There is a growing demand for project management talent.
Through 2027, you can expect the project management-oriented labor force to grow by 33%, equating to nearly 22 million new jobs across various sectors.
By then, employers will need almost 88 million individuals in project management roles to meet market demands. 😱
However, it’s a high-stakes job. A whopping 91.5% of projects go over budget or miss deadlines, with less than 1% completing on time, within budget, and delivering promised benefits.
These failures highlight the critical importance of hiring the right project manager—professionals with the skills and experience to prevent costly project mismanagement.
As an HR professional, clarity in project management job titles will help you recruit the right talent and avoid costly project delays and overruns. Let’s look at the different types of project managers and their roles.
Project Manager Job Titles and Role in Project Management
Summarize this article for me pleaseDifferent Types of Project Managers
Project management is not a one-size-fits-all discipline. It varies depending on the complexity of your industry, the department you are supporting, and the project’s scope. And to go with that, you have project managers with varying degrees of skill and authority.
These are the most common project manager types:
Entry-level project managers
An entry-level project manager, sometimes called an assistant or junior project manager, is usually new to the field or transitioning to it. They are present in the highest numbers in any project management office.
They will primarily assist the senior project managers in your company with administrative tasks, create schedules, and coordinate essential projects.
As an entry-level PM, they will help manage small projects or portions of more significant initiatives.
Mid-level project managers
Mid-level project managers are usually the second-highest numbers in any project management office. They are seasoned professionals who will help you manage medium to large projects.
They are capable of managing the entire project management life cycle independently. You can count on them to handle team management, project planning, budgeting, stakeholder communication, and risk mitigation skills.
In this role, the PMs are expected to often coordinate across multiple teams and departments to ensure that the projects align with your company’s strategic objectives.
Senior-level project managers
A senior project manager can lead high-stakes projects that significantly impact your organization. These projects typically have large budgets, multiple teams and departments, and considerable risk.
The senior PM should be capable of handling the responsibility for strategic project planning, stakeholder management, and ensuring that projects align with organizational goals.
Specialized project managers
The number of specialized project managers is as large as the number of industries. They come from IT, construction, healthcare, marketing, and other specialties that require hiring a specialized project manager.
These professionals bring years of industry-specific knowledge and are experts at managing complex projects unique to their field.
For example, an IT project manager handles software development projects, while a construction project manager oversees projects requiring strict adherence to safety regulations and timelines.
Summarize this article for me please5 Tiers of Project Managers
Project management roles typically follow a structured career progression, with each tier requiring higher expertise and responsibility.
Understanding these tiers can help you accurately assess candidates’ qualifications and experience.
Tier 1: Project coordinator
The project coordinator is often an entry-level position that provides essential support to the project team. They handle administrative tasks and assist in keeping the project on track by managing documentation, tracking progress, and scheduling meetings.
Characteristics
- Communicates effectively with stakeholders and team members
- Skilled at managing multiple deadlines without losing focus
- Demonstrates strong problem-solving capabilities and the ability to think critically
- Effectively leads by example or motivates teams
- Proficient in project management software and tools to monitor project metrics
- Maintains composure under pressure and inspires optimism in the team
Career progression
- This role is a stepping stone to positions like junior project manager
Responsibilities
- Support senior PMs in scheduling and resource allocation
- Independently manage small-scale projects
- Assist in stakeholder communication and project documentation
Skills required
- Proficient in communication and basic project management methodologies
- Comfortable using project management tools for tracking tasks and deadlines
🔮 Look for: strong organizational and communication skills, even if they come from non-project management roles, as these are critical for coordinating tasks and supporting teams.
Tier 2: Junior project manager
A junior project manager begins taking on smaller projects while supporting senior PMs in more complex initiatives. This role focuses on developing leadership skills and managing project resources effectively.
