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What does a commercial project manager do?

Updated January 8, 2025
7 min read

A commercial project manager is responsible for monitoring the development of business projects across the company within various industries. Commercial project managers strategize on the procedures for the project deliverables, including the resources, budget allocation, and timetables. They delegate tasks among the team members and conduct regular brainstorming sessions for progress updates and ways to enhance the existing project outline. A commercial project manager must have excellent communication and leadership skills, especially in resolving failure points within the project system and adjust plans immediately as needed to meet goals and objectives.

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Commercial project manager responsibilities

Here are examples of responsibilities from real commercial project manager resumes:

  • Schedule and manage day-to-day activities of service and installation segments of HVAC business, including dispatching service technicians.
  • Manage several parallel infrastructure efforts with various delivery dates, team members and requiring different prioritization for disaster recovery projects.
  • Manage and conduct the development of a SharePoint base system for providing notifications of application and automation releases throughout the enterprise.
  • Train and full range of experience in all OSHA safety requirements.
  • Select and negotiate contracts for various trades, mechanical and electrical, plumbing subcontractors.
  • Monitor and sample collection of stream water for compliance with EPA and MSHA standards.
  • Train employees on construction site and home analysis safety procedures (ladders, etc . )
  • Monitored/Collect field samples to determine sludge, ammonia, and nitrogen levels for EPA compliance.
  • Conduct regular safety meetings and be up to date on all OSHA rules and regulations and enforcing as necessary.
  • Develop budgets for portfolio, while increasing market ready percentages, occupancy and enhancing the curb appeal for all properties.
  • Work with scrum manager and scrum team to refine product backlogs and engage stakeholders during sprint reviews to provide timely feedback.
  • Participate in numerous HVAC product promotions.
  • Provide strategic and program management assistance to portfolio companies as necessary.
  • Develop electrical and plumbing plans/schedules; to include all major restaurant equipment.
  • Improve equipment and manufacturing processes by optimizing process windows of operation using SPC.

Commercial project manager skills and personality traits

We calculated that 22% of Commercial Project Managers are proficient in Project Management, Customer Service, and Roofing. They’re also known for soft skills such as Business skills, Customer-service skills, and Initiative.

We break down the percentage of Commercial Project Managers that have these skills listed on their resume here:

  • Project Management, 22%

    Provided commercial concrete restoration project management and building inspection services for a Professional Engineer.

  • Customer Service, 10%

    Offered highly responsive customer service to contractors.

  • Roofing, 9%

    Resigned, due to job offering from Hinkle Roofing.

  • Construction Projects, 5%

    Monitored commercial and residential construction projects to ensure timely completion and client satisfaction.

  • OSHA, 5%

    Earned OSHA 30-hour certification and facilitated company toolbox training.

  • HVAC, 3%

    Participated in numerous HVAC product promotions.

Most commercial project managers use their skills in "project management," "customer service," and "roofing" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential commercial project manager responsibilities here:

Business skills. One of the key soft skills for a commercial project manager to have is business skills. You can see how this relates to what commercial project managers do because "construction managers need to prepare and follow project budgets, hire and manage staff, and coordinate with other workers and managers." Additionally, a commercial project manager resume shows how commercial project managers use business skills: "revamped low-output team in metro area to achieve over 40% gross margin profit in business-to-business sales. "

Leadership skills. commercial project manager responsibilities often require "leadership skills." The duties that rely on this skill are shown by the fact that "construction managers must effectively delegate tasks to construction workers, subcontractors, and other lower level managers to ensure that projects are completed accurately and on time." This resume example shows what commercial project managers do with leadership skills on a typical day: "provided leadership and direction to all functional operational areas in commercial buildings and apartments in high rise buildings. "

Technical skills. Lastly, "technical skills" is an important element of what a commercial project manager does. Commercial project manager responsibilities require this skill because "construction managers must have an applied knowledge of concepts and practices common in the industry, such as construction technologies, contracts, and technical drawings." This resume example highlights how commercial project manager duties rely on this skill: "provided technical consulting and customer service. "

See the full list of commercial project manager skills

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Compare different commercial project managers

Commercial project manager vs. Store director

A store director is in charge of overseeing overall business operations, ensuring everything is running smoothly. Their responsibilities mostly revolve around setting goals and objectives, devising strategies to increase sales and brand awareness, liaising with key suppliers and vendors, managing the employees and all hiring processes, supervising the inventory, and monitoring the progress of sales. Furthermore, as a store director, it is essential to lead and encourage the staff to reach goals, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations.

