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What does a Manager, Program Management do?

Updated January 8, 2025
7 min read
What does a Manager, Program Management do

A program management manager is an individual who guides project managers and oversees and coordinates an organization's projects, products, and other strategic initiatives. The day-to-day responsibilities of a program manager include planning the overall program, managing the program's budget and the main program documents, and defining the program governance. The requirements to qualify for the program manager position including possessing a good managerial, business, and problem-solving skills and possessing a bachelor's or master's degree in business, management, or a related field.

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Manager, program management responsibilities

Here are examples of responsibilities from real manager, program management resumes:

  • Used SQL to manage data in the regional data base.
  • Collaborate consistently with internal and client teams to manage SDLC.
  • Manage integration, configuration, and deployment of package SaaS and custom systems.
  • Champion and lead successful lean six sigma projects that result in $100K+ savings per year.
  • Manage the relationship with the vendor whose development teams are scrum orient and locate in multiple countries.
  • Lead project delivery of joint marketing system for business partners in Europe, Africa, Asia-Pacific and the Americas.
  • Implement continuous process improvement procedures leveraging ITIL across change, incident and problem management processes.
  • Participate in implementation of third party logistics program, increasing customer satisfaction while decreasing delivery costs.
  • Partner with the PMO in establishing communication and project governance over the global expense management initiative.
  • Collaborate with leadership teams to allocate project managers to initiatives across the infrastructure portfolio of projects.
  • Develop IDIQ requirements for CRM.
  • Recognize for effectiveness and ISO compliance.
  • Head responsible for the facility s FDA biological license.
  • Analyze CRM products for usability and provide feedback to product management board.
  • Lead daily scrum meetings, sprint planning, prioritize deliverable and retrospect.

Manager, program management skills and personality traits

We calculated that 13% of Managers, Program Management are proficient in Project Management, Risk Management, and Process Improvement. They’re also known for soft skills such as Business skills, Leadership skills, and Organizational skills.

We break down the percentage of Managers, Program Management that have these skills listed on their resume here:

  • Project Management, 13%

    Manage cross functional professionals through multiple locations while deploying strategic projects leveraging Agile methodology as well as PMI Project Management approaches.

  • Risk Management, 7%

    Orchestrated an aggressive restructuring of construction inspection policies and procedures impacting all business activities including safety, risk management and finance.

  • Process Improvement, 4%

    Implemented standard operating procedures, service level agreements and a center of excellence to ensure continuous process improvements within the organization.

  • Oversight, 4%

    Provided leadership and management oversight for Security Programs (classified/unclassified) for International and US-only Programs at multiple locations.

  • Infrastructure, 4%

    Developed and managed a strategy to optimize facility and infrastructure investments to support funding request for in-house and contract support.

  • Continuous Improvement, 4%

    Participated in Continuous Improvement program using lean manufacturing principles including developing a customized Oracle dashboard for specific departmental roles.

"project management," "risk management," and "process improvement" are among the most common skills that managers, program management use at work. You can find even more manager, program management responsibilities below, including:

Business skills. One of the key soft skills for a manager, program management to have is business skills. You can see how this relates to what managers, program management do because "it managers must develop and implement strategic plans to reach the goals of their organizations." Additionally, a manager, program management resume shows how managers, program management use business skills: "managed 10 scrum masters and 10 business roles analysts. "

Leadership skills. Another essential skill to perform manager, program management duties is leadership skills. Managers, program management responsibilities require that "it managers must lead and motivate it teams or departments so that workers are efficient and effective." Managers, program management also use leadership skills in their role according to a real resume snippet: "served as the lead to the organization's scrum of scrum meeting to provide senior leadership with real time project status"

Organizational skills. managers, program management are also known for organizational skills, which are critical to their duties. You can see how this skill relates to manager, program management responsibilities, because "some it managers must coordinate the work of several different it departments to make the organization run efficiently." A manager, program management resume example shows how organizational skills is used in the workplace: "delivered organizational and managerial effectiveness services that supported fidelity's strategic hr plan. "

Analytical skills. A big part of what managers, program management do relies on "analytical skills." You can see how essential it is to manager, program management responsibilities because "it managers must analyze problems and consider and select the best ways to solve them." Here's an example of how this skill is used from a resume that represents typical manager, program management tasks: "perform periodic audits of critical data elements, system configurations and system process related to hr. "

Communication skills. A commonly-found skill in manager, program management job descriptions, "communication skills" is essential to what managers, program management do. Manager, program management responsibilities rely on this skill because "it managers must explain their work to top executives and give clear instructions to their subordinates." You can also see how manager, program management duties rely on communication skills in this resume example: "develop organizational change, communication, and training strategies for complex erp, crm, ppm and lms implementations. "

Most common manager, program management skills

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Compare different managers, program management

Manager, program management vs. Consultant/project manager

Consultants/project managers act as planners, leaders, and advisors in business enterprises. These professionals facilitate meetings and establish positive relationships with vendors, management, and clients. They make customer visits, maintain industry knowledge, procure third-party software and hardware, and deliver projects. It is also part of their duty to manage complex initiatives in an individual business unit or organization. Their skills include analytical, time and cost management, problem-solving, interpersonal skills, and proficiency in project management software.