Characteristics
- Manages smaller projects independently and supports larger, more complex ones
- Enhances skills in team coordination and stakeholder communication
- Gains advanced proficiency in project management tools and software
Career progression
- Typically progresses into mid-level project manager roles after honing fundamental project management skills
Responsibilities
- Oversee project schedules and resources
- Manage communication across stakeholders, teams, and vendors
- Identify potential risks and plan mitigation strategies
Skills required
- Advanced problem-solving and multitasking capabilities
- Strong leadership and coordination skills
🔮 Look for: The ability to manage smaller projects while demonstrating leadership potential. Have them walk you through a real-world problem they’ve solved.
Tier 3: Project manager
The project manager oversees medium—to large projects, focusing on managing teams, budgets, and project delivery. They ensure that projects align with business objectives and are completed within scope.
Characteristics
- Manages more complex projects involving larger teams and higher budgets
- Provides leadership in risk management, stakeholder communication, and budgeting
- Uses advanced project management software for tracking and reporting
Career progression
- Often advances to senior project management or program manager roles
Responsibilities
- Ensure timely delivery of projects aligned with business goals
- Manage cross-functional teams and optimize resource use
- Track project budgets and control costs effectively
Skills required
- Expertise in project management methodologies like Six Sigma, Agile, and Waterfall
- Strong leadership and budgeting skills
🔮 Look for: Candidates who can handle budgets, deadlines, and stakeholder communications. Ask for detailed project management examples of how they’ve delivered projects under pressure using task management tools.
Tier 4: Senior project manager
Senior project managers lead complex projects that may span across departments or regions. They focus on strategic decision-making and aligning projects with long-term organizational goals.
Characteristics
- Oversees large-scale, cross-functional projects
- Provides strategic direction and engages with high-level stakeholders
- Leverages advanced project management techniques for time and resource tracking
Career progression
- Potentially moves into roles like program manager or portfolio manager
Responsibilities
- Lead high-budget projects from initiation to completion
- Manage cross-functional teams across departments
- Develop strategies that align projects with business objectives
Skills required
- Advanced knowledge of project management methodologies
- Strong leadership and strategic thinking abilities
🔮 Look for: Deep technical expertise paired with leadership. Ensure they can align large, cross-functional teams with strategic goals. A scenario-based interview can reveal their decision-making style.
Tier 5: Program/portfolio manager
Program and portfolio managers oversee multiple projects, ensuring they align with broader organizational goals. These job titles position themselves near the top of the project management hierarchy.
This project manager ensures that each project contributes to long-term strategies. They can sometimes be categorized as specialized project managers, like a construction project manager, since they handle a specific portfolio of construction projects.
Characteristics
- Oversees multiple projects or programs, ensuring they align with business strategies
- Provides leadership across departments, focusing on resource allocation and high-level reporting
Career progression
- Often advances to executive-level roles, such as Chief Operating Officer (COO) or Chief Project Officer (CPO)
Responsibilities
- Manage specialized projects requiring specific industry expertise
- Ensure compliance with industry standards and coordinate specialized teams
Skills Required
- Expertise in managing specialized teams and deep knowledge of industry-specific tools
🔮 Look for: Those with experience managing multiple projects simultaneously and aligning them with business strategy. Test their strategic thinking and collaboration with senior stakeholders.
Summarize this article for me pleaseSupporting Roles in Project Management
Effective project management isn’t just about the project manager—it also involves a range of supporting roles that help ensure your project runs smoothly.
Here are some essential support roles:
- Project coordinators: These professionals assist the project manager with administrative tasks, scheduling, and documentation. They are your bridge between the project manager and the project management team. They ensure that the communication is clear and you meet your deadlines
- Business analysts: Business analysts work with clients and other teams to define project requirements. They ensure client briefs are correctly deciphered regarding business requirements and align with the organization’s strategic objectives
- Team leads: Team leads manage a specific project management team within a project. They report directly to the project manager and ensure their team meets deadlines and quality standards
Good project managers rely on support roles to ensure tasks are completed on time and within scope. These project roles facilitate communication, provide additional oversight, and ensure the project stays aligned with business objectives.
