M3M3 — Senior Manager
Senior Program Manager / Principal Program Manager
Oversees a broad program or portfolio of projects with significant complexity and impact. Sets program vision and ensures alignment of multiple project streams to strategic goals.
What this level means
Leads multiple teams or a sub-function; sets goals and owns cross-team execution.
- Scope
- Multiple teams or a sub-function
- Autonomy
- Sets goals within functional strategy
- Complexity
- Multi-team execution and resourcing trade-offs
- Impact
- Sub-function outcomes
- Decision rights
- Owns goals, budget input, and people decisions across teams
- Leadership
- Manages managers and/or several teams
- Typical experience
- 8–12 yrs
What you'd do
- Define and communicate program objectives to align with business strategy.
- Lead and mentor project managers and technical leads.
- Oversee allocation of resources across projects to optimize utilization.
- Communicate program status, risks, and outcomes to senior leadership.
- Develop and enforce project management standards, methodologies, and governance processes.
- Set program vision
- Mentor project managers
- Optimize resource allocation
- Communicate with senior leadership
- Develop governance processes
Skills, knowledge & tools
- Strategic alignment
- Mentorship
- Resource optimization
- Governance enforcement
- Leadership communication
- Strategic goal alignment
- Program governance
- Leadership principles
- Change management
- Business strategy
- Vision
- Influence
- Change management
- Business acumen
What good looks like
- Advanced degree (e.g. Master’s/PhD in relevant science or MBA)
- 8–12+ years in program/project management
- PgMP or PfMP certifications preferred
- Additional credentials in risk management or strategy preferred
Common titles
Senior Manager, Project and Program ManagementProject and Program Management Senior ManagerSenior Manager, Project and Program ManagerProject and Program Manager Senior Manager
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.