Business and administration
Associate project manager
Managing project work and teams for businesses and other organisations.
Summary
This occupation is found in small, medium, and large organisations within the public, private and third sectors. Associate project managers work in all sectors such as government, retail, food and drink, infrastructure, education, charities, research, and banking. The working environment can vary from being in an office, on site, at client, and contactor’s locations and working remotely.
The broad purpose of the occupation is to contribute to the successful delivery of a project, ensuring its scope and benefits are achieved as planned. They do this primarily by identifying, resourcing, scheduling, and monitoring the activities that need to happen in a certain sequence and timescale. They monitor the project objectives and milestones and adjust plans in accordance with evolving circumstances.
Associate project managers are key to enabling organisations meet their business goals by successful project delivery. Projects can be large or small and deliver a required product that either creates something new or improves efficiency and effectiveness, such as designing and constructing a new motorway or implementing a new IT system. Projects are diverse in nature and could involve anything from banking through to construction. Many organisations deliver their own projects, using in-house associate project managers to work on scope they might be already familiar with. Some associate project manager’s work on a contract basis or for specialist organisations that deliver outsourced project work on behalf of clients.
In their daily work, an employee in this occupation interacts with a range of internal stakeholders including members of their own team and other departments such as IT, legal, finance, strategy, HR, operations, commercial, marketing, sustainability, senior management, and governing decision-making bodies. They also interact with a range of external stakeholders such as members of the public, investors, customers, regulators, suppliers, auditors, and partners. They will typically report to the Project Manager who ensures the delivery of the project scope.
An employee in this occupation will be responsible for identifying, defining, and delivering some or all the aspects of a projects lifecycle within the limits set by the project manager. Associate project managers work on their own and in a range of team settings.
They may contribute to the drafting of business cases that justify why a project is required. They will collaborate with stakeholders to negotiate and allocate project activities to members of the integrated project team.
The Associate project manager will be monitoring progress using relevant project tools and techniques and is also responsible for quality assuring work to completion. They will report on progress and adapt plans as needed.
They will apply codes of practice, legislation, and regulation in respect of the organisation’s areas of operation. This will apply not only to legal and ethical responsibilities but will include the central placement of inclusion and sustainability. Associate project managers manage conflicting project and current political objectives such as net carbon zero, and risk management to influence successful outcomes.
They work within agreed budgets and available resources, and work without high levels of supervision, usually reporting to the project manager. They may occasionally be responsible for decision making, but more often will guide or influence the decisions of others.
They must also escalate project issues beyond the scope of their role or when they identify significant project risks and issues.
They analyse and incorporate lessons learned into future project management and to keep their project skills up to date.
They contribute to overall project aims in line with customer requirements.
They will understand how their role supports the wider organisation and project structure.
Typical job titles include
- Assistant project manager | Junior project manager | Project support
Knowledge, skills and behaviours (KSBs)
K1:
The differences between projects and business as usual.
K2:
The importance of alignment between the project and organisational objectives.
K3:
The interdependencies between project, programme, and portfolio management.
K4:
Techniques used to understand the project context, such as PESTLE (political, economic, social, technological, legal, and environmental), SWOT (strength, weakness, opportunities, threats) or VUCA (velocity, uncertainty, complexity, ambiguity).
K5:
The need and benefit of the project governance structure, requirements, and process and the impact on their role.
K6:
The differences and comparative benefits between functional, matrix and project structures.
K7:
Different roles and responsibilities within a project environment.
K8:
The differences and comparative benefits between linear, iterative and hybrid life cycle approaches.
K9:
Importance, content, and purpose of a business case.
K10:
Approaches to the maintenance of a business case and the management of the benefits which will be achieved upon the successful delivery of the project.
K11:
The purpose, format, and significance of the project management plan.
K12:
Methods used to define, record, integrate, deliver, and manage scope.
K13:
The identification, analysis, and management of stakeholders.
K14:
Communication techniques and approaches to interact with stakeholders to meet their requirements.
K15:
The use of information management.
K16:
Techniques for managing conflict and negotiation.
K17:
Techniques for working collaboratively within a team and with stakeholders.
K18:
How and when to apply different estimating methods.
K19:
Configuration management and change control.
