Project Manager (PM): A person who plans, coordinates, implements and finalizes projects according to specifications and deadlines of the client while maintaining a positive and productive team culture.
Responsible for understanding and organizing requirements for project needs.
Acts as a bridge, negotiator, liaison, or facilitator between the client, stakeholders, and the solutions team.
Works alongside Business Analysts, Developers, QA Analysts, clients, and solutions teams.
Common Job Titles:
IT Project Manager
Technical Project Manager
Senior Project Manager
Agile Project Manager
Project Manager-Marketing
IT Lead Project Manager
Common Vocab & Skillsets
Project Managers are the captains of the ship, often wearing many hats, but always responsible for maintaining the integrity of the project goals and timeline. Here are some common terms and skills that Project Managers use on a daily basis. Statement of Work (SOW) — This is a formal document defining project specifications including action items, deliverables, and the timeline for a project to be completed. Critical Path — Project Managers calculate the critical path based on time-lining all of the non-floating tasks needed to execute the entire project. Gannt Chart — For Project Managers, a Gannt Chart is the road map that defines all steps and timelines needed to complete a specific project. Cost/Benefit Analysis — In Cost/Benefit Analysis, a Business Analyst will find the cost of adding a particular amount of benefits to a project to see if it is worth the added expense based on that benefit. Scope Creep — This is a situation most Project Managers are tasked with preventing. Scope creep is what happens when the team or project veers off course from the original purpose and goal. Agile Methodology — Agile is an adaptable software development methodology that encourages collaboration and better change management through various in-project tests and check ins. Basically, you are not waiting until the end to come up for air. Certified SCRUM Master (CSM) — Many Project Managers hold a ScrumMaster Certification that shows they have taken the coursework necessary for understanding and performing ScrumMaster responsibilities. Use Cases — This is a software engineering scenario process of determining how the system will respond to certain actions by the user.