Difference between Project Manager and Project Director

Project management is a field in which the roles are very complicated. There are different people in this field who have to do their job for the success of the project. Some of these roles are project directors, project managers, project coordinators, project associates, assistant project managers, associate project managers, etc. In this article, we will deal with the difference between project director and project manager.

What is a Project Manager?

A project manager is a role in the field of project management whose responsibility is to make a plan for a project, monitor its progress, and complete and execute it on time and within the budget. They have to lead their team and guide them if they face any problems. The other members like project associates, project coordinators, and the team members who have to work on the given modules have to report to the project manager.

Role of a Project Manager

A project manager has many responsibilities and some of them are listed below ?

• Setting the goals and budget for a project
• Making a schedule for the completion of the project
• Assigning tasks to the resources
• Achieving project goals by monitoring the progress of the project
• Managing issues and risks
• Setting the budget and managing it
• Resolving conflicts in the team
• Making sure that the project is at its best quality
• Closing the project and delivering it

What is a Project Director?

A project director is a person who is at the senior level of a project management team. His job is to work on multiple projects going on in an organization. His aim is to achieve the organizational goals with the help of different projects. Project directors work with project managers and stakeholders to allocate resources to complete the project. He also manages risks and sees that all the projects meet the project goals and are completed on time.

Role of a Project Director

The responsibilities of a project director are as follows ?

• Directing the projects
• Prioritizing the projects and aligning them with the goals of the organization
• Managing the budget for different projects
• Assigning resources for different projects
• Maintaining relationships with different people like stakeholders, sponsors, and senior management
• Keeping track of the progress of different projects
• Making sure that the projects are being made at their best quality
• Supporting and providing mentorship to project managers and teams

Difference between Project Director and Project Manager

Project directors and project managers have different responsibilities and we can find the difference between project director and project manager in the table below.

Conclusion

Project directors and project managers have different responsibilities. Project directors have a role of senior level and they have to take care of multiple projects. Project managers have to deal with specific projects assigned to them. Project managers report to program managers while project directors report to CEO or COO. Project directors provide guidance to the project managers while project managers have to guide their teams. There are many more differences between both the roles and their responsibilities are also different.

FAQs on Project Director Vs. Project Manager

1. How many projects do a project manager and a project director have to deal with?

A project manager has to deal with a single project or he may be given a chance to deal with specific projects at a time. A project director has to take care of all the projects running in the organization.

2. Who has the responsibility to deal with external stakeholders?

A project director has to deal with the external stakeholders. Project managers have to deal with the stakeholders related to the project.

3. What types of decisions are made by project directors and project managers?

Project directors have to make decisions for multiple projects and set strategies for their successful execution. Project managers have to make decisions regarding the completion of the project given to them. They have to provide mentorship to the team members and monitor the progress of a project.

4. What are the responsibilities of a project manager?

The responsibilities of a project manager are as follows ?

• Setting the goals and budget for a project
• Making a schedule for the completion of the project
• Assigning tasks to the resources
• Achieving project goals by monitoring the progress of the project
• Managing issues and risks
• Setting the budget and managing it
• Resolving conflicts in the team
• Making sure that the project is at its best quality
• Closing the project and delivering it

5. What are the responsibilities of a project director?

The responsibilities of a project director are as follows ?

• Directing the projects
• Prioritizing the projects and aligning them with the goals of the organization
• Managing the budget for different projects
• Assigning resources for different projects
• Maintaining relationships with different people like stakeholders, sponsors, and senior management
• Keeping track on the progress of different projects
• Making sure that the projects are being made at their best quality
• Supporting and providing mentorship to project managers and teams