What Jobs Can You Get as a Project Manager?

How popular would you be at your kid’s school career day if you were a project manager for Spaceport Operations? That’s a real job, posted in October. It’s also a great example to use if someone asks, “What jobs can you get as a project manager?”

Speaking of Jobs

Apple’s Steve Jobs often is cited as the consummate PM. A college dropout, Jobs was a technician with video game developer Atari Inc. before he gained legendary status as Apple’s co-founder. His forte wasn’t engineering or programming, it was leadership and selling a vision.

Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak was the computer geek/wiz, which speaks to Jobs’ skill at delegating, which is the heart of project management. Jobs famously said, “It doesn’t make sense to hire smart people and tell them what to do; we hire smart people so they can tell us what to do.”

The Indeed.com job listings website, under the heading “how to write a project manager job description,” sums up the PM role this way:

Project Managers are responsible for masterminding, outlining and developing projects. They design the project goals and success markers, determine how success will be measured and tracked. They ensure the project remains on time and on budget and help motivate team members to hit their goals. Project Managers also act as a liaison between the project team and upper level management. They prepare and present progress reports and ensure the project is furthering organizational goals.

Fields of Project Manager Dreams

There are few fields or industries where PM’s don’t play a pivotal role. Best College Reviews identifies the top five industries hiring project management professionals. They are construction, finance, information technology, energy, and health care.

So, if you can check all the boxes on the core competencies of a PM as defined by the Project Management Institute and have the level of education and experience required by the employers that interest you, it’s time to begin the job hunt – and you can look in almost any direction, from top jobs in the Tampa Bay area to plum positions overseas.

Wanted in Most Fields: Project Managers

Job searching on LinkedIn yields a granular view of what a career in project management can look like and also shows the breadth of a job-hunting PM’s options. LinkedIn searches for construction, finance, information technology, energy, and health care project manager jobs  generates thousands of hits.

The companies aren’t named here, but you can read about the types of businesses doing the hiring, the job requirements, and other pertinent information. In each category, we gleaned information from the first listing that included salary information.

Here’s what we found:

Construction Project Manager

The company describes itself as a “boutique real estate development services firm specializing in urban infill, multifamily and mixed-use projects.”

Applicants Must …

“Possess outstanding communication skills and have an ability to dig into technical details (architecture & engineering plans, surveys, geotechnical reports, environmental reports, etc.) as required and make recommendations to the Managing Directors based on findings, and capable of working in a fast-paced environment with continually changing priorities.”

Responsibilities

• Coordinating/managing new development projects
• Reviewing architectural plans for schematic, design and construction documents and making recommendations for cost savings and value addition
• Creating monthly construction progress and project finance reports
• Producing preliminary construction cost estimates
• Analyzing estimates, takeoffs and bids and making award decisions during the project bidding process
  
  

Minimum Requirements

• At least five years of experience in commercial construction, preferably multifamily unit construction
• A bachelor’s or master’s in construction management or equivalent combination of education and experience
• Be proficient with Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and project management software
• Have strong writing and presentation skills
• Be organized and detail-oriented
• Be able “to support multiple projects in parallel and prioritize competing demands”
  
  

Salary

The base salary is advertised as $71,300, with a range of $47,000 to $108,000.

Finance Project Manager

The company describes itself as an “American bank holding company specializing in credit cards, auto loans, banking, and savings accounts.”

Applicants Must …

Be prepared to “drive strategy and execute on high priority accounting projects for the company. You will work with smart and passionate people to deliver results that have a direct impact on the company’s bottom line.”

Responsibilities

• Being the delivery lead in support of the controller’s organization, including internal initiatives
• Helping the controller’s business and technology stakeholders drive strategic initiatives and implement change
• Overseeing moderate to large accounting projects and programs
• Designing, developing, and managing accounting project plans
• Ensuring projects are properly documented to mitigate risk and facilitate timely delivery
  
  

Minimum Requirements

•  “Outstanding influencing skills” to effectively drive project/program efforts
• A record of excellent project management
• The ability to employ basic Agile principles
• An understanding of accounting principles and enough experience to enable you to oversee the implementation of those principles
• Excellent communication and partnership skills and a passion for coaching and developing a team of associates
• Bachelor’s degree or military experience
• At least three years of PM experience
• At least one year of people management experience
• At least three years of accounting, audit, or finance experience, or a combination of the three
  
  

Preferred Requirements

This category wasn’t included in all listings.

• Master’s degree
• CPA certification
• Five or more years of PM experience
• Four or more years of people management experience
• Project Management Professional certification, Lean certification, Agile certification, or Six Sigma certification
• Four or more years of finance or accounting experience
  
  

Estimated Salary

The estimated annual salary is $126,000, with a range of $97,000 to $164,000.

Information Technology Project Manager

This listing is from a nonprofit organization dedicated to the expansion of affordable housing. It “helps families build and improve places to call home” because “affordable housing plays a critical role in strong and stable communities.”

