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 project manager responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real senior project manager resumes:
- 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.
- Analyze major cloud providers for a HIPPA regulate client.
- Implement a project management software application (SmartSheet) for staff project scheduling and forecasting.
- Plan and arrange the capacity and servers need for migrating media manager to windows azure cloud system.
- Demonstrate mechanical ability to operate tools, and to read blue prints, electrical schematics and 3d design auto cad development.
- Sped product delivery by transitioning from standard waterfall management to agile scrum methodology.
- Prepare data for database input, extract information from database for statistical calculations and analysis.
- Transit services from large SQL base systems to big-data map/reduce infrastructure to address increasing business requirements.
- Assign to special projects deem high priority ensuring releases test efficiently resulting in shorter testing windows.
- Perform mechanical engineering design work for chandelier lifting devices, HVAC system redesign & specialty applications.
Senior project manager skills and personality traits
We calculated that 17% of Senior Project Managers are proficient in Project Management, Program Management, and Portfolio. They’re also known for soft skills such as Analytical skills, Business skills, and Organizational skills.
We break down the percentage of Senior Project Managers that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Project Management, 17%
Integrated Project Management Best Practices into solutions delivery activities, immediately providing better management and control of existing projects.
- Program Management, 6%
Established multiple Program Management Offices (PMO) supporting single- and joint-agency initiatives, including training/education programs impacting thousands of personnel.
- Portfolio, 5%
Project management responsibilities included national portfolio management, work breakdown development, schedule management, personnel management, and cost management.
- Infrastructure, 4%
Created infrastructure design documentation supporting application requirements.
- Project Scope, 4%
Developed technical descriptions to integrate and develop project scope using work management systems, drawings, materials procurement and construction contracts.
- Business Development, 3%
Provide technical assistance and support to Business Development on Energy Management and related sustainability topics for new business proposals as required.
Common skills that a senior project manager uses to do their job include "project management," "program management," and "portfolio." You can find details on the most important senior project manager responsibilities below.
Analytical skills. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for a senior project manager to have is analytical skills. Their role and responsibilities require that "it managers must analyze problems and consider and select the best ways to solve them." Senior project managers often use analytical skills in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "prepared articles for publication, participated in performance measurement implementation, cost analysis activities and program management reviews. "
Business skills. Another essential skill to perform senior project manager duties is business skills. Senior project managers responsibilities require that "it managers must develop and implement strategic plans to reach the goals of their organizations." Senior project managers also use business skills in their role according to a real resume snippet: "provided program management, technology consulting and business development services which supported networking and security infrastructure solutions. "
Organizational skills. Another skill that relates to the job responsibilities of senior project managers is organizational skills. This skill is critical to many everyday senior project manager duties, as "some it managers must coordinate the work of several different it departments to make the organization run efficiently." This example from a resume shows how this skill is used: "provided guidance, structure, and strategies for comprehensive program management to support organizational resilience. "
Communication skills. senior project manager responsibilities often require "communication skills." The duties that rely on this skill are shown by the fact that "it managers must explain their work to top executives and give clear instructions to their subordinates." This resume example shows what senior project managers do with communication skills on a typical day: "led lean six sigma rapid improvement event that optimized business communications and manpower resources. "
Leadership skills. Another common skill required for senior project manager responsibilities is "leadership skills." This skill comes up in the duties of senior project managers all the time, as "it managers must lead and motivate it teams or departments so that workers are efficient and effective." An excerpt from a real senior project manager resume shows how this skill is central to what a senior project manager does: "provided leadership to program management, product management, and business operations across groups and organizations. "
The three companies that hire the most senior project managers are:
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Compare different senior project managers
Senior project manager vs. Delivery manager
A delivery manager oversees the delivery process and workforce in a company, ensuring accuracy and timeliness. Their responsibilities primarily revolve around coordinating all personnel, managing budgets and schedules, and monitoring all shipments and logistics. A delivery manager must also review orders, address issues and concerns to provide corrective measures quickly, evaluate team members' performance, and train new employees. They may also serve as the point of contact among clients and offer products or services. Furthermore, as a manager, it is essential to lead and encourage the team while implementing the company's policies and guidelines.
There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, senior project manager responsibilities require skills like "program management," "risk management," "microsoft project," and "sigma." Meanwhile a typical delivery manager has skills in areas such as "exceptional client," "cloud," "healthcare," and "java." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.
Delivery managers really shine in the technology industry with an average salary of $115,508. Comparatively, senior project managers tend to make the most money in the technology industry with an average salary of $118,994.On average, delivery managers reach lower levels of education than senior project managers. Delivery managers are 5.7% less likely to earn a Master's Degree and 0.5% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Senior project manager vs. Program manager
A program manager is responsible for monitoring the project's progress, improving and developing new strategies, and coordinate various projects across the organization to ensure the success of the business objective. Program managers also manage the program's expenses, ensuring that the projects adhere to the budget goals without compromising the quality and accuracy of the result. A program manager should regularly connect with the different teams of every project under the program to keep track of the processes and procedures for the timely delivery of the product.
In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, senior project manager responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "portfolio," "architecture," "microsoft project," and "pmi." Meanwhile, a program manager has duties that require skills in areas such as "oversight," "logistics," "product development," and "data analysis." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.
Program managers earn a lower average salary than senior project managers. But program managers earn the highest pay in the technology industry, with an average salary of $115,112. Additionally, senior project managers earn the highest salaries in the technology with average pay of $118,994 annually.Average education levels between the two professions vary. Program managers tend to reach similar levels of education than senior project managers. In fact, they're 0.2% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.5% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Senior project manager vs. Project manager/scrum master
Project Managers or scrum masters are experienced employees who lead an agile team. They are in charge of managing a specific project in terms of the agile model. They lead the team throughout the planning session, the designing of the project parameters, the development of the processes, the implementation of the project, and the evaluation. They represent the team in meetings with stakeholders. They ensure that the working relationship among all the departments involved is harmonious. They also guide their team members throughout the project.
The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, senior project managers are more likely to have skills like "project management," "program management," "scrum," and "architecture." But a project manager/scrum master is more likely to have skills like "sprint planning," "scrum meetings," "agile scrum," and "user stories."
Project managers/scrum master earn the highest salary when working in the media industry, where they receive an average salary of $99,469. Comparatively, senior project managers have the highest earning potential in the technology industry, with an average salary of $118,994.When it comes to education, project managers/scrum master tend to earn higher degree levels compared to senior project managers. In fact, they're 7.0% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.5% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Senior project manager vs. Business analyst/project manager
A business analyst/project manager is responsible for developing project management procedures, analyzing processes, and ensuring the accuracy and efficiency of project deliverables, following clients' specifications and requirements to meet their highest satisfaction. Business analysts/project managers manage project resources, delegate tasks to project staff, setting deadlines, and coordinating with the clients for regular updates and suggest strategic adjustments as needed. They also mitigate potential risks and manage changes during the project execution, maintaining the quality of the outputs, and balancing costs to meet the clients' budget goals.
Types of senior project manager
Updated January 8, 2025
