What does a director of project management do?
Project management directors are the ones who develop and direct the strategic planning of different projects. The directors oversee the coordination of resources and personnel necessary for project completion. Typically, the directors require certification for project management. They develop a methodology for standardized project management in a balanced matrix organization. The directors should be equipped with skills in process improvement, customer service, infrastructure, portfolio management, and strategic initiatives. They should also have skills in communication, attention to detail, and leadership.
Director of project management responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real director of project management resumes:
- Develop and manage RFP processes to procure third party products and services.
- Manage & facilitate agile scrum masters, project managers and business analysts including providing direction, guidance and training.
- Develop and lead divisional IP application strategy and review process to improve patent return on investment and alignment with product strategies.
- Direct logistics and manufacturing process at Baltimore depot and revamp of product line to achieve desire mission-readiness capability.
- Streamline and centralize usage of project management tools to manage dependencies and transparent delivery milestones for highly complex SaaS platforms
- Lead scrum team through multiple development sprints for overall product improvement base on customer feedback and market research.
- Hand-Select to resolve operational challenges, including decreasing revenue execution and manpower performance against KPIs in the NY and Philadelphia regions.
- Perform quality controls and monitor production KPIs.
- Facilitate the monthly new product governance meetings and accountable for meeting all company new product development milestones.
- Synchronize product development and deployment plans, and strengthen ongoing market governance meetings to ensure continue coordination.
- Lead and oversee idea generation/conceptualization, requirements planning/analysis, project management product prototype design reviews with PMO staff.
- Develop standardized project management methodology which are spearheaded and implement by PMO project management staff in a balance matrix organization.
- Work with clients to incorporate changes into existing operational infrastructure to maintain business sustainability and continuity of positive change implementations.
- Provide day-to-day leadership and management of company operations with the objective of building infrastructure, growing the business and increasing profitability.
- Collaborate with departmental project managers as well as contracted partners to implement new process work flows that positively impact Medicare patients.
Director of project management skills and personality traits
We calculated that 9% of Directors Of Project Management are proficient in Oversight, Risk Management, and Resource Management. They’re also known for soft skills such as Analytical skills, Business skills, and Communication skills.
We break down the percentage of Directors Of Project Management that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Oversight, 9%
Coordinated the development of documentation used to standardize operational procedures, and develop comprehensive reports for management oversight and resource forecasting.
- Risk Management, 6%
Directed cross-functional teams of 20-40 associates through effective resource and communication management, risk management, and performance reporting.
- Resource Management, 5%
Developed delivery strategy, managed stakeholder relationships, resource management, and performance metrics.
- Business Objectives, 5%
Collaborated with executive level stakeholders, cross-functional team members and customers to ensure strategic business objectives are executed and met.
- Healthcare, 5%
Designed population health management strategies alongside healthcare executives.
- Customer Satisfaction, 5%
Conceptualized and launched Project Management Office governance and best practices ultimately to improve customer satisfaction and increased productivity by 40%.
Most directors of project management use their skills in "oversight," "risk management," and "resource management" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential director of project management responsibilities here:
Analytical skills. The most essential soft skill for a director of project management to carry out their responsibilities is analytical skills. This skill is important for the role because "it managers must analyze problems and consider and select the best ways to solve them." Additionally, a director of project management resume shows how their duties depend on analytical skills: "provided facilities planning, pre-development, financial analysis, transaction management and program/project management services. "
Business skills. Many director of project management duties rely on business skills. "it managers must develop and implement strategic plans to reach the goals of their organizations.," so a director of project management will need this skill often in their role. This resume example is just one of many ways director of project management responsibilities rely on business skills: "note: short duration due to key drug not receiving fda approval) directed operation of the cme urology business unit. "
Communication skills. This is an important skill for directors of project management to perform their duties. For an example of how director of project management responsibilities depend on this skill, consider that "it managers must explain their work to top executives and give clear instructions to their subordinates." This excerpt from a resume also shows how vital it is to everyday roles and responsibilities of a director of project management: "implemented sharepoint and ms project server across the company, improving communication efficiency and incrementing projects tasks delivery on time. ".