Applicants Must …

“Ensure successful implementation of IT software selection and implementation projects that support a variety of business capabilities, and which integrate with company CMS; CRM; Financial; Collaboration; HR; web and other systems. Manages the life cycle of project from approval through implementation and evaluation of all project deliverables.”

Responsibilities:

• Manage technology-based business solution projects, from requirements gathering and analysis through design, construction, and delivery
• Ensure effective delivery of quality application solutions on time and on budget
• Develop and maintain positive working relationships with team members, stakeholders, application developers, and infrastructure engineers
• Meet with business and technical associates to review business case, project scope, assumptions, budget, and deliverables
• Create, communicate, and manage the project plan and other project-related documentation, and provide updates and revisions as necessary
• Develop and manage change control, quality, communication, and risk management plans
• Document and track issues to resolution; escalate issues and decisions as appropriate
  
  

Minimum Requirements

• Strong business acumen and experience with global teams
• Bachelor’s degree in computer science, engineering, or management information systems
• Seven or more years of experience in technical project management, particularly systems integration, data migration, and infrastructure and software development life cycle projects.
• Excellent presentation, writing, and speaking skills
• Knowledgeable in software development processes, integration testing, infrastructure, and architecture requirements
• Familiarity with global applications architecture driven by web applications with back-end systems and databases
• Understanding of computer hardware, software, broadband, wireless, and mobile communication technologies, principles, and best practices
• Thorough understanding of information services management principles and methodologies, including technology outsourcing
• Strong business process orientation and superior planning and analytical skills
• Excellent documenting, communications, and organizational skills
• Self-motivated, and able to organize work for others
• Experience managing projects with Agile methodologies
  
  

Preferred Requirements

• Nonprofit experience or background
• Project management professional, program management professional, or PRINCE2 certification
  
  

Salary

The estimated annual salary is $72,600, with a range of $42,000 to $122,000.

Energy Project Manager

This employer describes itself as a “data management and governance services” provider that offers data transfer solutions, gas and electricity metering, and data analytics for electric and gas utilities in the United Kingdom.

Applicants Must …

“Manage & control the various key elements of managing & delivering successful project deliveries including costs management, risk management, quality assurance, stakeholder communications, status reporting, acceptance testing and governance. This includes ensuring that Stakeholders, support areas and other interested parties are effectively engaged and that key deliverables & implementation activities are fully reviewed & signed off to proceed at relevant stages of projects.”

Responsibilities

• Coordinate launch and oversee completion of a variety of key projects designed to sustain and expand the utilities industry in the United Kingdom – with a focus on cost and quality
• Facilitate timely completion of projects serving the organization and clients, with a focus on providing “energy market insights to the UK energy industry”
• Build and sustain relationships with external parties as required, ensuring collaboration across teams/areas on a variety of projects
• Assist in the presales support process, consulting with prospects and existing clients to ensure that requirements are specified.
• Identify, set up, and manage project structures and define responsibilities
• Identify and manage resources needed to initiate and sustain projects
• Provide detailed estimates of time, costs, and resource requirements
• Deliver high quality project documentation
• Communicate effectively with staff, stakeholders, clients, and vendors
• Advance development of jobs skills and knowledge, yours and your team’s
  
  

Minimum Requirements

• Demonstrable project management skills and relevant experience
• Ability to manage, prioritize, and complete multiple tasks
• Record of successful and timely completion of projects
• Team player with outstanding collaboration skills
• Strong writing and presentation skills
• Knowledge of PM processes and frameworks, including familiarity with PRINCE2 and Agile
• Ability to work independently and with a team
• Ability to identify, document, and manage key dependencies within the scope of projects
  
  

Preferred Requirements

• Strong experience in business process transformation
• Experience in business case and strategy development
• Expertise with PPM tools
• Self-motivated individual with good interpersonal skills who strives for excellence
  
  

Salary

The starting salary is $61,500, with a ceiling of $73,800.

Health Care Project Manager

This health care provider aims to deliver “extraordinary, compassionate care by working alongside providers and payers on innovative, cost-effective healthcare delivery models that improve care and value for patients.”

Applicants Must …

Be prepared to oversee “all aspects of projects including workflow analysis, project development efforts, determining systems and technology requirements, coordinating resources, establishing governance structure, documentation, testing and managing communications about the project. Facilitates project planning, tracking costs and schedules, mitigating project risks and ensuring the delivered product meets expectations for quality and functionality.”

Responsibilities

• Prepare business proposals and presentations
• Interface with operations managers, senior leadership, departments, and vendors
• As project team leader, facilitate open communication and issue resolution.
  
  

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree
• Three or more years of experience with health care project coordination and/or project planning
• PMP certification
  
  

Salary

The projected starting salary is $77,800, with a range of $50,000 to $120,000.

Let USF Help You Open the Door to Unlimited Job Options

So, what jobs can you get as a project manager? The sky is the limit. Better yet, project managers define the jobs they hold. They’re trailblazers.

Interested? USF can prepare you for PMP certification and for the exam that yields that certification.