We looked at the average commercial project manager salary and compared it with the wages of a store director. Generally speaking, store directors are paid $28,313 lower than commercial project managers per year.While the two careers have a salary gap, they share some of the same responsibilities. Employees in both commercial project manager and store director positions are skilled in customer service, customer satisfaction, and gross profit.

There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, commercial project manager responsibilities require skills like "project management," "roofing," "construction projects," and "osha." Meanwhile a typical store director has skills in areas such as "payroll," "store sales," "food safety," and "sales growth." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.

Store directors really shine in the retail industry with an average salary of $48,921. Comparatively, commercial project managers tend to make the most money in the energy industry with an average salary of $99,336.The education levels that store directors earn slightly differ from commercial project managers. In particular, store directors are 4.9% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than a commercial project manager. Additionally, they're 1.0% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Commercial project manager vs. General contractor

The job of general contractors is to oversee the day-to-day operations of projects in the organization. General contractors are considered seasoned experts when it comes to home improvement. They provide the material, equipment, labor, and services for a construction project. Often, they hire specialized subcontractors who will be working on some part of the construction work. They should have attained a bachelor's or associate's degree in construction management. Their experience in the industry is highly coveted.

General contractor positions earn lower pay than commercial project manager roles. They earn a $18,307 lower salary than commercial project managers per year.While the salary may differ for these jobs, they share a few skills needed to perform their duties. Based on resume data, both commercial project managers and general contractors have skills such as "construction projects," "hvac," and "plumbing. "

In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, commercial project manager responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "project management," "customer service," "roofing," and "osha." Meanwhile, a general contractor has duties that require skills in areas such as "safety regulations," "drywall installation," "payroll," and "masonry." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.

In general, general contractors achieve lower levels of education than commercial project managers. They're 5.9% less likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 1.0% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Commercial project manager vs. Project superintendent

The construction or project superintendent's role is to oversee the operations of construction sites, from the planning phase to completion. They have varied duties and responsibilities based on specific projects that include scheduling and budgeting, communicating and negotiating with external partners, and acquiring materials and equipment. A construction superintendent also earns construction permits, resolving on-site emergencies and issues, and supervising staff. This position requires several skills, including a degree in construction management or a similar field, relevant experience, and in-depth knowledge of construction processes and operations.

On average, project superintendents earn higher salaries than commercial project managers, with a $12,608 difference per year.By looking over several commercial project managers and project superintendents resumes, we found that both roles require similar skills in their day-to-day duties, such as "project management," "construction projects," and "osha." But beyond that, the careers look very different.

Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from commercial project manager resumes include skills like "customer service," "roofing," "project documentation," and "project scope," whereas a project superintendent is more likely to list skills in "construction management," "quality standards," "safety program," and "cleanliness. "

Project superintendents make a very good living in the construction industry with an average annual salary of $95,092. On the other hand, commercial project managers are paid the highest salary in the energy industry, with average annual pay of $99,336.project superintendents typically earn similar educational levels compared to commercial project managers. Specifically, they're 4.8% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.9% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Commercial project manager vs. Project supervisor

A project supervisor is someone employed in industries like engineering, construction, manufacturing, as well as design and marketing industries to coordinate all aspects of a project. Common duties include participating in project planning, acting as a communication liaison, coordinating labor needs, and training employees. They meet with the account manager to assess and understand the client's needs and budget for the project. Together with the supply chain manager, they facilitate the purchasing and delivery of supplies needed to complete the project. Additionally, they make sure the project is completed on time and within budget.

Project supervisors typically earn lower pay than commercial project managers. On average, project supervisors earn a $31,300 lower salary per year.While both commercial project managers and project supervisors complete day-to-day tasks using similar skills like project management, customer service, and construction projects, the two careers vary in some skills.While some skills are required in each professionacirc;euro;trade;s responsibilities, there are some differences to note. "roofing," "osha," "project documentation," and "project cost" are skills that commonly show up on commercial project manager resumes. On the other hand, project supervisors use skills like safety standards, safety procedures, fire protection, and iso on their resumes.project supervisors enjoy the best pay in the retail industry, with an average salary of $57,698. For comparison, commercial project managers earn the highest salary in the energy industry.project supervisors reach similar levels of education compared to commercial project managers, in general. The difference is that they're 1.4% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.2% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Types of commercial project manager

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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