Commercial Vs. Technical Priorities: The PM High-Wire Act

By Mel Palmer, Sacco System Australia

PMs They must be technically adept enough to understand the science being executed as part of the project, but their main role is to ensure the project is delivering as intended in terms of the contract’s scope and budget. They also need to know which levers to pull to achieve those outcomes. Most days, that means acting as an arbiter between a project’s technical teams and leadership, providing a commercial lens to technical discussions and a technical perspective to commercial decisions.

Good PMs share inherent skillsets. They are organized, outcome-focused, strong communicators, and are able to grasp both minute details and the bigger picture. Finding a PM with the temperament and skillset to do the job well is one thing; granting them the authority and flexibility to utilize their skills is another. Almost all position descriptions for PMs talk about communication with vendors and timeline management, but a PM needs the authority to be effective. Industrywide, a lack of understanding about this requirement — or hesitance on the part of leadership to grant PMs that authority — leads to many project managers having inadequate support. The best thing any PM can do is use the tools available to them so the sponsor, CDMO, and other partners are clear on what needs to be done and how those tasks are to be completed.