So You Want a WordPress Project Manager Job?
As WordPress agencies grow larger and there is more and more demand for talented WordPress project managers.
Agencies make their money by completing projects, and the Project Manager is the person who makes sure that the agency completes projects.
In an earlier post, we described the role of a Project Manager:
The Project Manager is in charge of getting things done, the “How?” and the “Who?”. The Project Manager is responsible for completing the project within an established time and budget.
So the Project Manager is an essential role within a WordPress agency.
You’ll sometimes hear different names used for this role, including Project Director and Project Leader. In most cases, this really the same position, despite the different name.
What does a WordPress Project Manager do?
Here’s a generic overview of the role, and one you’re likely to see in project management textbooks:
- Developing a focused and well-organized team.
- Ensuring there’s a clear and realistic project plan.
- Monitoring your teams progress against that plan.
- Identifying and managing project risks.
- Controlling project changes.
However, in the real world, it’s not unusual for companies to ask for more of an emphasis on dealing with clients. Here’s a typical job listing for a WordPress project manager:
[We are] searching for a Project Manager who will help us manage our teams of developers and designers, and act as a go-between for clients, team members, and management. We need a dependable individual who can work remote and is willing to take ownership of projects and client relationships from proposal through end delivery.
So as a WordPress Project Manager you’d be in charge of the project from start to finish. Here’s the list of job duties from the same job listing. Notice how many of them refer to the client or the customer:
- Gathering requirements from the client and breaking them into manageable tasks and milestones
- Working with leadership to manage the project team in defining and estimating features and tasks
- Tracking the project status and reporting updates to client and internal management
- Managing tasks, milestones, and goals throughout each project
- Providing leadership for the team
- Understanding resource capabilities
- Ensuring standards and best practices are followed
- Delivering projects on time and within budget
- Assisting in improving internal tools and processes
- Leaving customers satisfied with their experience
What qualifications does a WordPress Project Manager need?
Most WordPress agencies won’t ask for formal project management qualifications. However, some large corporations are likely to want Scrum or Project Management Professional Certification.
The key qualification for most agencies is familiarity with WordPress, plus project management tools such as Jira and UpStream.
How much does WordPress Project Manager make?
I’ve seen some agencies advertising low salaries. One company is currently offering $33,000 – $40,000, plus benefits. You can do better than that unless you really are starting from scratch in the project management and WordPress world.
A good WordPress project manager can easily make $60,000 to $110,000 per year. A project managers salary should be at least equal to that of the developers they’re working with.