What does a Development & IT project manager do?
A development & IT project manager translates technical requirements into structured execution plans that guide software teams from concept to deployment. This role bridges the gap between business stakeholders and engineering resources by defining clear scopes, managing timelines, and removing blockers during iterative development cycles. You coordinate cross-functional efforts to keep complex technology initiatives on track while maintaining strict oversight of quality standards and resource allocation.
- Decompose broad project scopes into detailed work breakdown structures that map specific deliverables to measurable milestones. You build comprehensive schedules in tools like Microsoft Project to visualize dependencies, allocate resources, and set realistic deadlines for each phase of the software lifecycle. This planning process transforms abstract goals into actionable tasks that developers can execute without ambiguity regarding priorities or expected outputs.
- Define and implement workflow states such as To Do, In Progress, and Done within tracking platforms like Jira to monitor real-time progress across distributed teams. You manage the movement of work items through these defined transitions to identify bottlenecks early and maintain momentum during sprint cycles. This systematic approach ensures every task has a clear owner and status, allowing you to report accurate progress updates to stakeholders without relying on guesswork or informal check-ins.
- Facilitate iterative development rhythms by organizing planning sessions, daily stand-ups, and retrospective reviews that drive continuous improvement in team velocity. You track risks and issues as they emerge during coding and testing phases, then coordinate immediate responses to prevent delays from cascading into later stages. By maintaining open lines of communication between product owners and engineers, you ensure the final shipped software aligns with the original business objectives and technical specifications agreed upon at the project start.
How to hire a Development & IT project manager on Upwork
Step 1: Post a job
Define your technical scope and delivery milestones clearly to attract qualified candidates. Use the Job Post Generator powered by Umaโข, Upwork's Mindful AI to draft a precise description. Describe your needs in a few sentences, and Uma drafts a job post tailored to this role. You can write a new post, update a saved draft, or reuse an existing post.
- Specify required proficiency with Microsoft Project for scheduling and Jira for workflow tracking.
- List expected deliverables such as work breakdown structures and phased project schedules.
- Clarify if the role requires managing iterative development cycles or specific handoffs.
Step 2: Evaluate candidates
Review portfolios for evidence of structured planning and successful software delivery. Uma can run instant video interviews and build shortlists with side-by-side comparisons to speed up this process.
- Look for sample project plans that show clear milestones and resource allocation.
- Check for experience defining workflow statuses like To Do, In Progress, and Done.
- Verify past management of cross-functional teams during testing and review phases.
Step 3: Interview your top choices
Discuss their approach to risk management and scope decomposition during live conversations. Schedule and conduct these interviews within Upwork Messages, which generates an immediate transcript and summary after each one.
- Ask how they break down large scopes into manageable work packages.
- Request examples of how they tracked progress during previous iterative cycles.
- Evaluate their method for coordinating handoffs between development and testing teams.
Step 4: Agree on scope and begin work
Finalize deliverables and set up your contract for secure collaboration. Use Upwork Messages and the contract workroom for communication and project management, plus identity verification, payment protection, hourly tracking, and project funds for security.
- Upload the agreed project schedule and work breakdown structure to the workroom.
- Configure hourly tracking rules to monitor time spent on planning and coordination.
- Deposit project funds to protect both parties while work proceeds through defined milestones.
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