manager' or 'senior project manager'. Project managers are valuable assets of an organization. This job is highly satisfying if one has the capability to efficiently prioritize and execute tasks in a high-pressure environment, to meet project guidelines.