P5P5 — Expert Professional
Principal PM
Direct a portfolio of projects aligned with strategic goals. Influence senior stakeholders on project investment.
What this level means
Expert in field; key problem solver and project leader, authority in multiple areas
- Scope
- Multiple systems or a technical domain
- Autonomy
- Sets direction within the domain
- Complexity
- Novel, high-ambiguity problems; establishes the approach
- Impact
- Org / multi-team outcomes
- Decision rights
- Authority over a technical domain
- Leadership
- Leads cross-team technical initiatives
- Typical experience
- 8–12 yrs
What you'd do
- Direct a portfolio of projects
- Influence senior stakeholders on project investment
- Ensure alignment of projects with strategic objectives
- Lead high-level project reviews
- Drive innovation in project management practices
- Direct project portfolios
- Influence project investments
- Align projects with objectives
- Lead project reviews
- Drive project innovation
Skills, knowledge & tools
- Portfolio management
- Executive communication
- Stakeholder management
- Innovative Thinking
- Strategic alignment
- Portfolio management strategies
- Executive communication techniques
- Stakeholder influence methods
- Innovation in project management
- Strategic alignment principles
- Organizational leadership
- Innovation
- Executive communication
- Stakeholder influence
- Portfolio alignment
What good looks like
- Broad knowledge of business and technical trends
- Experience directing project portfolios
- Bachelor's degree in Engineering or related field
- 7-10 years of project management experience
- Strong stakeholder management skills
Common titles
Principal PM
Where it sits & what it pays
O*NET / SOC: 13-0000 — Business & Financial Operations Occupations(inferred · under review)
Market-pay benchmarks for this family × level are coming — JobFrame anchors pay to the family/level structure rather than the raw title.