IT project manager job description.
Looking to hire an IT project manager or step into tech project delivery? This IT project manager job description breaks down responsibilities like planning, budgeting, stakeholder comms, and delivery management. It also covers the key skills, where the role can lead career-wise, and how salaries vary by industry.
What does an IT project manager do?
An IT project manager leads the delivery of IT-related projects, such as system upgrades, infrastructure rollouts, software implementations, or security improvements. They coordinate timelines, budgets, resources, and stakeholder communication.
Responsibilities include creating project plans, managing risks, tracking progress, and ensuring that outcomes meet business and technical requirements. They often work with IT teams, vendors, and end users to manage delivery.
In smaller businesses, they may manage multiple projects across departments. In larger organisations, they’re often aligned with a PMO or delivery function and oversee larger or more complex tech projects.
Key responsibilities of an IT project manager.
IT project managers lead the planning and delivery of technology-related initiatives. Their responsibilities typically include:
-
Defining project scope, timelines, and resource requirements
-
Managing IT project budgets, risks, and change requests
-
Coordinating with cross-functional teams and third-party vendors
-
Creating and maintaining detailed project plans and status reports
-
Leading project meetings, stakeholder updates, and issue resolution
-
Ensuring alignment between technical requirements and business goals
-
Supporting software implementations, hardware rollouts, or infrastructure upgrades
-
Managing dependencies, testing plans, and acceptance criteria
-
Monitoring progress and ensuring timely delivery
-
Supporting post-implementation reviews and documentation
This role blends project management skills with technical coordination.
Skills and requirements for an IT project manager.
IT project managers lead tech projects, rollouts, and change management. Employers typically look for:
-
4–8 years of experience managing IT or infrastructure projects
-
Strong understanding of IT systems, software, and vendor coordination
-
Experience working with cross-functional and technical teams
-
Ability to manage timelines, budgets, and implementation risks
-
Skilled in stakeholder engagement and requirements gathering
-
Familiarity with project management tools and methodologies
-
Confidence delivering software upgrades, migrations, or deployments
-
Excellent communication and status reporting skills
-
Certifications such as Prince2, PMP, or Agile PM preferred
Most IT project managers deliver technology projects at scale.
Average salary for an IT project manager.
In the UK, the average salary for an IT project manager typically ranges from £47,000 to £70,000, reflecting delivery scope, methodology, and cross-team leadership.
-
Mid-level IT PMs tend to earn between £47,000 and £58,000
-
Senior PMs handling enterprise migrations or large-scale digital transformations may earn between £59,000 and £70,000
-
Agile or Prince2 certification is often rewarded with higher compensation
Best salaries are seen in consulting, fintech, and IT service delivery firms.
Career progression for an IT project manager.
An IT project manager leads the planning, execution, and delivery of technology-related initiatives. This is a strategic delivery role with paths into programme and operations leadership. A typical career journey includes:
Project coordinator / support analyst
Assists with timelines, documentation, and resource scheduling.
IT project manager
Owns project lifecycle delivery, liaises with stakeholders, and ensures delivery within scope and budget.
Senior project manager
Leads multiple projects, manages cross-functional teams, and reports at leadership level.
IT operations manager / PMO lead
Manages portfolios, strategic roadmaps, and resource planning across teams.
Director of IT / transformation
Owns delivery of business-critical programmes and drives digital change.
Cloud & Infrastructure Engineer
Network Engineer
Head of / Lead Infrastructure Engineer
salary guide
Our UK IT salary guide.
IT project managers lead delivery across systems, platforms, and cross-functional infrastructure projects. Salary should reflect oversight, planning, and stakeholder coordination.
Use our UK IT salary guide to explore benchmarks, compare 2024 data, and plan offers with confidence through 2026.
FAQS
IT project manager FAQs.
They typically lead projects such as cloud migrations, ERP system implementations, device rollouts, cyber security upgrades, and business continuity planning. These are often cross-functional, requiring alignment between IT, finance, procurement, and end users.
While many tech teams use Agile, not all IT projects follow that model. Infrastructure, procurement-heavy, or hardware deployments often require a hybrid or Waterfall approach. Strong candidates are flexible and know how to adapt their methodology to the project scope.
IT project managers must translate technical requirements into business outcomes — bridging language gaps between tech and non-tech stakeholders. They also need to foresee risks like system downtime, licensing conflicts, or hardware delays, which general PMs may not anticipate.
PRINCE2, AgilePM, and ITIL certifications are common in job specs. However, experience delivering high-impact IT projects and managing technical dependencies is often valued more highly than credentials alone.
Retail chains, NHS trusts, educational institutions, and finance firms often have ongoing digital transformation needs that require dedicated IT PMs. Tech vendors and MSPs also hire for client-facing roles with multiple project streams.
