You will come across project managers active in every initiative in every organization. They are responsible for leading meetings and ensuring that everyone follows the project plan. Now, project managers can be from a technical background or a non technical background. The project manager working with an engineering team closely is required to have both technical and managerial skills. Such project managers are called technical project managers.
Have you ever wondered about technical project managers and what they do? Companies are becoming increasingly reliant on technology because of its rapid growth and advancements. As a result, an increasing number of organizations are on the hunt for qualified technical project managers. This is because this type of project manager specializes in both the managerial and technical components of projects.
According to the US Department of Labor, between 2012 and 2022, industries all over the nation will generate more than 50,000 jobs for technical project managers. Technical project managers are clearly in high demand.
But what precisely is technical project management? In this guide, let’s take a look at everything you need to know about the technical project manager.
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Who is a Technical Project Manager?
A technical project manager, to put it simply, is someone who oversees initiatives involving technology or engineering. When an engineering or information technology (IT) project arises that requires expert support from beginning to end, a technical project manager enters the picture. As a result, a person in this position is required to have both technological and management knowledge and skills.
What does a Technical Project Manager Do?
Technical project managers have a wide range of experiences. They are frequently referred to as the ‘leading subject matter expert’ of the organization for which they work because of their extensive knowledge and talents. They contribute their technical expertise to the organization and take up the technical projects.
Moreover, a technical project manager is in charge of a team that is working on a certain project. Estimating project budgets, cross-team coordination and collaboration, stakeholder management, organizing project schedules, and procuring key resources such as computer equipment and software are some of the responsibilities of the Technical Project Manager.
Roles and responsibilities of a Technical Project Manager
Here are some day-to-day technical project manager roles and responsibilities that you should know about.
- Brainstorming– A technical PM is likely to participate right from the start of a project when delivery details are still being worked out among technical experts.
- Planning– A technical project manager will need to construct schedules, assess the required resources, assemble a project team, identify potential risks, and establish project milestones, once the project outcomes have been defined and agreed upon.
- Project Work Scheduling and Assignment– Technical project managers typically lead big teams that work on various aspects of a project. Part of their responsibilities includes allocating work and resources among team members, which may include team leaders, managers, or technical teams.
- Managing Project Budgets– A technical project manager is also responsible for determining the project budgets for all the resources or other technical requirements for successfully completing the project.
- Communicating With Stakeholders– Now there may be many stakeholders involved in the project as they might be sponsoring the project, a technical project manager is responsible for communicating with the stakeholders and keeping them in the loop about the project updates.
Skills of a Technical Project Manager
A technical project manager must possess both hard and soft skills to successfully carry out their day-to-day job responsibilities. Here are some hard skills and soft skills considered as technical project management skills.
Hard Skills required by a Technical Project Manager
Hard skills are certain aptitudes or capacities that a person can have and objectively display. A hard skill is the ability to accomplish a certain activity or series of tasks to finish a project with mastery and experience. Here are some hard skills of a technical project manager.
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Software Development
It is a highly sought-after skill required as a technical project manager. Software development skills that provide you the capacity to create better conventional computer programs.
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Analytical Skills
Technical project managers with good data analysis abilities and an understanding of how to effectively evaluate metrics for informed decision-making make great technical project managers. Therefore, analytical skillsets are also required for technical project management.
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Project Management Tools
JIRA or other project management tools makes it simple for technical project managers to manage a large number of teams, projects, and functions. Having an understanding of various project management tools is another skill requirement for a technical project manager.
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Soft Skills required by a Technical Project Manager
Interpersonal skills, social skills, language skills, emotional intelligence, and personality attributes that make it simple to get along and work peacefully with others are together known as soft skills. Here are some soft skills of a technical project manager.
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Communication Skills
Technical project managers must be able to communicate effectively with a large number of internal and external stakeholders, both verbally and in writing.
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Problem-Solving Skills
Every step of planning and executing a project necessitates some level of problem-solving. Outstanding technical project managers are innovative issue solvers who think outside the box.
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Leadership Qualities
Technical Project Managers are typically one of the project’s major leaders, and they must demonstrate good leadership abilities to the team in order to fulfill the project’s goals and objectives.
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Self-Motivation
The majority of Technical Project Managers are in charge of inspiring a huge team. Motivating themselves to stay focused and on task helps them to inspire others on the team.
Qualification of Technical Project Manager
The technical project manager must have strong technical competence along with other communication skills and abilities. A technical project manager usually has the following qualifications.
- A master’s degree in the relevant discipline or project management is required.
- Experience in coaching and guiding employees and developing talent with a professional project management certification
- Excellent time management abilities
- Some experience as a technical project manager
- Analytical and problem-solving abilities at a high degree
Read More – Project Manager Career Path – A complete Guide
Technical Project Manager Job Description
A Technical Project Manager is someone who is both a technology expert and a motivating leader. Technical Project Managers must have a high level of technical expertise, as well as organisation, leadership, and communication skills, as they are involved in the design and management of both IT and IT-related projects.
The job description for a technical project manager may vary from company to company depending on the type of technical project that the manager is expected to undertake.
Technical Project Manager Average Salary
To get an idea and a better understanding of how much you can earn being a technical project manager, here is an overview of an average salary range for Technical Project Manager as mentioned by different job portals.
Glassdoor– Average annual salary of a technical project manager as per Glassdoor is $108,337
Indeed– Average annual salary of a technical project manager as per Indeed is $102,991
Conclusion
We hope this guide on technical project manager was helpful. If you are someone who is looking to kickstart your career as a technical project manager, then the first step would be to gain project management certifications offered by the Project Management Institute (PMI). These project management certifications will help you further hone your skills and gain the necessary knowledge about project management.
Checkout our PMI CAPM Certification Training if you are someone with no prior experience in the project management field. A CAPM certification is ideal for entry-level candidates and can help you in giving your career a boost. Alternatively, you can also checkout our PMP certification training course, if you are an experienced project management professional.
