What does a project manager do?
A project manager holds a leadership role in an organisation and is responsible for planning and overseeing projects and guiding project teams. Project managers usually plan milestones and ensure that they are achieved by the team while adhering to client specifications, timelines and budgets.
Project managers head each stage of a project, from planning to executing and monitoring, and liaise with clients and internal and external collaborators. They are also responsible for keeping their project team motivated and collaborative.
Project manager skills and qualifications
To perform the role well, a successful project manager should have the following skills and aptitudes:
- Good leadership and decision-making skills
- Be resourceful with excellent problem-solving skills
- Able to work in a team and get along with different personality types
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
- Be flexible and adaptable to changing circumstances
- Able to use office programs and project management software
Project manager experience requirements
To ensure that your projects are successfully implemented, you may want to consider hiring a project manager with at least three years of experience in project management or a similar dynamic environment.
A tertiary professional qualification is desirable, but practical experience is definitely an advantage when hiring a project manager.
Project manager education and training requirements
Working as a project manager in Australia typically requires a relevant tertiary qualification, such as the Certificate IV in Project Management Practice offered by TAFE or another registered training organisation.
Although not mandatory, many budding project managers choose to pursue a university degree, such as a Bachelor of Business (Management), a Master of Project Management or a Diploma of Project Management.
What’s more, some employers also place importance on an industry qualification – like the Project Management Professional (PMP)® certification – and favour candidates registered with the Australian Institute of Project Management (AIPM).
Project manager salary expectations
According to Indeed Salaries, the average salary for a project manager is $127,553 per year. This salary is fairly consistent across all Australian states and territories, with the highest project manager salaries being reported in the capital cities such as Perth, Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne.
Job description samples for similar positions
There are several roles that are similar to that of a project manager. Browse the descriptions to see if you need to hire one of these specialists in addition to or instead of a project manager:
Project manager job description FAQs
Here are the answers to some frequently asked questions you may have about the project manager role:
In what industries do project managers typically work?
Project management roles are very versatile and play an important part in many industries. The main industries that have traditionally relied on project managers are construction and engineering, infrastructure, oil and gas, IT and management consultancy. However, other sectors like finance and healthcare also depend heavily on project management.
What makes a great project manager?
A great project manager demonstrates competence and has the trust of their team. Successful project managers also understand their industry and market and not only know what their customers need, but also how to get them there.
Most importantly, a great project manager is comfortable making decisions and taking the lead rather than being merely a passive participant in their projects. It also helps if they can keep a cool head and remain productive in a fast-paced, quickly changing environment.
How hands-on does a project manager need to be?
A project manager’s main task is to manage their team. This means delegating tasks and assigning duties to different team members in accordance with their skills. Project managers also need to keep an eye on the big picture and make sure project deliverables and milestones are met.
Project managers are, therefore, not expected to be actively involved in every single step of the project and produce the results themselves. Instead of micromanaging, a project manager should trust their team to get the job done and oversee the overall targets and goals. If these are not met, it is down to the project manager to analyse why and implement measures to rectify any arising issues.
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