What is a Project Manager?

Date: 30/06/2025| Category: Best Practices Glossary|

A project manager is a professional in the field of project management. The project manager is accountable to the project board and has to run the project daily, by planning and executing the project. He/she is the professional (internal or external to the organisation) assigned to lead the project team for achieving the project objectives.

The role of the Project manager and what they do

The project manager’s main responsibility is to accomplish the project objectives by ensuring the project deliver the product(s) according to the time, quality, cost agreed (within tolerance). The professional should manage the constraints of a typical project which are cost, time, scope and quality.

This person is the professional responsible for leading a project from its starting up to execution. This includes planning, delegating, monitoring and controlling. The PM has to focus on managing the people (communication and people management are key competences), and managing  resources. The PM has full responsibility and authority to complete the assigned project.

Discover Project Manager Certifications

The Responsibilities of the Project Manager

The responsibilities of a project manager can vary from business to business. Factors like industry, company size, company maturity and company culture  may affect the specific responsibilities but there are some standard responsibilities that most PMs handle.

The project manager’s common responsibilities are:

  • Liaise with stakeholders,suppliers, customers, end users
  • Define and communicate the project objectives to the team
  • Developing the project plans
  • Control, monitoring, reporting
  • Procurement of the project requirements – workforce, material, technologies
  • Managing and leading the project team
  • Establish the project’s procedures: risk management, issue management, change management, communication management
  • Budgeting

The Competences of the Project Manager

Core competencies according to the PMBok guide are  identifiable in three main skill sets:

  1. Technical Project management Competences
  2. Leadership Competences
  3. Strategic and Business Management Competences

The technical project management competences are the core skills for a project manager and includes

  • Planning
  • Time Management
  • Execution
  • Decision Making
  • Critical Thinking

Leadership skills can support longer-range strategic objectives

  • People management
  • Communication
  • Negotiation
  • Team building

Strategic and Business Management skills means being knowledgeable about the business, and being able to explain to the the project team and stakeholders:

  • Strategy
  • Goals and Objectives
  • Products and Services
  • Priorities
Activities / Responsibilities Key skills involved
PLANNING: Prepare project plan, phase plans and work package descriptions including project budget Planning, Time Management, Decision Making, Technical Skills
RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT: Interacting with stakeholders (stakeholders, suppliers, customers, end users) Leadership, Communication, Negotiation, Human resources management, Team building
EXECUTION: Control, monitor and draft project documentation. Manage and lead the project team. Design, review and update the management team structure Time management, Critical thinking, Communication, Human resource management, Team building
COMMUNICATION: Define and communicate project objectives to the team Leadership, Communication, Planning
DAILY MANAGEMENT: Managing the procedures required by management approaches (lessons, risks, issues, changes, communication) Problem Solving, Critical Thinking, Decision Making, Planning

The Trends in Project Management

We live in a fast-paced environment where everything is pervaded by a constant transformation and change is the only common value. The number of organizations which are using Project Management procedures are increasing together with the spreading of tools and methods developed to help project managers and their teams to accomplish successfully their projects.

The key trends in Project Management and their impact on the profession of the Project Manager are:

  • Having a strategic vision is pivotal
  • Change Management as an asset
  • Acquisition of Agiles Methodologies
  • Integration of AI in project management

A concrete example of what a Project Manager does

Giulia, Project Manager, is in charge of leading the development of an application for time recording and resource utilisation reporting. In the start-up phase, she drafts the Project Brief with objectives, success metrics, a budget of €750,000 and an estimated time frame of three months. She then convenes the kick-off with IT, marketing, internal development teams and business unit stakeholders, defining the project management team structure and work breakdown structure. During planning, she breaks the work down into 4 phases (prototype, minimum release, enhancements, deployment); estimates costs and time and aligns the SLAs with the IT department.

Giulia executes weekly stand-ups, updates the gantt, monitors the earned-value and maintains the risk register: when the supplier reports a two-week delay, he proposes overtime and the reassignment of two internal developers to get back into the baseline. He also conducts a training workshop for 300 users, collecting feedback and adjusting materials.

At the end, it verifies that the system achieves 98% uptime and a 15% increase in the speed of response to customer requests as per the business case; it draws up the lessons learned report highlighting the need for earlier involvement of the data security team.

How much does a Project Manager earn in Belgium?

The national average is around € 75 000 gross per year, or € 4000 net per month. The range is wide: an entry-level starts at € 55 k, while senior profiles exceed €120 k, with peaks over €140 k in high-tech and pharma. Executive roles on strategic portfolios reach over €130 k.

Three variables matter more than others: seniority, geographical area, and industry sector. Each increase in experience can also be worth up to €15,000. The variable component, including bonuses and performance rewards, can account for an additional 5–10%.

Freelancers, on the other hand, charge rates between €40 and €100 per hour, adjusted based on project complexity. Certifications, especially the PMP®, act as multipliers: they can increase salary by as much as one-third. With 5–7 years of experience, a presence in a strong industrial area, and recognised credentials, a project manager can aim for a gross salary of €65,000 to €95,000. Early career salaries typically start around €40,000, with rapid growth in the first five years.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) about the Role of a Project Manager

1. Is a specific degree required to become a Project Manager?

There is no legally binding requirement. Many companies prefer degrees in engineering, economics, computer science, or management, as they provide a strong foundation in analytics and process management. However, what matters most are the project management skills developed on the job and professional certifications (such as PRINCE2® or PMP®). A master’s degree or postgraduate course can accelerate your career, while in regulated sectors, such as construction, energy, or life sciences, a technical degree is often preferred or required.

2. What is the difference between a Project Manager and a Product Manager?

The Project Manager focuses on planning, executing, and delivering projects within scope, time, and budget. Their main responsibility is to coordinate teams and resources to complete a specific project successfully. The Product Manager, on the other hand, is responsible for the strategy, development, and lifecycle of a product. They work to ensure the product meets customer needs and market demands, often acting as the link between business, technology, and user experience.

3. Which certifications are worth obtaining, and in what order?

For those just starting out, entry-level credentials such as CAPM® or PRINCE2® Foundation are useful, as they provide a basic common language. Later on, the PMP® from PMI strengthens international credibility, while PRINCE2® Practitioner or PM² Foundation are particularly valued in European contexts and within the public sector.

4. How do you become a Project Manager without direct experience?

A typical path starts from roles such as Project Coordinator or PMO Analyst, which allow you to become familiar with planning, project control, and software tools. At the same time, it’s useful to attend courses on MS Project or Jira, develop soft skills (communication, negotiation), and obtain a basic certification. Making the jump to Project Manager within two to three years is realistic.

5. What software tools does a Project Manager typically use?

Among the most common are scheduling software (MS Project, GanttPRO), collaboration and ticketing platforms (Jira, Trello), communication suites (Microsoft Teams, Slack), and reporting or business intelligence tools (Power BI, Tableau). The choice depends on the project’s complexity, the methodology used (predictive or agile), and the level of integration with existing company systems.

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