Digital project managers oversee creative design, production and implementation of new media products.
Digital project managers lead the creative concept and technical development of new media advertising products, such as electronic commerce (eCommerce) and promotional websites, e-mail newsletter marketing, rich media, banner advertisements, mobility platforms like phone apps, motion graphics, widgets and social media applications. Digital project managers develop innovative concepts and online marketing strategies and coordinate the internal design, development and production efforts to help businesses achieve their digital marketing and consumer outreach goals.
Career Profile
Digital project managers lead and coordinate the delivery of digital projects. They facilitate the definition, idea generation and delivery of web products that link to marketing strategies and integrate digital approaches and creative design. Digital project managers produce work plans and coordinate the efforts of the creative team, including digital art directors, creative and media managers, web traffic and search specialists, development teams and technical staff. They utilize project management and systems development best practices throughout the development and production processes. Essentially, digital project managers ensure the integrated elements of digital projects come together on time and meet stakeholder expectations for data integrity and product quality.
Education and Experience
Although the post-secondary education and professional experience required for digital project manager jobs may vary by employer, industry and technology type, many managers have a bachelor's degree in advertising, marketing, communications, computer science or management information systems. Many employers show a preference for individuals with specialized project management professional training or certification from the Project Management Institute (PMI). In general, employers looking to fill digital project manager jobs prefer qualified candidates who are creative, have marketing or advertising agency experience and demonstrate the ability to lead concurrent projects of varying size and complexity.
Candidate Comportment
Digital project manager jobs are best suited for highly organized, creative individuals with excellent communication skills. These individuals thrive in a dynamic, deadline-driven business environment and demonstrate the leadership and authority required to move projects forward in a firm but respectful way. Ideal candidates are also digitally literate and possess significant knowledge of advertising and integrated digital marketing techniques, such as search engine optimization (SEO), search engine marketing (SEM) and viral marketing.
Career Advancement
Because the position of digital project manager spans the technology, marketing and advertising industries, there are multiple paths for career advancement. Individuals wishing to pursue careers in the advertising or marketing industries may progress to graphic designer positions or leadership positions in marketing agencies and design firms. Some may open their own firms and offer both project management and marketing or advertising strategy development services as part of their business model. Those wishing to pursue careers in information technology may switch their technology focus and opt to manage other types of technology projects, such as cloud-computing initiatives or data center projects. The skills gained from digital project manager jobs position individuals well for continued success in multiple industries.
Projected Earnings
National salary data published by PayScale indicates digital project managers working in the United States earn average annual salaries ranging from $41,024 to $72,357. Some project managers may earn additional income ranging from $1,037 to $7,046 from bonus compensation programs. The total estimated pay for all digital project managers nationwide ranges from $41,080 to $70,512.
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