The term project manager refers to the person in charge of a project. The project manager should have project management skills, as they are responsible for planning, monitoring and executing a project by carefully balancing the scope, time and budget. This also makes the project manager the first point of contact for all project stakeholders, should any issues arise in the course of the project.
Key objectives of a project manager are
in order to reduce risk and ensure overall project success. The person in the role of project manager therefore rarely takes on tasks or participates in the activities. They rather focus on the administrative and managerial aspects of a project. Often, project managers hold project management certifications and have expertise in certain project management methods.
In the past, it was common to distinguish between the role of project manager, the person with project management skills, and the role of project leader, who typically has professional know-how in the industry and leadership skills. Nowadays, as businesses' strategies are more project oriented, the two roles are merged in the one of the project manager. That means, project managers are increasingly expected to have project management skills, as well as industry or professional know-how and leadership skills.
Read more about Project managers and a detailed guide to project management.