Program Manager, PPM&PMO Specialist.| Coppel, Mexico.Culiacán, Sinaloa, Mexico
Could you share the career path for a Project Manager in the organizations you’ve been part of? Is it formally established? In my case, it is not formally defined. There are Project Leaders, Project Managers, and, until recently, Program Managers, but there is no documented path outlining the progression. I’d love to hear how it’s structured in your experience. Saving Changes...
Program Manager, PPM&PMO Specialist.| Coppel, Mexico.Culiacán, Sinaloa, Mexico
Feb 20, 2025 7:06 AM
Replying to Kiron Bondale
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Francisco -
In the Canadian large bank where I worked for a few years, there was a well defined career ladder for the PM job family. You can start as an entry level Project Analyst I, and then after a couple of PA progressions move into a PM role where there were more progressions. From there, you could move into Program Management or Project Executive roles. At the highest levels, the roles were titled officers of the bank.
There were detailed job descriptions and explanations of the educational and experiential prerequisites for each role.
Kiron
Hi Kiron,
Thank you for sharing your experience. Having a well-defined career path, as you described, is definitely a best practice in project management. A structured progression not only provides clarity for professionals in the field but also helps organizations develop and retain talent effectively.
In my company, this is the kind of structured approach we would also expect—clear role definitions, outlined career progression, and well-documented competencies required at each level. Such frameworks ensure that project professionals have a clear roadmap for growth and development while aligning with organizational needs.
It's always insightful to hear how different organizations implement these structures. I appreciate your input!
Program Manager, PPM&PMO Specialist.| Coppel, Mexico.Culiacán, Sinaloa, Mexico
Feb 20, 2025 7:37 AM
Replying to Md. Golam Rob Talukdar
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Hi Francisco,
I have worked in various companies as a construction project manager. Each company had its own rules and regulations, so I had to create my way. Some were very good, while others had no rules. These things depend on whether it is a functional organization or an organic organization. However, I always tried to organize things with my knowledge or my education. But whoever my reporting manager was, I always respected him and tried to follow his words.
Golam
Hi Golam,
Thank you for sharing your experience. I appreciate your adaptability in different organizational structures and your commitment to organization and respect for leadership.
Program Manager, PPM&PMO Specialist.| Coppel, Mexico.Culiacán, Sinaloa, Mexico
Feb 20, 2025 9:11 AM
Replying to Fabian Crosa
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The career path of a Project Manager can vary quite a bit depending on the organization and its maturity in project management. In some companies, the progression is clear and structured, with defined levels such as Project Coordinator → Project Manager → Senior Project Manager → Program Manager → Portfolio Manager or even PMO Director.
In others, as you mention, roles can exist without a formally documented path, which sometimes leaves it up to the professional themselves to define their growth. In my experience, when there is no clear structure, it is key to develop strategic skills, influence the organization and demonstrate the impact of the role to lead the way. Have you seen any efforts in your company to better structure this progression?
Thank you for your insightful advice. I completely agree that in the absence of a clear structure, developing strategic skills and demonstrating impact are crucial. I have followed this approach to grow within my organization, proactively influencing key initiatives and aligning my role with business objectives.
Regarding your question, I have observed some efforts to structure career progression, though there is always room for improvement. However, these efforts have been slow and limited, often lagging behind current industry trends.
Regards! Francisco.
Program Manager, PPM&PMO Specialist.| Coppel, Mexico.Culiacán, Sinaloa, Mexico
Feb 20, 2025 10:04 AM
Replying to Ivan Gonick
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In the organization that I am with currently we have the following flow of progression.
1. CPC - Construction Project Coordinators.
2. CPM - Construction Project Managers.
3. Sr. CPM - Senior Construction Project Managers.
4. PM1- Jr. Program Manager
5. PM-II - Program Manager
6. PM-III - Sr. Program Manager
7. Director of PMO
Happy to expand more in detail of each role and responsibilities if needed.
Thank you for sharing Ivan. What would be the main difference in advancing from one level to another? What needs to be achieved to be promoted to the next level? Reagrds! Francisco. Saving Changes...
Thomas WalentaGlobal Project Economy ExpertHackenheim, Germany
IBM had a clear project management career path, from the late 1990s, developed and owned by its central PM COE. It included four roles, timelines, certification, education/skills, and was supported by a global community of 40K people and a corresponding knowledge mgmt system.
It helped to globalize, standardize (e.g. training programs and qualifications), bring cost down, increase quality, enable knowledge reuse and build a workforce with global reputation.
I was lucky to be one of them.
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1 reply by Francisco Herrera
Feb 25, 2025 7:45 PM
Francisco Herrera
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Thomas IBM is definitely a great success story in project management! I’ve heard from colleagues about their structured model and how well it supported career growth and standardization. It’s always interesting to see how companies at that scale implement and sustain such frameworks. Regards! Francisco.
Program Manager, PPM&PMO Specialist.| Coppel, Mexico.Culiacán, Sinaloa, Mexico
Feb 20, 2025 1:22 PM
Replying to Rami Kaibni
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Francisco, I worked with large and small organizations and the career path for PMs coming from engineering background is usually as follows and in sequence:
Junior Engineer
Site Engineer
Section Engineer
Project Engineer
Project Manager
Senior Project Manager
Project Director
Thank you for sharing Rami. What would be the main difference in advancing from one level to another? What needs to be achieved in order to be promoted?
Senior Projects Manager | Field & Marten AssociatesNew Westminster, British Columbia, Canada
Feb 23, 2025 1:26 PM
Replying to Francisco Herrera
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Thank you for sharing Rami. What would be the main difference in advancing from one level to another? What needs to be achieved in order to be promoted?
Experience combined with Performance!
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1 reply by Francisco Herrera
Feb 25, 2025 7:46 PM
Francisco Herrera
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That’s a solid combination! Gaining experience is key, but delivering real results is what truly drives career growth.. Thanks Rami!
Saving Changes...
Suzanne CowlesSr. Project Manager| HealthcareSoutheast, United States
For US federal government construction it has been:
Small Projects PM (in a state)
Capital Projects PM (in multiple states)
Program Manager (national)
We have 3 levels of certifications (FAC P/PM) which are comparable to PMP.
While the government does not dissuade licenses and other certifications, it also does not pay for them. So most people do not maintain those things if they have them coming in.
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1 reply by Francisco Herrera
Feb 26, 2025 11:29 AM
Francisco Herrera
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Thanks Suzanne, that's super clear on the role breakdown! Appreciate the info. Regards! Francisco
Program Manager, PPM&PMO Specialist.| Coppel, Mexico.Culiacán, Sinaloa, Mexico
Feb 20, 2025 6:12 PM
Replying to Keith Novak
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In my engineering/heavy manufacturing experience there are 2 paths: Business management and engineering PMs. Business management is focused on change management processes with less product knowledge, and engineering PMs have more technical focus.
Typical levels are 1-6 which break down by your influence level.
1 = Junior engineer (you work assigned tasks)
2 = System level
3 = Major function level
4 = Major product line
5 = Enterprise level
Level 6 is an industry level expert who is less a PM and more a senior level consultant.
Keith thanks for sharing this breakdown, it's an interesting perspective on career progression. Could you share how the influence level is defined at each stage? Specifically, What key factors determine the transition from one level to the next?
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