Karl KamrudProgram Manager| Edward JonesWildwood, Mo, United States
My organization is reviewing our PMO structure so have the opportunity to evaluate other firms best practices in terms of reporting structures, roles & responsibilities, etc. Some of the challenges we have experienced is whether a Sr. Project Leader should play the role of Team Leader in addition to handle project / program responsibilities. Anything you could share with me as project professionals would be much appreciated. Saving Changes...
Karl:
Can you explain your challenges, the two roles: Sr Project Leader and Team Leader and vision/mission of your PMO; i.e: reporting, supporting or oversight to top 10 projects This will help us share some insight and feedback.
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1 reply by Karl Kamrud
Feb 24, 2017 9:06 AM
Karl Kamrud
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Thanks for the clarifying question Naomi. The challenges we are experiencing are that the Sr. PL/Team Leader is an informal role today. We have a PMO of 15 associates with the human resource responsibilities for the associates divided between two Sr. PLs who also run projects. In addition, the Sr. PL/TLs are our most senior project managers so they end up also running programs which limits their time to handle the people side of their responsibilities. So the challenge to the Sr. PL/TL is which job do you focus on versus doing each mediocre or letting the other suffer.
Our PMO is focuses on the high value/visibility efforts in our division - typically 3 to 4 programs which each have several PLs supporting each.
I am curious how others organizations handle the purely human resource management of PLs - which includes coaching, mentoring, developing, hiring, firing, evaluating and reviewing in their PMO.
Saving Changes...
Eric SimmsSenior Program ManagerBaltimore, Maryland, United States
It’s best to be fluid regarding project roles and responsibilities. For example, I’d probably let a Sr. Project Leader assume the role of Team Leader if the project’s responsibilities aren’t too demanding and the individual is familiar with the team’s activities. I’d then monitor the individual’s performance to make sure s/he was fulfilling both roles adequately.
This is the sort of subjective decision that many PMOs hate. They try to eliminate all subjectivity from their decision-making, but this usually transforms them into a bureaucratic behemoth that impedes an organization’s progress and causes the PMO to be seen as a liability rather than a benefit. Saving Changes...
Karl KamrudProgram Manager| Edward JonesWildwood, Mo, United States
Feb 24, 2017 2:49 AM
Replying to Naomi Caietti
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Karl:
Can you explain your challenges, the two roles: Sr Project Leader and Team Leader and vision/mission of your PMO; i.e: reporting, supporting or oversight to top 10 projects This will help us share some insight and feedback.
Thanks for the clarifying question Naomi. The challenges we are experiencing are that the Sr. PL/Team Leader is an informal role today. We have a PMO of 15 associates with the human resource responsibilities for the associates divided between two Sr. PLs who also run projects. In addition, the Sr. PL/TLs are our most senior project managers so they end up also running programs which limits their time to handle the people side of their responsibilities. So the challenge to the Sr. PL/TL is which job do you focus on versus doing each mediocre or letting the other suffer.
Our PMO is focuses on the high value/visibility efforts in our division - typically 3 to 4 programs which each have several PLs supporting each.
I am curious how others organizations handle the purely human resource management of PLs - which includes coaching, mentoring, developing, hiring, firing, evaluating and reviewing in their PMO.
...
1 reply by Erin Hankey
May 23, 2025 9:41 AM
Erin Hankey
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Karl-Did you ever figure out the right mix that worked for you?
Thanks for the clarifying question Naomi. The challenges we are experiencing are that the Sr. PL/Team Leader is an informal role today. We have a PMO of 15 associates with the human resource responsibilities for the associates divided between two Sr. PLs who also run projects. In addition, the Sr. PL/TLs are our most senior project managers so they end up also running programs which limits their time to handle the people side of their responsibilities. So the challenge to the Sr. PL/TL is which job do you focus on versus doing each mediocre or letting the other suffer.
Our PMO is focuses on the high value/visibility efforts in our division - typically 3 to 4 programs which each have several PLs supporting each.
I am curious how others organizations handle the purely human resource management of PLs - which includes coaching, mentoring, developing, hiring, firing, evaluating and reviewing in their PMO.
Karl-Did you ever figure out the right mix that worked for you? Saving Changes...
Luis BrancoCEO| Business Insight, Consultores de Gestão, LdªCarcavelos, Lisboa, Portugal
This is an excellent opportunity to reframe the role of your PMO not just structurally, but strategically.
A key principle is alignment before assignment.
Before deciding whether a Sr. Project Leader should also act as a Team Leader, ask:
- What outcomes are we optimizing for: delivery efficiency, talent development, innovation, or governance?
- What capabilities do we need to enable those outcomes?
Dual-role configurations (e.g., Sr. Project Leader + Team Lead) can work — especially in lean environments — if clear boundaries, support structures, and delegation mechanisms are in place.
Otherwise, it risks burnout, role conflict, and diluted accountability.
Some practices I've seen add value:
- Role clarity matrices (like RACI or DARCI) tailored to PMO maturity level.
- Differentiated career paths for project delivery vs. people leadership.
- Reporting lines that decouple coaching from delivery oversight, reducing potential conflicts of interest.
Would be happy to share more if you’re considering specific PMO models (e.g., centralized vs. federated) or exploring value-based PMO frameworks (like Value Ring™ or the Flywheel Model from PMI’s 2025 Guide).
Karl,
I'll give you my perspective as someone who fits the senior PM category but has also been the team leader most of the last 20 years.
There is a lot of overhead involved being the team leader. Some of it is very positive. There is often greater exposure to the decision makers who can help my projects, so when I need help, I have the ears of the people who can make some calls.
On the other hand, when I'm asked to be the leader, I know i have to give up managing the best projects because they are very active and I already have >30% of my time doing the lead role. When I'm leading the top level PMs, I don't have to give them council so much as planning workload, representing my team on process councils, dealing with new PM process and tool implementation, and other duties.
To perform both roles effectively, I need assistants to help with the administrative work and to assist with my own projects when things get really busy