The annual salary of consultant/project managers is $12,183 lower than the average salary of managers, program management.Even though managers, program management and consultant/project managers are distinct careers, a few of the skills required for both jobs are similar. For example, both careers require project management, risk management, and process improvement in the day-to-day roles and responsibilities.

There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, manager, program management responsibilities require skills like "oversight," "continuous improvement," "customer service," and "cloud." Meanwhile a typical consultant/project manager has skills in areas such as "manage project scope," "healthcare," "peoplesoft," and "level project management." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.

Consultant/project managers earn the highest salaries when working in the technology industry, with an average yearly salary of $107,463. On the other hand, managers, program management are paid more in the technology industry with an average salary of $126,000.consultant/project managers tend to reach similar levels of education than managers, program management. In fact, consultant/project managers are 0.4% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.1% less likely to have a Doctoral Degree.

Manager, program management vs. Program/project manager

The program manager and project manager are two important positions within a company that are thought to be similar. However, program managers direct diverse projects and programs while project managers head the team who is responsible for ensuring a project is completed on time and within budget. Program managers are responsible for the conveyance of the company goals and generally act as a customer interface that helps clients get their desired update and change of a project. Project managers, on the other hand, focus on the project's schedule, scope, and resources needed to complete it on time.

Program/project manager positions earn lower pay than manager, program management roles. They earn a $11,087 lower salary than managers, program management per year.Only some things about these jobs are the same. Take their skills, for example. Managers, program management and program/project managers both require similar skills like "project management," "risk management," and "process improvement" to carry out their responsibilities.

Each career also uses different skills, according to real manager, program management resumes. While manager, program management responsibilities can utilize skills like "oversight," "continuous improvement," "customer service," and "cloud," program/project managers use skills like "program management," "pmp," "portfolio," and "resource management."

On average, program/project managers earn a lower salary than managers, program management. Some industries support higher salaries in each profession. Interestingly enough, program/project managers earn the most pay in the professional industry with an average salary of $123,832. Whereas managers, program management have higher pay in the technology industry, with an average salary of $126,000.program/project managers earn similar levels of education than managers, program management in general. They're 2.2% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.1% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Manager, program management vs. Senior project manager

Senior project managers are experienced employees assigned to oversee a specific project in the organization. They manage the project from conception to execution. They are onboard the project from the ideation phase, providing valuable insights to ensure the success of the project. Senior project managers are also in charge of managing the budget, ensuring that the expected timelines are followed, adjusting strategies when needed, and guiding project team members. It is important for senior project managers to be good leaders and communicators. They should be able to balance the interests of all the stakeholders involved in the project. They should have good interpersonal skills and decision-making skills.

On average scale, senior project managers bring in lower salaries than managers, program management. In fact, they earn a $1,990 lower salary per year.managers, program management and senior project managers both have job responsibilities that require similar skill sets. These similarities include skills such as "project management," "risk management," and "process improvement," but they differ when it comes to other required skills.

The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, managers, program management are more likely to have skills like "oversight," "continuous improvement," "cloud," and "management program." But a senior project manager is more likely to have skills like "program management," "portfolio," "architecture," and "microsoft project."

Senior project managers earn the best pay in the technology industry, where they command an average salary of $118,994. Managers, program management earn the highest pay from the technology industry, with an average salary of $126,000.senior project managers typically earn similar educational levels compared to managers, program management. Specifically, they're 0.6% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.5% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Manager, program management vs. Engagement manager

The role of engagement managers is to build and maintain strong relations with clients. They are responsible for managing a portfolio of client accounts and assisting clients with existing projects. Other duties include assisting clients in resolving their problems, managing bills and invoices for assigned customers, and addressing customer issues efficiently and timely. Additionally, engagement managers are responsible for ensuring that company policies are being complied and ethical standards are being followed. They are also expected to manage and meet client expectations.

Engagement managers tend to earn a lower pay than managers, program management by an average of $524 per year.While their salaries may vary, managers, program management and engagement managers both use similar skills to perform their duties. Resumes from both professions include skills like "project management," "risk management," and "process improvement. "

Even though a few skill sets overlap between managers, program management and engagement managers, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, a manager, program management might have more use for skills like "oversight," "continuous improvement," "management program," and "logistics." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of engagement managers require skills like "analytics," "healthcare," "digital transformation," and "portfolio. "

The professional industry tends to pay the highest salaries for engagement managers, with average annual pay of $141,730. Comparatively, the highest manager, program management annual salary comes from the technology industry.In general, engagement managers hold similar degree levels compared to managers, program management. Engagement managers are 3.2% more likely to earn their Master's Degree and 0.6% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Types of manager, program management

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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