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Senior manager, program management vs director of project management

The differences between senior managers, program management and directors of project management can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a senior manager, program management has an average salary of $132,993, which is higher than the $126,958 average annual salary of a director of project management.

The top three skills for a senior manager, program management include program management, project management and continuous improvement. The most important skills for a director of project management are oversight, risk management, and resource management.

Senior manager, program management vs director of project management overview

Senior Manager, Program ManagementDirector Of Project Management
Yearly salary$132,993$126,958
Hourly rate$63.94$61.04
Growth rate16%16%
Number of jobs263,686200,498
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 69%Bachelor's Degree, 71%
Average age4747
Years of experience8-

What does a senior manager, program management do?

A senior manager of product management is responsible for overseeing the product development procedures and techniques from conceptualization to final outputs, including budget limitations and deliverables within the required timeframes. Senior managers of product management implement quality control processes to identify potential inconsistencies and glitches, adjusting initial projected plans as needed. They coordinate with suppliers and third-party vendors to support the production, ensuring high-quality providers to avoid delays and complications on product management. A senior manager of product management also reports progress updates with the clients and manage product release to the target market.

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.

Senior manager, program management vs director of project management salary

Senior managers, program management and directors of project management have different pay scales, as shown below.

Senior Manager, Program ManagementDirector Of Project Management
Average salary$132,993$126,958
Salary rangeBetween $97,000 And $182,000Between $85,000 And $187,000
Highest paying CitySan Francisco, CAFoster City, CA
Highest paying stateCaliforniaCalifornia
Best paying companyRokuMeta
Best paying industryInternetReal Estate

Differences between senior manager, program management and director of project management education

There are a few differences between a senior manager, program management and a director of project management in terms of educational background:

Senior Manager, Program ManagementDirector Of Project Management
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 69%Bachelor's Degree, 71%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common collegeCarnegie Mellon UniversityUniversity of Pennsylvania

Senior manager, program management vs director of project management demographics

Here are the differences between senior managers, program management' and directors of project management' demographics:

Senior Manager, Program ManagementDirector Of Project Management
Average age4747
Gender ratioMale, 73.1% Female, 26.9%Male, 66.9% Female, 33.1%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 6.8% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 10.2% Asian, 14.8% White, 62.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%Black or African American, 7.5% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 12.5% Asian, 8.8% White, 65.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage11%10%

Differences between senior manager, program management and director of project management duties and responsibilities

Senior manager, program management example responsibilities.

  • Manage Americas fitness reimbursement and tuition reimbursement plans.
  • Manage projects leveraging both agile and waterfall methodologies throughout SDLC.
  • Manage full SDLC application development projects using agile development methodology.
  • Handle intake process, obtain insurance authorizations, supervise utilization and management of Medicaid behavioral health manage care services.
  • Demonstrate use of PMI methodology practices and tools.
  • Implement PMI standards and methodology, IEEE system engineering standards, and project recovery techniques.
  • Show more

Director of project management example responsibilities.

  • 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.
  • Show more

Senior manager, program management vs director of project management skills

Common senior manager, program management skills
  • Program Management, 16%
  • Project Management, 12%
  • Continuous Improvement, 5%
  • Risk Management, 4%
  • Infrastructure, 4%
  • Sigma, 3%
Common director of project management skills
  • Oversight, 9%
  • Risk Management, 6%
  • Resource Management, 5%
  • Business Objectives, 5%
  • Healthcare, 5%
  • Customer Satisfaction, 5%

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