Software Project Manager is a role that varies with the industry. The Software Project Manager are responsible for management of any complicated project under development or in operation. The Software Project Manager requires analytical thinking skills. Software Project Manager roles and responsibilities include process management, product management, software requirements management, scheduling, budgeting, risk management, quality assurance, communication and customer relations.
Have you ever wondered what are the software project manager roles and responsibilities? Before you start your next interview, it is important that you understand what are the software PM duties. Let’s look at the main functions performed by the roles involved in application development process.
Software project managers are in charge of the planning, scheduling, budgeting, execution, and delivery of software and web projects. They ensure the successful completion of all software projects and also oversee the people performing work on the projects.
Software Project Manager Job Summary
The Software Project Manager manages projects. The Software Project Manager responsibilities include the coordination and completion of projects on time within budget and within scope. Oversee all aspects of projects. Set deadlines, assign responsibilities and monitor and summarize progress of project. Prepare reports for upper management regarding status of project. The successful candidate will work directly with clients to ensure deliverables fall within the applicable scope and budget. He or she will coordinate with other departments to ensure all aspects of each project are compatible and will hire new talent as needed to fulfill client needs.
Software Project Manager Requirements & Skills
- Proven working experience in project management
- Excellent client-facing and internal communication skills
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
- Solid organizational skills including attention to detail and multitasking skills
- Project Management Professional (PMP) or in the process of gaining certification within the next six months
- Bachelor’s Degree in appropriate field of study or equivalent work experience
- Minimum five years of experience using MS Office and MS Project
- Ability to analyze requirements to ensure scope is being met on projects
- Extensive consulting experience, technical or business lead on projects and/or any prior leadership role would be beneficial
Software Project Manager Duties & Responsibilities
- Plans, documents and executes all phases of the project lifecycle, including scope management, requirements management, work breakdown schedule and timeline management, priority and dependency management, and the assignment of roles and responsibilities.
- Develops detailed work breakdown schedules, project estimates, and resource plans that
- support scope.
- Conducts and facilitates effective project meetings, including issue tracking, status reports, and executive communications
- Ensures problems are effectively escalated and crisis management activated, as needed.
- Acts as an advocate for the business, by providing first class service through expert development of the project management discipline.
- Lends subject matter expertise and knowledge management to the project team and stakeholders and ensures customer satisfaction through quality and timely product delivery.
- Promotes change, process, and best practices to both the business and technical team members, providing training for the project management discipline.
- Leads the project team on development efforts and lends both functional and technical system-specific knowledge throughout the project lifecycle.
- Leads implementation kick-off meeting with an external client.
- Performs miscellaneous duties as assigned.
Roles of a Project Manager
Leader
A project manager must lead his team towards success. He should provide them direction and make them understand what is expected of them. Clearly explain the roles of each member of the team. He must build a team comprising of individuals with different skills so that each member contributes effectively to the best of their abilities.
Liaison
The project manager is a link between his clients, his team and his own supervisors. He must coordinate and transfer all the relevant information from the clients to his team and report to the upper management. He should work closely with analysts, software designers and other staff members and communicate the goals of the project. He monitors the progress of the project, taking action accordingly.
Mentor
He must be there to guide his team at every step and ensure that the team has cohesion. He provides advice to his team wherever they need it and points them in the right direction.
Responsibilities of a Project Manager
Planning
In order for a project to be successful and completed within a specified time the project manager for a software company must plan effectively. This also includes:
Scope: The project manager must clearly define the scope of the project and answer questions like, who is the customer? What need will the software satisfy? How will it be beneficial to others? What are the operational requirements for the project?
Activity Schedules: Making activity schedules and planning out the activities according o the time frame is extremely important. He must first list out the jobs to be done and then allot specific jobs to team members. For each job there are different tasks to be accomplished which must be clearly outlined. Identifying and specifying the critical activities of the project and then equally delegating the roles to each member of the team.
Gantt Chart: Once the activities and their different tasks have been outlined, he must list all the activities in a Gantt chart and allot time frames for their completion. This always helps in deciding deadlines for the various activities and also in refining the project plan as it moves along.
Potential Risks: He must plan for any hindrances that might occur during the course of the project. Risk management is an integral part of the project and ensures the presence of a backup plan. Some of the potential risks could be:
- Design variations
- Variations by the client
- Occurrence of dispute and fixing any discrepancies arising due to personal conflicts between the team members.
- Incomplete or inaccurate cost estimate
- He must be the one to take the decision of handling any free riders in the team and decide on how they are to be handled.
- If the project has been delayed then he must try to fix the gap brought about by the delay.
Setting Goals
He must set measurable goals that should define the overall project’s objective.
For example: Complete the project within six months from start date in the budget of xxx amount.
It is concise, crisp and outlines the objective clearly.
Time Management
Time estimation for the various activities is of major significance as it helps set the daily priorities of each team member. A project manager has to properly time all the activities for the completion of the project and also prepare for any delays in any of the activities.
Budget Allocation and Cost Estimates
Project manager must assign budgets to the various activities and make any cost considerations that there might be.
Implementation and Monitoring
Implementation of the project’s activities includes delegating different activities and ensuring their completion on time. Executing the plan of action and ensuring that it is monitored along the way is a key responsibility if his. A project manager must set out the project boundaries and scope for the project which them formulates itself into a plan of action and assists in successful completion of the project.
Conclusion
A software project manager is essentially a leader who is responsible for the planning, preparing and execution of a project. The role and responsibilities of this position vary from one company to another and it is critical that you understand what your company expects from you as a project manager. Getting the job done right the first time is very important in order for you to make a lasting impression.