K20:
The principles of earned value management (EVM) and the interpretation of EVM information.
K21:
Project scheduling and maintenance, including critical path analysis.
K22:
Allocation and management of resources throughout the project life cycle.
K23:
Principles of project risk and issue management.
K24:
Procurement strategies and processes that are both ethical and sustainable.
K25:
The role and purpose of quality requirements, planning and control in a project environment.
K26:
Principles for evaluating project success, including how lessons learned are captured and can impact future project delivery.
K27:
Relevant regulations and legislation such as data protection, and how they impact on their role.
K28:
The impact of project objectives and how to respond to challenges around sustainability and the UK Government’s policy to achieve net carbon zero.
K29:
Principles of conducting project management activities which are ethical and inclusive.
K30:
Technology and software used in the performance of project management activities.
K31:
Presentation tools and techniques.
Technical Educational Products
- ST0310: Associate project manager (Level 4) Approved for delivery
- Reference:
- OCC0310
- Status:
Approved occupation
- Average (median) salary:
- £32,002 per year
- SOC 2020 code:
- 3543 Project support officers
- SOC 2020 sub unit groups:
- 3543/00 Project support officers
- 2127/00 Engineering project managers and project engineers
- 2131/00 IT project managers
S1:
Use project monitoring and reporting techniques to track, interpret and report on performance.
S2:
Manage and engage with stakeholders.
S3:
Influence and negotiate with others to create a positive outcome for the project.
S4:
Resolve conflict as and when required with stakeholders within limits of responsibility.
S5:
Adapt communications to different stakeholders.
S6:
Communicate and support the project vision, to ensure buy in to the project objectives.
S7:
Collate and analyse information and provide input to support negotiations relating to project objectives.
S8:
Monitor and analyse project budgets.
S9:
Review and provide feedback on a project business case to ensure the project remains valid.
S10:
Apply change control processes to support the management of project scope.
S11:
Evaluate an integrated project management plan to provide recommendations on areas for improvement.
S12:
Prepare, monitor, and schedule activities that contribute to the delivery of the overall project schedule and objectives.
S13:
Evaluate and make recommendations on the risk management plan to threats to delivery and recommend solutions.
S14:
Identify and monitor project risks and issues; and plan and implement responses to them.
S15:
Deliver a Quality Management Plan which contributes to quality control processes.
S16:
Use an organisation’s continual improvement process including lessons learned to improve performance.
S17:
Support the preparation or maintenance of a resource management plan for project activities.
S18:
Work with stakeholders to deliver the project.
S19:
Use digital tools and software to meet project objectives for example research, collaboration, presentations, and resolution of problems.
S20:
Provide underpinning data to support the written submission through the governance process.
S21:
Work within the approved project budget.
S22:
Ensure that integrated schedules support critical path analysis, interface management, resource forecasting and risk management.
S23:
Apply relevant legislation, regulations, codes of practice, and ethical guidance where appropriate to their work.
S24:
Use data to inform decisions on actions to take to mitigate risks on project.
S25:
Use configuration management and change control to schedule and maintain projects.
S26:
Manages resources through the project lifecycle.
Technical Educational Products
- ST0310: Associate project manager (Level 4) Approved for delivery
- Reference:
- OCC0310
- Status:
- Approved occupation
- Average (median) salary:
- £32,002 per year
- SOC 2020 code:
- 3543 Project support officers
- SOC 2020 sub unit groups:
- 3543/00 Project support officers
- 2127/00 Engineering project managers and project engineers
- 2131/00 IT project managers
B1:
Works flexibly and adapts to circumstances.
B2:
Works collaboratively and builds strong relationships with others across the organisation and external stakeholders.
B3:
Has accountability and ownership of their tasks and workload.
B4:
Operates professionally with integrity and confidentiality.
B5:
Seeks learning opportunities and continuous professional development.
Technical Educational Products
- ST0310: Associate project manager (Level 4) Approved for delivery
- Reference:
- OCC0310
- Status:
- Approved occupation
- Average (median) salary:
- £32,002 per year
- SOC 2020 code:
- 3543 Project support officers
- SOC 2020 sub unit groups:
- 3543/00 Project support officers
- 2127/00 Engineering project managers and project engineers
- 2131/00 IT project managers