By doing these tasks efficiently, the support roles allow project managers to focus on the bigger picture. They use tools to enable this collaboration by simplifying communication and centralizing project tasks in one platform.
➡️ Also Read: How to Get Project Management Experience at Work
How ClickUp facilitates collaboration
ClickUp, a comprehensive project management tool, can help teams organize tasks, track progress, and collaborate seamlessly. For HR professionals hiring project managers, it’s an invaluable tool for understanding and enhancing the skills required in different roles.
By using ClickUp’s wide array of features, you can ensure your project teams have the tools to succeed while staying on top of timelines and deliverables and being in sync.
Here are some features that can help:
1. Goal management
ClickUp Goals help project teams set and track their objectives. It allows them to visualize goals, break them down into smaller tasks, and monitor progress toward achieving them.
The ClickUp Task Priorities feature allows project management teams to prioritize the most important tasks. The teams can set priority levels—‘urgent,’ ‘high,’ ‘medium,’ and ‘low’—to ensure no critical task is delayed.
2. Real-time collaboration
ClickUp Docs allows real-time collaboration, with the ability to create, edit, comment, and share documents. Project managers can also create wikis and stay fully aligned on project requirements.
Another feature that can help is ClickUp Whiteboards, a visual workspace for brainstorming where teams can share ideas, strategies, and workflows in real time.
3. Efficient communication
With ClickUp Assigned Comments, project managers can easily delegate tasks, ensuring every team member knows their responsibilities.
ClickUp Inbox, on the other hand, centralizes all team communications, ensuring that no message gets lost in the shuffle.
Whether your project management team coordinates across departments or manages day-to-day tasks, ClickUp’s suite of collaboration features will help them to work better together and deliver projects on time!
Summarize this article for me pleaseSenior-Level Positions in Project Management
As HR professionals and hiring managers, it’s essential to recognize the strategic value senior-level project management roles bring to an organization.
As project managers transition into senior positions, they shift from managing individual projects to driving company-wide initiatives.
Program manager
Program managers oversee multiple interrelated projects that contribute to a larger organizational objective. This project management job demands that rather than managing a single project, all projects within a program be strategically aligned and run efficiently.
Program managers act as a bridge between teams, ensuring that resources are optimized and that the program delivers its intended value.
Key leadership responsibilities
- Ensure each project within the program contributes to the broader organizational goals
- Facilitate communication and collaboration between different project teams
- Make sure resources are allocated effectively across all projects to avoid bottlenecks
- Leverage tools to track multiple projects simultaneously, monitor progress, and report to executives
Portfolio manager
Portfolio managers take a broader view than Program Managers. They oversee multiple programs or projects, ensuring they collectively align with the organization’s long-term strategy.
This role involves evaluating the success of various projects to ensure that resource allocation to initiatives drives positive change.
Key leadership responsibilities
- Oversee a collection of projects and programs, ensuring they align with strategic objectives
- Make critical decisions regarding the prioritization, continuation, or adjustment of projects
- Ensure that resources are being used efficiently across the portfolio
- Utilize portfolio management tools to consolidate reporting, manage risks, and provide real-time updates to stakeholders
Chief Operating Officer (COO)
At the top of the project management hierarchy, the Chief Operating Officer (COO) oversees all projects and operational activities across the company.
The COO ensures that every project aligns with the company’s strategic goals and vision. This role offers guidance on large-scale operations, resource management, and company-wide initiatives.
Key leadership responsibilities
- Provide strategic leadership and direction for all operational projects and programs
- Ensure all projects align with the company’s goals
Summarize this article for me pleaseTools to Support Project Managers Deliver Projects on Time
Providing the right tools is essential to strengthen your project teams and ensure timely and successful project delivery.
ClickUp’s Project Management tool is dynamic, and you can tailor it to meet all project managers’ needs. Whether your PMs need project management software to track tasks, manage timelines, or oversee complex projects, ClickUp offers customizable features that adapt to each role.