Leadership skills. For certain director of project management responsibilities to be completed, the job requires competence in "leadership skills." The day-to-day duties of a director of project management rely on this skill, as "it managers must lead and motivate it teams or departments so that workers are efficient and effective." For example, this snippet was taken directly from a resume about how this skill applies to what directors of project management do: "provided the thought leadership to promote project/program management best practices and supported the enterprise technology strategy. "
Organizational skills. Another common skill required for director of project management responsibilities is "organizational skills." This skill comes up in the duties of directors of project management all the time, as "some it managers must coordinate the work of several different it departments to make the organization run efficiently." An excerpt from a real director of project management resume shows how this skill is central to what a director of project management does: "reduced organizational administrative costs through successful completion of business process outsourcing program for individual / consumer-based enrollment. "
The three companies that hire the most director of project managements are:
- CBRE Group322 directors of project management jobs
- Applied Materials117 directors of project management jobs
- Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc.82 directors of project management jobs
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Compare different directors of project management
Director of project management vs. Associate director
An associate director oversees the daily activities and business operations within a particular area. They are primarily responsible for devising strategies that aim for growth in profit and customer satisfaction, implementing policies and standards, evaluate the workforce, providing support to various departments, and setting goals in terms of budget and sales. Furthermore, they must regularly report progress to the director and coordinate with managers and supervisors in the joint effort to reach the vision and mission of the company.
There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, director of project management responsibilities require skills like "resource management," "business objectives," "program management," and "pmo." Meanwhile a typical associate director has skills in areas such as "patients," "portfolio," "excellent interpersonal," and "continuous improvement." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.
Associate directors tend to make the most money working in the pharmaceutical industry, where they earn an average salary of $143,618. In contrast, directors of project management make the biggest average salary, $143,185, in the real estate industry.On average, associate directors reach similar levels of education than directors of project management. Associate directors are 3.0% more likely to earn a Master's Degree and 2.9% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Director of project management vs. Project director
A project director is an individual responsible for supervising workers from various departments given specific tasks to complete a given project. They create a budget to complete a job while monitoring the amount of money spent to ensure that overspending is avoided. They provide presentations to investors, business partners, and company executives to inform them about their progress and development. Project directors must have several years of experience and obtain at least a bachelor's degree in business economics or a related field to be hired.
In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, director of project management responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "risk management," "resource management," "business objectives," and "healthcare." Meanwhile, a project director has duties that require skills in areas such as "adaptive," "excellent interpersonal," "strategic thinking," and "financial management." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.
Project directors may earn a lower salary than directors of project management, but project directors earn the most pay in the technology industry with an average salary of $106,707. On the other hand, directors of project management receive higher pay in the real estate industry, where they earn an average salary of $143,185.In general, project directors achieve similar levels of education than directors of project management. They're 2.6% more likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 2.9% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Director of project management vs. Senior director
Senior directors are the top management who manage the overall corporate structure of a brand. These executives take responsibility for the planning, operations, and profitability of the company. They direct and control all the functions of businesses. Their jobs cover the advertising, marketing, sales, and promotions of products and services. They are the people behind the tactical and strategic management of every asset of the enterprise through different programs.
Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from director of project management resumes include skills like "resource management," "business objectives," "program management," and "manage change," whereas a senior director is more likely to list skills in "analytics," "patients," "portfolio," and "sr."
Senior directors earn the best pay in the pharmaceutical industry, where they command an average salary of $180,537. Directors of project management earn the highest pay from the real estate industry, with an average salary of $143,185.Most senior directors achieve a similar degree level compared to directors of project management. For example, they're 1.7% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 2.0% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Director of project management vs. Management associate
A management associate is responsible for assisting the management operations, supporting administrative and clerical tasks, and coordinating with other departments for project support to meet the organization's objectives and profitability goals. Management associates often respond to clients' inquiries and concerns on behalf of the executives, documenting their needs, and immediately escalating high-level complaints to appropriate personnel. They also meet with suppliers and other third-party vendors, negotiating contracts for business needs. A management associate must have excellent communication, be organized, and have time-management skills to perform duties in a fast-paced environment.
Types of director of project management
Updated January 8, 2025
