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What is a senior project director and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read
Quoted expert
Nicole Jones Young Ph.D.

The senior project director is responsible for understanding strategic marketing challenges and devising appropriate research plans. He/She manages and oversees all phases of a research initiative, from design through report delivery. He/She develops and manages project budgets and schedules.

Furthermore, he/she supervises the activities of project directors and contributes to their professional development. Also, he/she builds and manages existing client relationships. Likewise, he/she contributes towards efforts to gain new clients. Additionally, he/she forecasts, consolidates, and analyzes bill rates, profitability, revenue and margins across the organization.

For this role, you need a minimum of three years of experience in a relevant role with at least a bachelor's degree in a related field. You must possess organization, communication, analytical, critical thinking, leadership, and teamwork skills. You must also be an expert in Microsoft Office. The senior project director earns a whooping sum of $110,949 in a year. Their salary ranges between $63,000 and $197,000.

What general advice would you give to a senior project director?

Nicole Jones Young Ph.D.Nicole Jones Young Ph.D. LinkedIn profile

Assistant Professor of Organizational Behavior, Franklin and Marshall College

Be flexible. The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a lot of uncertainty, but has created new opportunities in others. Staying flexible allows individuals to shift focus away from industries or occupations that may be in decline, and re-focus on employment opportunities that may be more aligned with our current moment.
ScoreSenior Project DirectorUS Average
Salary
7.6

Avg. Salary $99,266

Avg. Salary $59,228

Diversity
3.4
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.66%

Asian 8.89%

Black or African American 7.53%

Hispanic or Latino 12.61%

Unknown 4.69%

White 65.62%

Gender

female 41.50%

male 58.50%

Age - 47
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 47
Stress level
7.4

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level
1.8

Complexity level is simple

7 - challenging

Work life balance
3.7

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Senior project director career paths

Key steps to become a senior project director

  1. Explore senior project director education requirements

    Most common senior project director degrees

    Bachelor's

    71.4 %

    Master's

    20.0 %

    Associate

    3.4 %
  2. Start to develop specific senior project director skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Project Management23.70%
    Business Operations16.84%
    Product Development11.63%
    Client Satisfaction5.86%
    Strategic Direction4.92%
  3. Research senior project director duties and responsibilities

    • Lead the team through the technical and commercial evaluation of bids and selection of the LSTK EPC contractor.
    • Manage a wide variety of quantitative and qualitative consumer insights studies in the automotive, healthcare, and consumer products industries.
    • Manage content enter into Salesforce.
    • Manage multiple research databases, perform data entry and conduct cost-effectiveness statistical analysis using SPSS.
  4. Get senior project director experience

  5. Prepare your senior project director resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your senior project director resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a senior project director resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose from 10+ customizable senior project director resume templates

    Build a professional senior project director resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your senior project director resume.
    Senior Project Director Resume
    Senior Project Director Resume
    Senior Project Director Resume
    Senior Project Director Resume
    Senior Project Director Resume
    Senior Project Director Resume
    Senior Project Director Resume
    Senior Project Director Resume
    Senior Project Director Resume
  6. Apply for senior project director jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a senior project director job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How did you land your first senior project director job

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Average senior project director salary

The average senior project director salary in the United States is $99,266 per year or $48 per hour. Senior project director salaries range between $67,000 and $146,000 per year.

Average senior project director salary
$99,266 Yearly
$47.72 hourly

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How do senior project directors rate their job?

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Senior project director reviews

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A zippia user wrote a review on Feb 2023
Pros

I like to work with a team. Satisfaction of seeing the successful completion of a project

Cons

Strict deadlines, and stakeholders. Feeling undervalued or underappreciated.


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A zippia user wrote a review on Jun 2020
Pros

I enjoy problem-solving and identifying a path to completing a complex project. I like to ensure that moving parts come together smoothly and communicating successes and celebrating with the team.

Cons

Without the right support from project sponsors, a project manager is doomed to failure. There is an enormous amount of responsibility on a project manager to deliver a product on time and on budget, though without proper authority or backing, it's basically wheel spinning.


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A zippia user wrote a review on May 2020
Pros

I like working with Clients and challenges.

Cons

I would rather work remote with little travel.


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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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