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Senior project manager skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025

7 min read

Quoted experts

Elisa Chan,

Nicole Jones Young Ph.D.

The most important skill for a senior project manager is a long history of successful project management, including project planning, project initiation, and project control.

Depending on your industry, you'll need to also demonstrate a deep understanding of and familiarity with the type of work done within the industry. For instance, a senior project manager in construction needs to demonstrate knowledge of construction projects and real estate.

Senior project managers will also need to demonstrate soft skills. Some of the most important soft skills for senior project managers include communication and organization.

Below we've compiled a list of the most critical senior project manager skills. We ranked the top skills for senior project managers based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 16.9% of senior project manager resumes contained project management as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a senior project manager needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 senior project manager skills for your resume and career

1. Project Management

Here's how senior project managers use project management:

Integrated Project Management Best Practices into solutions delivery activities, immediately providing better management and control of existing projects.
Developed and initiated new internal processes to improve program and opportunity pipeline for Business Development and Project Management teams.

2. Program Management

Here's how senior project managers use program management:

Established multiple Program Management Offices (PMO) supporting single- and joint-agency initiatives, including training/education programs impacting thousands of personnel.
Created and launched integrated program management, hardware requirement, and environmental qualification test plans for DO-254 requirements driven design.

3. Portfolio

Here's how senior project managers use portfolio:

Project management responsibilities included national portfolio management, work breakdown development, schedule management, personnel management, and cost management.
Advised and oversaw workout of defaulted loan portfolio including review and analysis of borrower's business model and financial condition.

4. Infrastructure

Infrastructure includes the organizational and physical structures needed to run an area or a society smoothly. It is a group of basic facilities required for any society or firm to run sustainably and efficiently. The infrastructural system is a high investing area and helps majorly in flourishing the economy and prosperity of a country. It is an underlying system needed for ensuring the safety and comfort of the public and to run a country smoothly. All the tasks needed to be performed for a flourishing economy and a happy and healthy public are included in infrastructure.

Here's how senior project managers use infrastructure:

Created infrastructure design documentation supporting application requirements.
Integrated operational infrastructure and engineering applications.

5. Project Scope

Here's how senior project managers use project scope:

Developed technical descriptions to integrate and develop project scope using work management systems, drawings, materials procurement and construction contracts.
Interacted with client finance directors, business administrators, engineers and external auditors to determine valuation methodologies and project scopes.

6. Business Development

Business development is the ideas or initiatives that work to make business work better. Selling, advertising, product development, supply chain management, and vendor management are only a few of the divisions involved with it. There is still a lot of networking, negotiating, forming alliances, and trying to save money. The goals set for business development guide and coordinate with all of these various operations and sectors.

Here's how senior project managers use business development:

Provide technical assistance and support to Business Development on Energy Management and related sustainability topics for new business proposals as required.
Implemented business development efforts for the company including bid package preparation, presenting at business seminars, and conducting active outreach.

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7. Risk Management

Risk management is the method of recognizing, evaluating, and managing risks to an organization's resources and profits. Financial insecurity, regulatory liability, strategic management mistakes, incidents, and natural hazards are just some of the challenges or dangers that could arise. For digitalized businesses, IT security vulnerabilities and data-related threats, as well as risk management techniques to mitigate them, have become top priorities.

Here's how senior project managers use risk management:

Ensured on-time project completion and customer satisfaction by providing risk management solutions and troubleshooting services to team members for routine issues.
Created processes and tools for risk management, monitored and liquidated large and complex options positions and/or authorized extension of leverage/credit.

8. Scrum

Scrum is a lean structure for communicating, designing, and promoting complex products, with a focus on programming development. It has been applied to a variety of areas, including manufacturing, testing, new technology, and marketing techniques. Scrum is a simple framework that helps people, organizations, and teams generate value by providing many solutions to complicated problems.

Here's how senior project managers use scrum:

Deployed Scrum Agile Waterfall methodologies and disciplines, including project execution, delivery, and stakeholder management across global matrix organizations.
Introduced and implemented Agile development methodology and actively participated over same by playing scrum master role, defining/managing sprint cycle.

9. Architecture

Here's how senior project managers use architecture:

Implemented Enterprise Architecture Organization Skills Used Leadership skills to introduce industry best practices, and independent judgment to assure project delivery.
Project responsibilities ranged from requirements generation, architecture review, development, IT testing, user validation, to operational turnover.

10. Customer Service

Customer service is the process of offering assistance to all the current and potential customers -- answering questions, fixing problems, and providing excellent service. The main goal of customer service is to build a strong relationship with the customers so that they keep coming back for more business.

Here's how senior project managers use customer service:

Developed financial plans, conducted cost and profitability analyses, negotiated vendor contracts, and supervised quality control and customer service.
Provided consultative services on process for customer service operations and payroll during integration of e-workforce management system with HR management system.

11. Process Improvement

Here's how senior project managers use process improvement:

Ensured on time delivery of multiple software releases by identifying process bottlenecks and providing recommendations to upper management for process improvement.
Compile data to provide Managers and Director with preliminary root cause analysis for process improvements and makes recommendations for changes.

12. Microsoft Project

Here's how senior project managers use microsoft project:

Project financial analysis - monthly reconciliation of the Microsoft Project VxNext project schedule to the financial accounting application for contractor billing.
Facilitate project and programmatic planning of resources including personnel requirements and tracking of project status and budget using Microsoft Project.

