What does a business program manager do?
Business Program Managers oversee specific company programs. They plan for the programs, manage the programs' budget allocation, implement activities, and evaluate the performance. They also lead the employees assigned to handle these programs. They are expected to properly onboard and train these employees to acclimate them with what the programs need. A Business Program Manager should understand the company's main business and the industry it moves in. This understanding helps them create sound strategies that will push their company's performance. This would also help them manage their business programs better.
Business program manager responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real business program manager resumes:
- Lead and manage UAT planning and execution.
- Manage product order-ability in ERP for all Cisco products.
- Manage integration of customer accounts from merger and acquisition (300K+) and partner-centric (50K) activities into Salesforce.com.
- Manage a team of 20 skil professionals supporting lean design, configuration and building a solid solution through ERP implementation.
- Manage new requirements and change requests, system outages and emergencies (weather/upgrades), and ensure ISO and security compliance.
- Manage SLA for account creation; invoke and manage escalations regarding incomplete/inaccurate data.
- Work with the QA team to develop test plan, test cases and test conditions for integration and functional testing.
- Experience in executing backend SQL queries.
- Develop SharePoint lists, forms and requirement documentation to support.
- Create and maintain process maps using Visio and, most recently, IGrafx.
- Design, socialize and implement global PMO and governing framework for utilizing SOA services.
- Create and facilitate staff training then evaluate training efforts for ROI on a quarterly basis.
- Govern and maintain critical KPI metrics for the organization as well as developing online reports.
- Create and implement ROI calculator for new software solution with high rate of use and satisfaction.
- Lead full SDLC projects by reporting status and confirming transitory project requirements utilizing offshore and vendor resources.
Business program manager skills and personality traits
We calculated that 11% of Business Program Managers are proficient in Project Management, Program Management, and Portfolio. They’re also known for soft skills such as Management skills, Problem-solving skills, and Time-management skills.
We break down the percentage of Business Program Managers that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Project Management, 11%
Led project management technology initiatives and directed teams in improving organizational effectiveness and containing operational costs for the facilities business unit.
- Program Management, 10%
Placed in new position specifically created by executive team as an opportunity to develop strong Program Management skills with experienced mentor.
- Portfolio, 6%
Collaborated with the company owner on developing the portfolio, evaluating products/services, determining pricing, and creating training/marketing materials.
- KPIs, 5%
Devised and implemented business scorecard with key performance indicators (KPIs) on Sales CRM system usage and performance.
- Customer Service, 5%
Developed customer service financial strategies by estimating, forecasting and anticipating resource requirements, trends and variances.
- Risk Management, 4%
Conducted project planning activities including scheduling, risk management, product selection and approval, product customization and implementation.
Common skills that a business program manager uses to do their job include "project management," "program management," and "portfolio." You can find details on the most important business program manager responsibilities below.
Problem-solving skills. Many business program manager duties rely on problem-solving skills. "top executives need to identify and resolve issues within an organization," so a business program manager will need this skill often in their role. This resume example is just one of many ways business program manager responsibilities rely on problem-solving skills: "translated business needs into it solutions with clearly defined business processes and application support. "
Time-management skills. Another skill that relates to the job responsibilities of business program managers is time-management skills. This skill is critical to many everyday business program manager duties, as "top executives do many tasks concurrently to ensure that their work gets done and that the organization meets its goals." This example from a resume shows how this skill is used: "delivered multiple large (2000+ hour) projects on time and under budget for hr, registrar and provost. "
Leadership skills. For certain business program manager responsibilities to be completed, the job requires competence in "leadership skills." The day-to-day duties of a business program manager rely on this skill, as "top executives must be able to shape and direct an organization by coordinating policies, people, and resources." For example, this snippet was taken directly from a resume about how this skill applies to what business program managers do: "provided program management and leadership in the development of new business and management of existing contracts. "
Communication skills. A commonly-found skill in business program manager job descriptions, "communication skills" is essential to what business program managers do. Business program manager responsibilities rely on this skill because "top executives must be able to convey information clearly and persuasively." You can also see how business program manager duties rely on communication skills in this resume example: "achieved improvements in financial management, customer communications, subcontractor relationships, and operational capabilities. "
The three companies that hire the most business program managers are:
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Compare different business program managers
Business program manager vs. Manager, strategy
A strategy manager is an individual who reviews a company's objectives for growth and works with executives to formulate actionable plans to achieve these objectives. To make comprehensive recommendations, strategy managers must conduct data analysis of the organization as well as the overall industry. They must provide assessments of market trends and identify business threats and opportunities. Strategy managers should also work with department heads to develop individual team goals and break them down into actionable steps for the employees to complete.
While similarities exist, there are also some differences between business program managers and manager, strategy. For instance, business program manager responsibilities require skills such as "program management," "power bi," "risk management," and "azure." Whereas a manager, strategy is skilled in "client facing," "market research," "corporate strategy," and "strategy development." This is part of what separates the two careers.
Managers, strategy tend to reach higher levels of education than business program managers. In fact, managers, strategy are 8.4% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.8% more likely to have a Doctoral Degree.Business program manager vs. Web manager
Web Managers are responsible for managing websites for organizations. Their duties include managing website upgrades, testing for website performance, implement a strategy to increase web traffic and subscribers, troubleshooting website issues, and responding to security breaches. They create content audits as well as ensuring the website has brand strategy alignment. A Web Manager ensures website compliance with all regulations and keeps abreast of the best practice of the industry. They must possess good problem-solving skills and knowledge in search engine optimization.
Each career also uses different skills, according to real business program manager resumes. While business program manager responsibilities can utilize skills like "program management," "power bi," "portfolio," and "customer service," web managers use skills like "wordpress," "html css," "b testing," and "google analytics."
Web managers earn lower levels of education than business program managers in general. They're 11.9% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.8% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Business program manager vs. Senior manager
A senior manager is responsible for directing the overall efficiency of business operations. Senior managers monitor the performance of the staff, improve operational strategies, identify business opportunities, allocate budgets and resources, present reports to senior management, set goals to drive results on increasing the company's revenues and profitability. Senior managers must coordinate with various operations departments to maintain good feedback for the company, meeting client's expectations, and delivering the best results. They should have excellent communication and leadership skills to handle team members, as well as managing their needs and concerns.
The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, business program managers are more likely to have skills like "program management," "business operations," "business intelligence," and "business management." But a senior manager is more likely to have skills like "analytics," "professional development," "healthcare," and "oversight."
When it comes to education, senior managers tend to earn similar degree levels compared to business program managers. In fact, they're 1.6% less likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 1.3% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Business program manager vs. Business development and marketing manager
The business development and marketing manager is in charge of overseeing a company's marketing programs and projects. They primarily manage and coordinate teams, set goals and guidelines, organize budgets and timelines, conceptualize plans, and develop strategies to optimize operations. They may also liaise with clients and suppliers, streamline marketing materials, and train staff. Furthermore, as a manager, it is essential to lead and encourage the workforce to reach goals, all while enforcing the company's policies and regulations.
Types of business program manager
Updated January 8, 2025
