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Business project manager

Alternative titles for this job include Commercial project lead, project manager

Business project managers plan tasks and organise people and resources to complete work projects on time and on budget.

Average salary (a year)

£29,000 Starter

to

£75,000 Experienced

Typical hours (a week)

37 to 42 a week

You could work

between 8am and 6pm attending events or appointments

How to become

Explore the different ways to get into this role.

How to become a business project manager

You can get into this job through:

  • a university course
  • an apprenticeship
  • working towards this role
  • applying directly

University

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

Apprenticeship

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

Work

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.

Direct Application

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.

More Information

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:

What it takes

Find out what skills you’ll use in this role.

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

What you’ll do

Discover the day to day tasks you’ll do in this role.

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

Possible green job

This job could help the environment.

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

Look at progression in this role and similar opportunities.

Career path and progression

You can develop your career by completing professional qualifications through the:

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.

Current opportunities

Find apprenticeships, courses and jobs available near you.

Current opportunities

Apprenticeships In England

V01915 - Project Management Apprenticeship

  • Wage: Competitive salary Annually
  • Location: The Old Iron Foundry, PP204, The Parade, HM Naval Base, Portsmouth, Hampshire

Project Management Apprentice - Level 6 Degree

  • Wage: £20,000.00 Annually
  • Location: Aldermaston, Reading, Berkshire
Find apprenticeships near you

Courses In England

Project Management Award (Online)

  • Provider: SOUTH DEVON COLLEGE
  • Start date: 25 January 2024
  • Location: Not known

Project Management - BSc Hons Degree

  • Provider: BLACKPOOL AND THE FYLDE COLLEGE
  • Start date: 10 September 2024
  • Location: Blackpool
Find courses near you

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