What does a customer program manager do?
A customer program manager is responsible for maintaining healthy business relationships with clients and customers. Customer program managers supervise the overall project process of product management and ensure that the services strictly adhere to the customers' needs. A customer program manager identifies business opportunities by analyzing the current market trends to generate more resources for the business and increase revenues. They lead the program's concepts, manage the allocation of budget, and deliver high-quality outputs to the market.
Customer program manager responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real customer program manager resumes:
- Manage low volume parts to PPAP requirements within on site manufacturing facility.
- Assist in developing a custom MRP database to help manage the variety of documents.
- Lead APQP launch teams and assist with engineering, quality, customer service, financial and manufacturing.
- Manage source business through development and into production utilizing APQP process.
- Manage the ERP implementation and integration with existing software for new corporate acquisitions.
- Manage cross-functional teams including global communications, product/parts replacements, logistics and hardware fulfillment, warranty, and escalations.
- Assist in RFP's with SAM's and pricing teams.
- Participate and contribute to client QBRs, RFI's and RFP's.
- Approve and contribute to the global PMO through this lessons learned and best practices knowledgebase.
- Ensure that CRM system upgrades are communicated to users and when require development of training materials for upgrades.
- Develop worldwide CRM marketing & customer knowledge strategy with region-level partners.
- Authore all key infrastructure documents including a launch readiness toolkit which provide associates critical operational support throughout major product launches.
- Perform cost-benefit and return on investment (ROI) analysis for propose changes.
- Recognize subject matter expert (SME) on all veterans' educational programs.
- Solicit and initiate RFQ, quotation process, propose parameters, review and analyze final cost information.
Customer program manager skills and personality traits
We calculated that 15% of Customer Program Managers are proficient in Customer Service, Project Management, and Program Management. They’re also known for soft skills such as Creativity, Interpersonal skills, and Organizational skills.
We break down the percentage of Customer Program Managers that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Customer Service, 15%
Performed all tasks required to implement project management for multiple successful custom Remedy application releases within Customer Service.
- Project Management, 12%
Created and implemented Professional Services subcontractor management practice by identifying and managing 12 subcontracting, engineering, and project management firms.
- Program Management, 12%
Program Management of Support program, Hitachi I.T., NTT, and others via channel, SkyWave.
- CRM, 4%
Developed worldwide CRM marketing & customer knowledge strategy with region-level partners.
- Customer Feedback, 4%
Provided organization with real-time, actionable customer feedback.
- Process Improvement, 4%
Tasked with analyzing firmware escalation trends and issues that led to multidisciplinary Lean Six Sigma process improvement project.
Common skills that a customer program manager uses to do their job include "customer service," "project management," and "program management." You can find details on the most important customer program manager responsibilities below.
Creativity. The most essential soft skill for a customer program manager to carry out their responsibilities is creativity. This skill is important for the role because "advertising, promotions, and marketing managers must be able to generate new and imaginative ideas." Additionally, a customer program manager resume shows how their duties depend on creativity: "developed standard operating procedures (sops) to manage/balance priorities, deadlines, inventory, budget and customer expectations. "
Interpersonal skills. Another essential skill to perform customer program manager duties is interpersonal skills. Customer program managers responsibilities require that "managers must deal with a range of people in different roles, both inside and outside the organization." Customer program managers also use interpersonal skills in their role according to a real resume snippet: "succeeded in bridging communication between technology teams and business leaders by leveraging expertise in sap hr module and excellent interpersonal skills. "
Organizational skills. customer program managers are also known for organizational skills, which are critical to their duties. You can see how this skill relates to customer program manager responsibilities, because "advertising, promotions, and marketing managers must manage their time and budget efficiently while directing and motivating staff members." A customer program manager resume example shows how organizational skills is used in the workplace: "provided business development support, gathered requirements, assessed options, and solved organizational and personnel issues. "
Analytical skills. customer program manager responsibilities often require "analytical skills." The duties that rely on this skill are shown by the fact that "advertising, promotions, and marketing managers must be able to analyze industry trends to determine the most promising strategies for their organization." This resume example shows what customer program managers do with analytical skills on a typical day: "developed and implemented program management governance and reporting structure for customer data projects, including project performance reporting and organizational alignment. "
Communication skills. A commonly-found skill in customer program manager job descriptions, "communication skills" is essential to what customer program managers do. Customer program manager responsibilities rely on this skill because "managers must be able to communicate effectively with a broad-based team made up of other managers or staff members during the advertising, promotions, and marketing process." You can also see how customer program manager duties rely on communication skills in this resume example: "validated business needs, provided continuous communication between parties, and streamlined mutual business goals and product development efforts. "
The three companies that hire the most customer program managers are:
Compare different customer program managers
Customer 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.
There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, customer program manager responsibilities require skills like "program management," "customer feedback," "customer support," and "customer engagement." Meanwhile a typical manager, strategy has skills in areas such as "portfolio," "client facing," "digital marketing," and "market research." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.
Managers, strategy really shine in the technology industry with an average salary of $116,769. Comparatively, customer program managers tend to make the most money in the telecommunication industry with an average salary of $110,624.On average, managers, strategy reach higher levels of education than customer program managers. Managers, strategy are 12.8% more likely to earn a Master's Degree and 0.8% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Customer program manager vs. Market manager
A marketing manager is an executive who manages a brand or product's promotion positioning. Marketing managers analyze the trends in the industry and the demand for certain products and services. Typically, they attract more customers to purchase products and/or services and raise brand awareness through marketing campaigns. They research, identify, examine, and evaluate product demand. Also, they review advertising materials like print ads to boost the marketing strategy of the company and strengthen its campaign.
In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, customer program manager responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "program management," "customer feedback," "process improvement," and "customer support." Meanwhile, a market manager has duties that require skills in areas such as "strong analytical," "excellent interpersonal," "human resources," and "strong time management." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.
Market managers earn a lower average salary than customer program managers. But market managers earn the highest pay in the manufacturing industry, with an average salary of $85,133. Additionally, customer program managers earn the highest salaries in the telecommunication with average pay of $110,624 annually.In general, market managers achieve lower levels of education than customer program managers. They're 6.4% less likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 0.8% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Customer program manager vs. Marketing manager
Marketing managers are experienced employees who oversee the marketing department of the organization. They manage activities such as marketing campaigns, social media postings, company branding, and other strategic marketing activities. They provide strategic direction and come up with departmental goals. They also provide proper training for employees in the department to ensure that they have a deep understanding of its marketing tools. Marketing managers should be creative, should have good interpersonal skills, and should be flexible.
The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, customer program managers are more likely to have skills like "program management," "customer feedback," "process improvement," and "customer support." But a marketing manager is more likely to have skills like "digital marketing," "marketing campaigns," "integrated marketing," and "email marketing."
Marketing managers make a very good living in the technology industry with an average annual salary of $115,553. On the other hand, customer program managers are paid the highest salary in the telecommunication industry, with average annual pay of $110,624.Most marketing managers achieve a similar degree level compared to customer program managers. For example, they're 4.5% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.2% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Customer program manager vs. Planning manager
Planning managers perform various duties and responsibilities for an organization. These include planning and monitoring a project or department's budget, production schedule, and inventory, creating reports of new plans, programs, and regulations, and ensuring development proposals comply with requirements and regulations. Additionally, planning managers are expected to serve as an intermediary between developers, government entities, businesses, and communities. They also oversee site plans, rezoning, and special-use permits, set schedules for the project, and supervise other personnel such as developers and consultants.
Types of customer program manager
Updated January 8, 2025
