The term “project manager” is one of the most complex jobs and embraces a variety of tasks. A project manager is the point of contact for specific projects within an organization. Their job responsibilities vary from planning to design, to the creation of timeline and schedule, to execution, to handling budget, to serving as a point of contact among the stakeholders, project closure, to troubleshooting and maintenance.
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There are several ideal industries for excelling in the project management domain, the scope for career growth, and salary expectations. The construction industry is one of the main contributors to economic growth globally. It is here where the role of the project manager is even more critical to get the job done within the allocated budget and timelines to ensure successful project completion.
Let us understand the roles and responsibilities of a project manager in the construction industry.
Benefits of Being a Project Manager in the Construction Industry
Construction-related projects are highly structured tasks, be it commercial complexes, residential properties, Apartments, or Government housing projects. The projects involve plenty of people and moving parts, which must be precisely coordinated.
No matter whether the construction takes place in government, private sector, or military areas, having proper research, planning, and scope all are integral aspects of construction projects efficiently. With an increase in the number of construction projects across the world, there is an equal demand for construction project managers to handle those projects.
Job description
Construction project management involves all the phases from the planning phase to the designing phase to the scheduling phase. Each step is complicated by itself, but when combined with the entire project, it becomes still more complicated.
The construction project manager is essential for successful completion with a specific skillset, hard work, and training. They are responsible for the cost, quality requirements, and time from the initial phase to the end of the project.
Essential skills
Let’s take a look at the skills required for successful construction project managers:
- Team Management – Being a project manager in the construction domain, is one of the essential skills to master. People have their strengths and weaknesses which make them who they are actually. The concept of team management considers weaknesses and strengths and makes the entire team work efficiently. Without this skill, the team would collapse.
- Goal-setting- Planning/ framing goals are quite similar to planning, but with more focus on long-term organization requirements. These goals are referred to as milestones in a project. And this need not have to be elaborative to make it useful. Goals can be anything such as providing scheduled updates to clients regarding project progress or hiring for a new job role.
- Risk management – The concept of risk management involves assessing the situation, and taking risk control measures from beginning to the end is another significant skill of construction field PM. Risk management involves identifying the potential risks before it takes place and trying to work their best to put an end well ahead of time. Risk management is one of the top skills to consider when looking for the best project managers.
- Entrepreneurial qualities- The project managers need to have an entrepreneurial mindset to attain success while managing various projects having a wide range of scope and clients to come up with a dynamic work environment. Having entrepreneurial qualities makes the construction project manager (CPM) have all the minute/up-to-date details of the project.
Job Responsibilities of a Construction Project Manager
- Allocating resources
The project manager must allocate a certain amount of resources like labor, time, and materials for every task to keep the process running smoothly. A shortage in the distribution of these resources will have a negative impact on both budget and schedule. Contrarily, over usage of resources will cost the company with additional resources and labor costs.
- Monitoring progress
In addition to planning and scheduling before the initiation of the project, the concerned project manager is accountable for the project’s progress.
- Planning
From the initial phase of the project, it is the responsibility of the project manager to plan the entire process and also to understand the duration of each step. Following each stage during the project course is crucial to ensure that the entire project is completed within the given duration.
- Creating benchmarks
Creating benchmarks is indeed an essential duty of a construction project manager. It is used as a checkpoint to evaluate and regulate the project’s health. Benchmarks are critical for the project manager to be aware of the project status and its progress.
Benchmarks are mainly used to assess project timeline, efficiency, and budget. It becomes difficult for the project manager to accurately understand what’s there in the project timeline and how actually the budget is allocated.
- Staffing
A construction project manager needs to ensure that their team is regularly staffed and is accurate and useful at their work. It’s through important means of communication; the managers can eye on their team and address the issues that might arise.
- Managing budget
It is impossible to start a project without having a proper budget. Another primary responsibility of a construction project manager is to achieve a financial plan and have an eye on the project budget. To avoid a surplus budget, the project manager has to keep track of the expenses, forecast any changes to the budget, and be prepared for unforeseen costs. The more construction project manager is prepared, the fewer difficulties they will have to concern about.
Education Requirements and Certifications
Construction project managers should possess a bachelor’s degree in the construction field, such as construction management, civil engineering, etc. On the other hand, having a master’s degree in the construction field improve the chances of career opportunities.
Those aspiring to progress in the field can opt for additional courses like cost estimation, plumbing codes, accident prevention, and civil construction. These programs are available to those who have a bachelor’s degree based on the school and program.
On the other hand, professional certification courses assure that clients and employers have ample knowledge in the domain. These certifications allow the employees to gain thorough awareness of their responsibilities and test their skills.
It is worth knowing some of the popular project management certifications in the construction project management field which employers look for:
- Project Management Professional (PMP)
- Certified Professional Contractor (CPC)
- Certified Construction Manager (CCM)
- Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM)
- PMI Risk Management Professional (PMI-RMP)
- Program Management Professional (PgMP)
Salary Expectations
With essential skills and qualities, there comes attractive compensation. The average salary of a construction project manager is approximately $71,726. Based on your experience level and location, the pay can range from $46,000 to $110,000.
Conclusion
The construction domain is entirely dependent on the climatic condition and a few other factors which are not under anybody’s control. They will have to work with whatever issues come and finish the project within the deadline. The construction field is indeed an excellent profession endowed with the right skills and qualities.
The construction project managers may have varied roles within each project. They help the employees to work together to come up with the outcome. The construction field is by no means a job that can be done alone. Though it takes excellent team coordination, collaboration, and communication to come up with something great, it is a great manager who can direct everybody toward a successful project.
