Business project manager
Business project managers plan tasks and organise people and resources to complete work projects on time and on budget.
What you'll do
Day-to-day tasks
As a business project manager, you will:
- develop detailed plans, using project management tools, to deliver what the client wants
- set up and lead a multi-skilled project team
- work out timescales, resources and costs
- monitor and report on progress, issues, quality and risks
- deal with problems and adapt plans to meet changes during the project lifecycle
- work closely with the senior management team
We've identified this as a potential green job
For a business project manager to be a green job, you could:
- build in sustainability to your project plans
- limit the environmental impact of tasks to help businesses meet their sustainability targets
- make good use of technology and adopt flexible ways of working to reduce office travel
Find out more about green careers
Working environment
You could work in an office, at a client's business or from home.
Career path and progression
You can develop your career by completing professional qualifications through the:
- Association for Project Management (APM)
- Project Management Institute (PMI)
- Chartered Management Institute (CMI)
With experience, you could become:
- a senior project manager, co-ordinating several projects
- a freelance consultant, advising businesses on the best way forward
- an operations manager, with overall responsibility for products and services
For multi-sector project management in engineering and manufacturing, you could do a Project Controls Professional Level 6 Degree Apprenticeship.
What it takes
Skills and knowledge
You'll need:
- leadership skills
- business management skills
- persistence and determination
- the ability to monitor your own performance and that of your colleagues
- to be thorough and pay attention to detail
- to be flexible and open to change
- the ability to organise your time and workload
- excellent verbal communication skills
- to be able to use a computer and the main software packages confidently
How to become
You can get into this job through:
- a university course
- an apprenticeship
- working towards this role
- applying directly
You can study for a degree in any subject, then either:
- join an organisation's graduate management training scheme
- complete a postgraduate qualification in project management
Entry requirements
You'll usually need:
- 2 to 3 A levels, or equivalent, for a degree
- a degree in any subject for a postgraduate course
More Information
You could get into this career by doing an apprenticeship, such as:
- Associate Project Manager Level 4 Higher Apprenticeship
- Project Manager Level 6 Degree Apprenticeship
These take between 2 and 4 years to complete.
Entry requirements
You'll usually need:
- 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) and A levels, or equivalent, for a higher or degree apprenticeship
More Information
You may be able to become a project manager in your organisation, if you've worked for some time in a project support role. You'll need to complete project management qualifications on the job.
In certain sectors, for instance, engineering, construction or cyber security, you may be able to apply directly for jobs if you have an in-depth knowledge of the industry gained through several years' experience.
Skills in planning, business analysis and data management could also give you an advantage.
Career tips
You could take a course covering project management methods, like PRINCE2 and Agile to help you understand these approaches.
Further information
You can find more details about careers, training courses and apprenticeships in project management from the:
Related videos
Suggested videos
Coffee With is in early release mode with a limited number of videos. New videos are being added every week, so please check back for updates.
External links
This page contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.