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What does a senior project manager/development manager do?

Updated January 8, 2025
8 min read

Senior Project Managers or Development Managers are responsible for leading the operations of a project from inception to completion. Their duties include preparing client agreements, managing project compliance plans, assisting in labor allocations, addressing project variances, and facilitating team meetings. They are responsible for facilitating procedures of internal control, producing meeting minutes, leading marketing initiatives, organizing project schedules, and monitoring project performance. Senior Project Managers also ensure contract compliance and contribute to project risk management efforts.

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Senior project manager/development manager responsibilities

Here are examples of responsibilities from real senior project manager/development manager resumes:

  • Manage definition and a vendor selection process that help implement the PMO
  • Implement a repeatable process methodology base on the PMI PMBOK defining a systematic approach to delivering solutions and achieving customer objectives.
  • Serve as primary point of contact regarding SDLC, systems upgrades, deployment, and troubleshooting.
  • Used a lightweight, incremental methodology, interacting closely with client and stakeholders throughout many iterations of SDLC.
  • Serve as the primary interface between technology infrastructure and specific business and functional areas.
  • Maintain relational database (develop in-house) that allow selections from database by many users.
  • Establish a development and production infrastructure for a major utility to enable migration from a traditional centralize computing environment to client/server.
  • Implement a repeatable process methodology base on the PMI PMBOK defining a systematic approach to delivering solutions and achieving customer objectives.
  • Design and code new dynamic web site creation capability in PHP.
  • Track and monitor daily applications to ensure that all SLA's are meet.
  • Provide status updates for BT and clients to ensure milestones align with SLA.
  • Develop security libraries for use in upgrading legacy PHP applications to implement stronger security and data validation.
  • Establish project scope with customer and manage implementation of proprietary Linux /Ubuntu software to ensure on-time delivery with high quality.

Senior project manager/development manager skills and personality traits

We calculated that 26% of Senior Project Manager/Development Managers are proficient in Project Management, Business Development, and C++. They’re also known for soft skills such as Analytical skills, Communication skills, and Creativity.

We break down the percentage of Senior Project Manager/Development Managers that have these skills listed on their resume here:

  • Project Management, 26%

    Facilitate and Author Project Management Documents, Procedures and Metrics ensuring a successful launch of critical key personnel.

  • Business Development, 18%

    Performed sales presentations; prepared project estimates, business development, feasibility studies and project cost proposals.

  • C++, 11%

    Managed client and 20 developers using C++, Active-X, PL/SQL, and Oracle.

  • Real Estate, 4%

    Create conceptual budgets/estimates for new locations & interact with real estate team to derive lease terms and parameters.

  • Infrastructure, 4%

    Established a development and production infrastructure for a major utility to enable migration from a traditional centralized computing environment to client/server.

  • Project Development, 4%

    Raised an estimated $800 million in private-project development capital.Work Experience

Most senior project manager/development managers use their skills in "project management," "business development," and "c++" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential senior project manager/development manager responsibilities here:

Analytical skills. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for a senior project manager/development manager to have is analytical skills. Their role and responsibilities require that "developers must analyze users’ needs and then design software to meet those needs." Senior project manager/development managers often use analytical skills in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "designed and developed a database infrastructure for market planning web portals. "

Communication skills. Another essential skill to perform senior project manager/development manager duties is communication skills. Senior project manager/development managers responsibilities require that "developers must be able to give clear instructions to others working on a project." Senior project manager/development managers also use communication skills in their role according to a real resume snippet: "created a process system for design department, communication procedures, estimating/buy-out, project management and contract administration best practices. "

Creativity. senior project manager/development managers are also known for creativity, which are critical to their duties. You can see how this skill relates to senior project manager/development manager responsibilities, because "developers are the creative minds behind new computer software." A senior project manager/development manager resume example shows how creativity is used in the workplace: "store planning and design, project management, purchasing, inventory management, logistics and financial reporting. "

Detail oriented. A big part of what senior project manager/development managers do relies on "detail oriented." You can see how essential it is to senior project manager/development manager responsibilities because "developers often work on many parts of an application or system at the same time and must therefore be able to concentrate and pay attention to detail." Here's an example of how this skill is used from a resume that represents typical senior project manager/development manager tasks: "define detailed project scope, prepare end-to-end project execution plan. "

Interpersonal skills. A commonly-found skill in senior project manager/development manager job descriptions, "interpersonal skills" is essential to what senior project manager/development managers do. Senior project manager/development manager responsibilities rely on this skill because "software developers must be able to work well with others who contribute to designing, developing, and programming successful software." You can also see how senior project manager/development manager duties rely on interpersonal skills in this resume example: "created strong customer relationships through outstanding interpersonal skills and customer service. "

Problem-solving skills. While "problem-solving skills" is last on this skills list, don't underestimate its importance to senior project manager/development manager responsibilities. Much of what a senior project manager/development manager does relies on this skill, seeing as "because developers are in charge of software from beginning to end, they must be able to solve problems that arise throughout the design process." Here is a resume example of how this skill is used in the everyday duties of senior project manager/development managers: "rewarded for exceptional execution of the implementation of peoplesoft web-based hr solution for easier, more cost-effective hr/payroll and benefits processing. "

See the full list of senior project manager/development manager skills

Choose from 10+ customizable senior project manager/development manager resume templates

