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Senior program operations manager vs senior project manager

The differences between senior program operations managers and senior project managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a senior program operations manager has an average salary of $120,350, which is higher than the $110,947 average annual salary of a senior project manager.

The top three skills for a senior program operations manager include metrics, project management and program management. The most important skills for a senior project manager are project management, program management, and portfolio.

Senior program operations manager vs senior project manager overview

Senior Program Operations ManagerSenior Project Manager
Yearly salary$120,350$110,947
Hourly rate$57.86$53.34
Growth rate6%16%
Number of jobs317,536183,210
Job satisfaction-5
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 70%Bachelor's Degree, 69%
Average age4447
Years of experience6-

What does a senior program operations manager do?

A senior operations manager is responsible for managing and overseeing a few high-level duties related to human resources (HR). Your duties typically include analyzing and improving organizational processes, working to improve efficiency, productivity, and quality, and providing leadership to overall staff. Additionally, you will be responsible for assisting HR with hiring when needed, promoting a company culture that encourages high morale and top performance, and overseeing the planning, auditing, and budgeting activities. As a senior operations manager, you are also expected to work closely with the board of directors to plan for short- and long-term goals.

What does a senior project manager do?

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.

Senior program operations manager vs senior project manager salary

Senior program operations managers and senior project managers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Senior Program Operations ManagerSenior Project Manager
Average salary$120,350$110,947
Salary rangeBetween $90,000 And $160,000Between $82,000 And $148,000
Highest paying CityWashington, DCSan Francisco, CA
Highest paying stateWashingtonCalifornia
Best paying companyRivianRoku
Best paying industryHealth CareTechnology

Differences between senior program operations manager and senior project manager education

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

Senior Program Operations ManagerSenior Project Manager
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 70%Bachelor's Degree, 69%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common collegeUniversity of PennsylvaniaUniversity of Pennsylvania

Senior program operations manager vs senior project manager demographics

Here are the differences between senior program operations managers' and senior project managers' demographics:

Senior Program Operations ManagerSenior Project Manager
Average age4447
Gender ratioMale, 71.7% Female, 28.3%Male, 71.4% Female, 28.6%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 6.2% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.2% Asian, 6.4% White, 67.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%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 Percentage10%10%

Differences between senior program operations manager and senior project manager duties and responsibilities

Senior program operations manager example responsibilities.

  • Manage payroll distribution process ensuring timeliness, accuracy, and confidentiality to protect client's privacy and prevent liability of exposure.
  • Develop tools, policies, procedures for the PMO.
  • Own PMO and change management responsibly throughout project lifecycles.
  • Manage payroll distribution process ensuring timeliness, accuracy, and confidentiality to protect client's privacy and prevent liability of exposure.
  • Direct enhancement to incorporate MERS approval and notification for all litigation documents, to include requirements and UAT.

Senior project manager example responsibilities.

  • Lead a cloud base property management project.
  • Manage all financial interfaces to existing PeopleSoft applications from design to delivery.
  • Lead implementation of JIRA and numerous project/program delivery improvements in order efficiently deliver concurrent application releases.
  • Manage client relationships and perform necessary functions to build and deliver private/secure CRM applications and email accounts.
  • Streamline and centralize usage of project management tools to manage dependencies and transparent delivery milestones for highly complex SaaS platforms
  • Establish project scope with customer and manage implementation of proprietary Linux /Ubuntu software to ensure on-time delivery with high quality.
  • Show more

Senior program operations manager vs senior project manager skills

Common senior program operations manager skills
  • Metrics, 12%
  • Project Management, 11%
  • Program Management, 9%
  • Continuous Improvement, 6%
  • SR, 6%
  • Logistics, 4%
Common senior project manager skills
  • Project Management, 17%
  • Program Management, 6%
  • Portfolio, 5%
  • Infrastructure, 4%
  • Project Scope, 4%
  • Business Development, 3%

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