13. Sigma

In Greek alphabets, sigma is the 18th letter that means "to sum up". In statistics, the lower case symbol of sigma is the unit of measurement for standard deviation which is used to assess the variability in a given set of data. While the upper case symbol is for summation notation means to add up all the given numbers in the data set.

Here's how senior project managers use sigma:

Monitor and report on key performance indicators (KPI) for various internal service delivery departments utilizing Six Sigma Methodology.
Credit Administration Process Flow - Use Six Sigma methodology to for process improvement to streamline operational functions and efficiency.

14. Software Development

Software development is the mechanism by which programmers create computer programs. The Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) is a framework for developing applications that follow technological needs and consumer requirements. It consists of many stages. The SDLC establishes an international standard that software developers can use to enhance and create their programs. It provides a well-defined framework for software developers to pursue in the production, maintenance, and design of premium quality software. The aim of the software development process is to create high-quality software on time and within budget.

Here's how senior project managers use software development:

Coordinated software development activities with a software vendor utilizing on-site and offshore team in support of resolving defects and software builds/releases.
Succeeded in completion of broad range of initiatives including strategy, user experience design and mobile software development using Agile methodology.

15. Excellent Interpersonal

Here's how senior project managers use excellent interpersonal:

Displayed excellent interpersonal traits in diverse environments, consulting with global regions regarding training requests and providing recommendations on training solutions
Demonstrated excellent interpersonal communication skills with all levels of client management and IS Management.

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What skills help Senior Project Managers find jobs?

Tell us what job you are looking for, we’ll show you what skills employers want.

What skills stand out on senior project manager resumes?

Elisa Chan

Assistant Professor of Marketing, New York Institute of Technology

In my opinion, the fundamental skills required for marketing jobs haven't really changed. What changed is where or how these skills are applied. So my response to this question might sound cliche, but I strongly believe that it is true. Strong statistics and marketing analytics ability to show that you are able to make data-driven decisions. Interpersonal skills to show that you can respectfully and effectively interact with others, which are indicative of how you will manage work relationship as well as that with clients and customers.

What senior project manager skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?

Nicole Jones Young Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Organizational Behavior, Franklin and Marshall College

Gap years are interesting to me. There is a difference between someone who has ample monetary resources and voluntarily decides to take a "gap" year to travel the world, as opposed to someone who involuntarily takes a "gap" year because they legitimately cannot find a job.
For students who opt not enter the workforce immediately upon graduation, I would recommend that they utilize this time in a strategic fashion, primarily expanding their network, increasing their skills related to data analytics/analysis, and reading or researching within the broader business field as well as their particular field of interest. Expanding your network is always beneficial because of the value employers place on referrals. If students do not know where to start, I would recommend they join their applicable professional organization and begin attending events (virtual events can still help build relationships).
While specific job duties may differ, the ability to understand and utilize data is in high demand in virtually every job role. Having comfort with data-both quantitative and qualitative--can be a highly beneficial skill that many in the job market may not have to offer.
I also recommend continued reading and researching, as whenever you do enter the workforce you want to know what is going on. I am never surprised, but always disappointed when I ask my students if they heard the latest job numbers or if they saw a recent news article. It is hard to articulate your value to an organization's problems if you are unaware of what they are. Stay current.
Interestingly, I would not recommend that someone enroll in a graduate program simply to take up time. If you just love school, have a clear focus, or had already planned to enroll in graduate school prior to COVID, then proceed. However, if you are unsure about your interests or future career goals, enrolling in a graduate program may be a large investment of time and money that may not result in securing a job of interest upon completion.

What type of skills will young senior project managers need?

Jennifer Tockman

Director of Career Development and BOLD Women's Leadership Network, Colby-Sawyer College

Flexibility, ability to adapt to whatever style work style, and the environment we are using given the world around us, working as a team (even if remote), can be a self-learner, especially in a private fashion. Excellent communication skills are also essential for success.

What technical skills for a senior project manager stand out to employers?

Peggy Smith

Department Chair, Arlington Baptist University

It is my fervent belief (based on research and trends) that the technical skills associated with IT, computer programming, software management, social media specialist, customer relations management (CRM), sales, & marketing will be in high demand particularly as we navigate this new normal world in which we are currently living.

What soft skills should all senior project managers possess?

Milena Stanislavova Ph.D.

Professor of Mathematics and Chair of Economics Department, University of Kansas

Working and collaborating in groups, presenting to different audiences, writing technical reports, grant applications and researching new topics are all essential soft skills. Much of today's world relies on data, so collecting, summarizing, organizing and presenting data is also an important soft skill that is becoming quite fundamental.

Do you want to know more?

List of senior project manager skills to add to your resume

The most important skills for a senior project manager resume and required skills for a senior project manager to have include:

Project Management
Program Management
Portfolio
Infrastructure
Project Scope
Business Development
Risk Management
Scrum
Architecture
Customer Service
Process Improvement
Microsoft Project
Sigma
Software Development
Excellent Interpersonal
Customer Satisfaction
PMO

Patients
Client Facing
Digital Transformation
PMI
Jira
Strong Project Management
Project Documentation
Excellent Client
Excellent Organizational
SharePoint
Resource Management
Project Budget
Azure
QA
Strong Analytical
HR
Work Ethic

Saas
SDLC
Business Process
CRM
Visio
Lean Six Sigma
Windows
ERP
Management System
Escalation Management
SQL
Direct Reports
Application Development
BI
Cloud Computing

Updated January 8, 2025

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.

Updated January 8, 2025

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