Headhunter for Project Leader Positions

A project leader is responsible for the entire process of a project - from setting goals to measuring success. He/she is also responsible for communication, training and control of the staff. He/she is responsible for the budget towards management. Besides the necessary technical knowledge, a project leader should also have strong skills in leadership and communication.

Search for soft skills and personalities

With our professional support, these soft skills can be specifically searched for. CareerTeam finds suitable candidates in several channels (multichannel) with algorithmic software throughout Europe. To find your future project leader, our recruiters regularly meet with you during the ongoing process. You can also leave the entire recruitment process in our hands (RPO).

Project leader or project manager

In German-speaking countries, a project leader is sometimes equated with a "project manager". Although this simplifies the job description, it leads to a vague definition of the responsibilities. There are various definitions, which also differ between the United States and Germany. One opinion is that a project manager is more likely to know how to apply the tools and methods of project management. 

A project leader would therefore be more responsible for overall management, personnel management and communication to the executive level.

Whoever occupies a higher position in the company hierarchy is to be understood individually. In the same way, the distribution of tasks should be clarified in advance to avoid misunderstandings.

However, even if a project leader takes on more delegating tasks, the fundamental methods need to be known. After all, the selection of the project management method is also subject to the project leader. 

Methods

Project management methods vary in terms of strategy and process. Due to the large number, we will only mention the most common ones here. 

For example, in the waterfall method, the scheduled steps are processed one after the other. There are hardly any strategic meetings during the course of the project and the budget has been fixed. There are practically no deviations. This is particularly suitable for well-rehearsed, repeated processes. Trend analysis of milestones are similar to this.

Agile management, on the other hand, is more flexible. It includes several methods (e.g. Kanban, Scrum, partly also Lean) that are successfully and widely applied worldwide. Communication channels are as short and simple as possible. This applies to both project staff and customers or stakeholders. Customer demands can easily be incorporated during the course of the project and the budget can be adjusted accordingly. Hierarchies among the staff are flat and each individual bears responsibility. Regular meetings and agreements are important here. This is especially suitable for complex and large projects.

The network planning technique is another method that can be interpreted in different ways. Which analysis is most suitable is determined by the project leader. Here, too, it varies from project to project. 

Budgetary responsibility

In addition, the project leader (more than one can be in charge of this position) is responsible for the budget. This also includes staff costs and liquidity control. Ongoing controlling (project controlling) is again often delegated to team members. Controlling provides the required data for operational accounting. The project leader is responsible for evaluating the results. He/she is responsible for communicating the data to the management. He/she can also have a strategic influence on budget planning and also controls the resources (working capital).

Education and career

Training as a project leader may require a technically relevant degree. An experienced project leader might also have the team explain technical details to him or her. Specific questions are then also solved by the team. In the course of the project, the project leader automatically acquires the necessary technical knowledge. A technical degree is not necessarily a prerequisite.

A degree in business administration is useful to know business contexts. What will probably be most useful is many years of practical experience to learn the tasks of organisation and methodology.

Finally, there is also a bachelor's degree in project management. Again, one has to consider to what extent it does credit to the position of project leader vis-à-vis project management.

Ultimately, this again depends on the specific project. The most important skills are planning, communication and implementation.

Motivation and communication

On the contrary, it can be advantageous not to delve into technical details to maintain an overall view. After all, the project leader keeps the different areas between marketing, production and controlling together. To achieve this, he or she must have extraordinary coordination skills.

To bring the project to a successful conclusion, the project leader must motivate the employees. He:she may also schedule workshops or other training to achieve the project goal. If there are conflicts within the team, the project leader is responsible for resolving them. In addition, the management is empowered to put together appropriate teams as part of its personnel responsibility. 

Customised recruitment

Just as the methods and the distribution of responsibilities are individual, so are the candidates. We support your company with a personality analysis using well-founded personality tests. This ensures that we find a person who also fits into your company in terms of the cultural fit. In this way, you can look for a project leader for your future projects who match your projects and your individual company profile. We will be happy to advise you, so please feel free to contact us by e-mail or phone.