Program Manager: Skills, Tasks, and How to Become One

Program managers oversee a set of projects that contribute to an overall program or objective. They are excellent communicators, strategic thinkers, highly organized, and responsible for ongoing project evaluation. 

Many different industries, including IT, health care, and finance, need program managers. Specializing in one of these areas can increase your earning potential. Learn what program managers do, the skills required to be successful in this role, and how to become one. Afterward, consider developing your skills to effectively track and manage programs in the IBM Program Manager Professional Certificate.

What does a program manager do?

Program management involves coordinating and monitoring several related projects that impact the same organizational areas or depend on each other for successful delivery. As a program manager, you'll oversee project portfolios, coordinate teams to avoid redundancy, track progress, meet schedules, and drive organizational change through initiatives like Agile transformations and DevOps processes.

Program managers lead programs from inception to completion, developing strategies, evaluating team performance, managing resources across projects, and ensuring alignment with organizational goals. While there are different ways to advance to the role of program manager, this role can be an especially strong fit for project managers who have successfully led multiple projects.

Program vs. project management: What's the difference?

A project manager is in charge of a specific project within an organization, while a program manager is responsible for achieving broader strategic goals and objectives. A program manager might be in charge of a large project or several small-scale projects. Projects usually have specific deadlines, but the end dates for programs may be more flexible, or there may be no end date at all if it is an ongoing program or initiative.

Read more: How to Become a Project Manager: 6 Steps

Program manager: tasks and responsibilities

As a program manager, you are a strategic leader who is responsible for delivering on program goals. You’ll implement program management processes and approaches to planning, managing, executing, and delivering programs.

Your responsibilities might include :

• Strategic planning: Aligning projects with strategic objectives and ensuring the program is effectively carried out and sustained.

• Program governance: Defining roles, responsibilities, decision-making authority, and policies.

• Stakeholder engagement and communication planning: Identifying stakeholders, engaging stakeholders early in a program, and developing an effective communication plan.

• Risk management: Analyzing, prioritizing, and managing risks in a program.

• Program lifecycle monitoring and reporting: Reporting on progress against milestones, deliverables, and outcomes at each stage of a program.

• Working closely with project managers: Aligning projects with a program by coordinating, controlling, strategic planning, and communication.

Skills needed to succeed as a program manager

Program management involves coordination, supervision, strategic planning, and more. Because this is such an active job, program managers wear a lot of hats and need to be ready to lead and engage with teams and stakeholders. Key skills include:

• Creative thinking

• Leadership

• Collaboration

• Analytical thinking

• Strategic thinking

• Oral and written communication skills

• Organizational skills

• Customer service

• Conflict resolution

• Negotiation skills

• Ability to work well under pressure

Program manager salary

As a program manager, you can expect an average annual salary of about $88,339 [1]. This role is expected to grow by 12 percent by 2028, according to Zippia [2].

The industry in which you work can impact your earning potential. For instance, based on pay estimates for program manager titles, you're likely to make more if you work for a tech firm. Program managers are also needed in various industries, including retail, health care, and finance.

How to become a program manager

A career in program management is competitive. To be successful, you typically need a high level of education, experience, and progression within the industry, usually starting in a project manager role. 

1. Earn your degree. 

A bachelor’s degree is typically the minimum educational requirement for a role in program management. According to Zippia, 66 percent of program managers have a bachelor’s and 19 percent have a master’s degree [2]. Although employers in some industries require degrees in specific areas, like engineering or environmental science, good general fields of study include:

• Business administration

• Computer science

• Finance

2. Build your skills in project management.

To become a program manager, you may need a background in project management along with industry experience. Starting as a project manager means you have experience in:

• Leading teams

• Prioritizing tasks

• Understanding project timelines

• Project management software

• Budgeting projects

• Business processes

3. Gain work experience.

Many program managers start as project managers. You may want to get your foot in the door this way and move your way up the ladder. Ideas for getting project management experience include:

• Volunteering to manage community projects like fundraising events or cleanup days

• Applying for an internship as a project management assistant

• Looking for opportunities to serve on nonprofit boards in your community

• Asking to sit in on project management meetings at work

• Launching your own small projects at work, like a before-work yoga class or walking club

• Taking on or leading new initiatives on your current team at work

Junior project manager titles

• Assistant project manager

• Associate project manager

• Junior project manager

• Project coordinator

Expand your network

Networking is a great way to connect with people in an industry or role that you admire and want to work in. Building relationships and cultivating a network of individuals to whom you can turn for informational interviews or even find a mentor is time well spent.

4. Consider a certificate.

Professional certificates offer the knowledge you need to start your career or switch from another area (if you already have a bachelor's degree), while certifications typically validate what you know about a certain area. Both can be beneficial additions to your resume and help you stand out as a candidate.

Explore program management certifications or find different project management and program management certificate programs on Coursera.

Develop your program management skills on Coursera

Learn job-ready skills from industry leaders like IBM, Google, and Microsoft with a Coursera Plus subscription. You’ll get a certificate for every program you finish, which you can add to enhance your resume. For program management, become job-ready with the IBM Program Manager Professional Certificate.

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