Piplhr
Management & OperationsJD · JS · KPIs

Project Manager Roles and Responsibilities

The Project Manager delivers projects on time, within budget and to the agreed scope. They plan the work, coordinate people across teams, manage risks and changes, and keep clients and leadership informed from start to handover.

Also known as: PM, Project Lead, Project Coordinator

Build this role in Piplhr
Reports to
Head of Delivery, Operations Manager or Director
Department
Management & Operations
Experience
3-8 years, including 2+ years managing projects end to end
Work location
Office, site or hybrid depending on industry

Job Description (JD)

The responsibilities a Project Manager owns and the duties they perform.

Responsibilities

  1. 1Agree project scope, what will be delivered and how success is judged
  2. 2Build and maintain the project plan, schedule and budget
  3. 3Assign work and coordinate people from different teams
  4. 4Spot, track and reduce risks and issues
  5. 5Manage scope changes through an agreed change process
  6. 6Communicate progress clearly to clients and leadership
  7. 7Ensure quality checks and sign-offs at each milestone
  8. 8Close projects with handover documentation and lessons learned

Duties

Daily
  • Track task progress against the plan
  • Remove blockers and coordinate across teams
  • Update the project tracker and risk log
  • Respond to client and team queries
Weekly
  • Run project status meetings
  • Send status reports covering progress, risks and decisions needed
  • Review budget burn and resource allocation
  • Update the schedule for changes
Monthly
  • Review milestones and invoicing with finance
  • Hold steering or client review meetings
  • Capture lessons learned and update project SOPs

Job Specification (JS)

The job information and the skills this role needs.

Job information

Qualification
Bachelor's degree; PMP, PRINCE2 or similar certification is a plus
Experience
3-8 years, including 2+ years managing projects end to end
Work location
Office, site or hybrid depending on industry
Working hours
Full-time, typically 9 hours a day, 5-6 days a week
Shift
Day shift
Employment type
Full-time

Technical skills

  • Project planning and scheduling
  • Budget tracking
  • Risk management
  • Agile or waterfall methods
  • Project management software

Soft skills

  • Communicating with different teams
  • Negotiation
  • Organisation
  • Leadership without authority
  • Problem solving

Tools used

  • Project management software
  • Gantt charts
  • Spreadsheets
  • Collaboration tools
  • Document and SOP repository

Career path

  1. Project Coordinator
  2. Project Manager
  3. Senior Project Manager
  4. Program Manager
  5. Head of Delivery / PMO

KPI

How to measure whether a Project Manager is succeeding.

KPIWhat it measuresReview
Schedule adherenceMilestones delivered on or before planned datesMonthly
Budget varianceActual cost against approved budgetMonthly
Scope change controlChanges approved through the change processMonthly
Client satisfactionFeedback score at milestones and closureQuarterly

In Piplhr, KPIs become recurring daily and weekly reports that each person submits - see Reporting & KPI tracking.

Project Manager FAQs

What does a Project Manager do?

The Project Manager delivers projects on time, within budget and to the agreed scope. They plan the work, coordinate people across teams, manage risks and changes, and keep clients and leadership informed from start to handover.

What are the main responsibilities of a Project Manager?

Key responsibilities include: agree project scope, what will be delivered and how success is judged; build and maintain the project plan, schedule and budget; assign work and coordinate people from different teams; spot, track and reduce risks and issues; manage scope changes through an agreed change process.

What skills does a Project Manager need?

Technical skills: Project planning and scheduling, Budget tracking, Risk management, Agile or waterfall methods, Project management software. Soft skills: Communicating with different teams, Negotiation, Organisation, Leadership without authority, Problem solving.

Who does a Project Manager report to?

A Project Manager typically reports to the Head of Delivery, Operations Manager or Director.

What qualifications are required to become a Project Manager?

Bachelor's degree; PMP, PRINCE2 or similar certification is a plus, with 3-8 years, including 2+ years managing projects end to end.

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