Build a professional senior project manager/development manager resume in minutes. Our AI resume writing assistant will guide you through every step of the process, and you can choose from 10+ resume templates to create your senior project manager/development manager resume.
Senior Project Manager/Development Manager Resume
Senior Project Manager/Development Manager Resume
Senior Project Manager/Development Manager Resume
Senior Project Manager/Development Manager Resume
Senior Project Manager/Development Manager Resume
Senior Project Manager/Development Manager Resume
Senior Project Manager/Development Manager Resume
Senior Project Manager/Development Manager Resume
Senior Project Manager/Development Manager Resume
Senior Project Manager/Development Manager Resume
Senior Project Manager/Development Manager Resume
Senior Project Manager/Development Manager Resume
Senior Project Manager/Development Manager Resume
Senior Project Manager/Development Manager Resume
Senior Project Manager/Development Manager Resume
Senior Project Manager/Development Manager Resume

Compare different senior project manager/development managers

Senior project manager/development manager vs. Project leader

A project leader is responsible for supervising the team and managing the distribution of tasks to ensure the project's success with the highest efficiency and accuracy. Duties of a project leader include motivating the team, managing the team's needs and concerns, providing effective strategies to improve the team's performance, creating reports, monitoring the team's progress, and maintaining the coordination between team members. A project leader should have exceptional leadership skills to handle the team's operation and identify areas of improvement to deliver excellent results.

The annual salary of project leaders is $6,377 lower than the average salary of senior project manager/development managers.Even though senior project manager/development managers and project leaders are distinct careers, a few of the skills required for both jobs are similar. For example, both careers require project management, business development, and c++ in the day-to-day roles and responsibilities.

While similarities exist, there are also some differences between senior project manager/development managers and project leader. For instance, senior project manager/development manager responsibilities require skills such as "real estate," "infrastructure," "project development," and "construction management." Whereas a project leader is skilled in "work ethic," "strong work ethic," "project plan," and "architecture." This is part of what separates the two careers.

Project leaders earn the highest salaries when working in the professional industry, with an average yearly salary of $118,370. On the other hand, senior project manager/development managers are paid more in the finance industry with an average salary of $113,323.project leaders tend to reach similar levels of education than senior project manager/development managers. In fact, project leaders are 0.9% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 1.0% more likely to have a Doctoral Degree.

Senior project manager/development manager 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.

Consultant/project manager positions earn lower pay than senior project manager/development manager roles. They earn a $4,182 lower salary than senior project manager/development managers per year.While the salary may differ for these jobs, they share a few skills needed to perform their duties. Based on resume data, both senior project manager/development managers and consultant/project managers have skills such as "project management," "business development," and "infrastructure. "

While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that senior project manager/development manager responsibilities requires skills like "c++," "c #," "real estate," and "project development." But a consultant/project manager might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "executive management," "customer satisfaction," "manage project scope," and "cash flow."

Consultant/project managers earn a lower average salary than senior project manager/development managers. But consultant/project managers earn the highest pay in the technology industry, with an average salary of $107,463. Additionally, senior project manager/development managers earn the highest salaries in the finance with average pay of $113,323 annually.consultant/project managers earn similar levels of education than senior project manager/development managers in general. They're 0.3% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 1.0% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Senior project manager/development manager vs. Information technology project manager

An information technology project manager is responsible for supervising the technology department, ensuring that all tasks are being done by following technological strategies and solutions. Information technology project managers' duties include monitoring the technology team's daily operation, handling team members' concerns, managing customers' inquiries and complaints, helping team members' in achieving their professional growth, creating reports, sharing updates during team and board meetings, and maintaining effectivity of operational procedures. An information technology project manager must have excellent leadership and decision-making skills to decide on the best strategies in meeting the company's objectives.

An average information technology project manager eans a higher salary compared to the average salary of senior project manager/development managers. The difference in salaries amounts to information technology project managers earning a $2,045 higher average salary than senior project manager/development managers.senior project manager/development managers and information technology project managers both have job responsibilities that require similar skill sets. These similarities include skills such as "project management," "business development," and "infrastructure," but they differ when it comes to other required skills.

There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, a senior project manager/development manager is likely to be skilled in "c++," "c #," "real estate," and "project development," while a typical information technology project manager is skilled in "scrum," "risk management," "technical support," and "excellent organizational."

Information technology project managers earn the highest salary when working in the technology industry, where they receive an average salary of $120,713. Comparatively, senior project manager/development managers have the highest earning potential in the finance industry, with an average salary of $113,323.information technology project managers typically earn similar educational levels compared to senior project manager/development managers. Specifically, they're 1.1% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.4% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Senior project manager/development manager vs. Manager applications development

An applications development manager is responsible for keeping businesses running smoothly and effectively through planning, coordinating, and overseeing all activities related to software applications. You will oversee the maintenance, upgrade, and support of existing applications and systems required for the smooth day-to-day operations of the business. Other tasks that you will likely perform include providing estimates for project timeline and cost, overseeing feasibility research on software applications, and diagnosing and troubleshooting program errors. As an applications development manager, you are also responsible for recommending software products and services that will benefit the company.

Managers applications development average a higher salary than the annual salary of senior project manager/development managers. The difference is about $18,591 per year.While both senior project manager/development managers and managers applications development complete day-to-day tasks using similar skills like project management, business development, and c++, the two careers vary in some skills.Each job also requires different skills to carry out their responsibilities. A senior project manager/development manager uses "real estate," "project development," "construction management," and "project scope." Managers applications development are more likely to have duties that require skills in "java," "ongoing maintenance," "architecture," and "scrum. "In general, managers applications development earn the most working in the finance industry, with an average salary of $130,492. The highest-paying industry for a senior project manager/development manager is the finance industry.managers applications development reach similar levels of education compared to senior project manager/development managers, in general. The difference is that they're 4.6% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.3% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Types of senior project manager/development manager

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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