With this tool, entry-level project managers can track individual tasks and deadlines. On the other hand, senior-level PMs can use it to manage portfolios, oversee resources, and drive strategic goals.
It also allows project managers across different roles to plan, execute, and monitor their projects effectively, driving success and productivity in every task.
Benefits of using ClickUp for project management
ClickUp offers several key benefits that support project managers in delivering high-quality results:
- Versatility: Adapt to any project, whether it’s Agile, Waterfall, or hybrid, making ClickUp suitable for various industries and team sizes
- Customization: Tailor your workflow to fit your unique needs perfectly with Custom Fields, Custom Statuses, 15+ custom views, and templates
- Collaboration: Enhance team communication and ensure everyone stays on the same page with real-time editing, comments, and ClickUp Chat
- Task management: Break down tasks and track their progress effortlessly, from simple to-do lists to complex project timelines
- Automation: Automate repetitive tasks to save time and reduce errors, allowing your team to focus on what truly matters
- Integration: Seamlessly integrate with other tools you already use, such as Slack, Google Drive, and Microsoft Office, to centralize all your work
- Reporting: Make informed decisions and optimize processes with detailed reports and dashboards
➡️ Also Read: How to Create a Gantt Chart for Project Management
Features overview: Gantt charts, task management, time tracking
Here is an overview of features that your project management team can benefit from:
1. Gantt Charts
ClickUp Gantt Chart View enables project managers to create visual timelines that show task dependencies and project progress in a single view. This allows PMs to break down tasks, monitor the status of each, and adjust deadlines based on changes in scope or resource availability.
The custom view options within the Gantt Charts allow PMs to see project dependencies, critical paths, and task updates in real time. This allows them to rearrange timelines and deliver each project phase on time.
2. Task management
The ClickUp Tasks feature allows project managers to create and assign tasks to team members, ensuring everyone knows their roles and deadlines. The system also enables users to add comments, attach files, and track task completion.
Tasks allow PMs to switch between lists, Kanban boards, or calendar views, depending on their preferred way of working. By keeping all information in one place, this helps simplify communication and improve team collaboration.
3. Time tracking
The ClickUp Project Time Tracking feature enables project managers to track time on specific tasks. This ensures that projects stay on budget and resource allocation is efficient.
It integrates seamlessly with task management, allowing PMs to monitor task progress and team productivity in real time and assess what they need to do to reach the project milestones on time.
Best practices for timely project delivery
Irrespective of the tool the PMs might ask for or know, as an HR or a hiring manager, you should ask during interviews if they follow best practices in their daily routine tasks such as:
- Break projects into smaller tasks and set deadlines
- Prioritize tasks based on urgency and impact
- Regularly communicate with stakeholders to avoid misunderstandings
- Use project management software to track progress in real-time
- Monitor resource allocation and make adjustments when needed
How ClickUp helps maintain timelines and budgets
Brent Flyvbjerg states that less than 1% of projects are completed on time, within budget, and deliver the promised benefits.
ClickUp provides features and templates that assist project managers in maintaining their timelines and budgets:
- ClickUp Templates: Manage project timelines, budgeting, and task prioritization to ensure that projects start on the right foot with pre-built project management templates
- ClickUp Recurring tasks: Automatically schedule repeating tasks to keep projects moving consistently
- ClickUp Milestones: Mark key milestones to ensure they meet critical deadlines
- Budget management: Track costs and ensure that projects stay within budget with features like ClickUp Project Time Tracking and Custom Fields
Summarize this article for me pleaseRecruit the Right Project Managers with ClickUp
Understanding project manager titles, tiers, and supporting roles is essential for HR professionals and hiring managers. Each project management job title reflects a different level of responsibility and expertise, so accurately identifying these project manager roles ensures you hire the right fit.
With ClickUp’s features, such as goal management, task tracking, Gantt charts, and more, organizations can refine their project management processes and ensure their project teams have the best tools to succeed.
So, sign up to ClickUp to enhance project management efficiency and help teams stay organized and aligned with business goals.
Everything you need to stay organized and get work done.
