What Does a Program Manager Do? Guide (2025)

Early‑stage founders often juggle multiple initiatives with limited resources. Product experiments, design sprints and marketing launches all happen in parallel. Without a single point of coordination, teams talk past each other and the product experience suffers. That is where the role of a program manager comes in. This guide answers what a program manager does for startups and design‑led companies. We wrote this for founders, project managers, and design or product leads who are looking to bring structure without slowing down. You’ll learn the differences between programs and projects, the responsibilities and skills of program managers and how to decide if you need one.

What is a program manager?

A program consists of a group of related projects that support the same strategic initiative. Northeastern University explains that projects fit within programs and programs fit within portfolios. When an organisation runs more than one initiative that supports the same goal, those initiatives are managed together as a program. A program manager is the person who oversees this group of projects to make sure they work together. The Project Management Institute describes program management as the application of knowledge and skills to achieve programme objectives and to obtain benefits that would not be possible by managing each project separately.

It’s common to confuse the role with project management. Project managers focus on the scope, schedule and resources of a single project. Program managers look at interdependencies across projects and work to ensure that each one contributes to the larger objective. If you’re wondering what a program manager do day‑to‑day, think of them as conductors: they don’t write every musical line, but they guide the whole ensemble. In startups or design operations, this person might be a product lead who has taken on cross‑team coordination until a dedicated program manager is hired.

Why the role matters in design and product contexts

In a design‑led environment, programs may include user research, visual design, front‑end development, and marketing campaigns. Claritee’s description of a design operations manager shows that the role is about building an environment where designers can thrive while making sure processes are streamlined. The same applies to program management. It’s about matching creative work with business goals and ensuring that design teams are not pulled in conflicting directions. For early‑stage startups, a program manager helps translate objectives into a roadmap of projects and keeps different functions on the same path.

Program manager versus project manager

The question of what a program manager does is often best answered by contrasting it with project management. According to Northeastern, program managers coordinate with project managers to make sure the right work happens at the right time. Program managers create master schedules, handle risk at the programme stage and set up communication guidelines. Project managers manage day‑to‑day tasks, deliverables and deadlines. Program managers focus on benefits realisation and on keeping the collection of projects matched with business strategy.

In a startup context, it’s tempting to consider every initiative as a project. The program mindset becomes valuable when multiple projects depend on each other or draw from the same pool of people. Without a program manager, you risk duplicating effort, conflicting priorities and missed opportunities for learning across teams.

Core responsibilities

Responsibilities vary by industry, but certain themes remain constant across programmes. The PMI article “Project or program management?” lists a series of tasks that fall to the program manager, from constructing the business case to establishing the programme organisation and managing quality. Below is a list of common duties tailored to product and design teams.

1) Project coordination

Program managers coordinate multiple related projects and manage their interdependencies. They structure the program into coordinated strands and set the terms of reference for each. In a startup, this could mean synchronising feature development, user research and marketing launches so that releases support each other. They create a master schedule that takes these connections into account.

2) Strategic planning

Program managers translate business objectives into a roadmap. They develop the program charter, establish governance and define how decisions will be made. For a founder, this means turning objectives and measurable results into an actionable plan that includes the right experiments, success metrics and milestones. They also need to adapt the program as the strategy evolves, communicating changes to project teams.

3) Stakeholder management

Programs involve many people: designers, product managers, engineers, marketing leads and executives. A program manager is the bridge between them. The Claritee article points out that design operations managers build strong partnerships with leaders and teams. Similarly, program managers meet with senior stakeholders to understand their priorities, explain trade‑offs and shape expectations. They create communication channels and reporting structures so that progress is transparent and decisions are shared.

4) Resource allocation

One of the trickiest parts of program management is deciding how to distribute people and budget across projects. Program managers manage the programme budget and allocate company resources. For product and design teams, that might involve balancing engineering time between product features and design system upkeep, or deciding how much user research to invest in different initiatives. They track budgets, adjust allocations as priorities shift and make sure resources support the highest‑impact work.

5) Risk management

Risks compound when projects are interconnected. Program managers develop a risk management plan at the programme stage. They identify dependencies that could derail the program—such as feature creep, resource shortages or misfits with the product vision—and establish contingencies. They also handle issues that arise across projects, working with project leads to implement corrective actions.

6) Team leadership

Program managers lead without always having direct authority. They set the vision, encourage collaboration and mentor project managers. On design teams, they build an environment where researchers, designers and developers feel connected. They run cross‑functional meetings, facilitate retrospectives and support growth. The PMI article notes that the program manager must lead and coordinate the scoping, planning and delivery of objectives, which requires confident leadership.

7) Budget oversight

Managing a program budget is more than tracking numbers. Program managers write funding proposals, allocate money across projects and monitor return on investment. In early‑stage startups, budgets may be small but unpredictable. A program manager helps ensure that experiments are properly funded, prototypes are cost‑effective and spending aligns with expected outcomes.

8) Performance monitoring

Program managers define what success looks like and measure outcomes. They set up benefits management regimes and measure and report progress across all projects. This includes deciding on adoption metrics, customer impact and cross‑project learning. They look past outputs (such as features shipped) to assess whether the program is delivering on business goals.

9) Process improvement

Programs provide a broad view that is ideal for continuous improvement. Program managers establish quality standards and manage quality. They run retrospectives across projects, capture lessons, and update the programme governance. In design organisations, this might involve refining the design system, improving research documentation or adjusting sprint rhythms based on what works.

10) Communication skills

Communication is a thread through all of these duties. Program managers develop communications strategies and coordinate information flows. They must share updates tailored to each audience: tactical details for project teams and strategic insights for leadership. They act as translators between disciplines, ensuring that everyone understands how their work fits into the programme. In design environments, this may involve translating research findings into product decisions or connecting user empathy with engineering constraints.

A day in the life

No two days are the same, but to visualise what a program manager does on an average day, imagine a rhythm of predictable touchpoints. In the morning, they might start with short check‑ins with project leads to review progress, clear blockers and sync dependencies. Midday could involve one‑to‑one session with design, product and engineering leaders to discuss priorities and adjust the roadmap. Afternoons may be dedicated to budget reviews, risk assessments and preparing progress reports for stakeholders. They also spend time documenting decisions, updating the programme dashboard and checking on resource allocation.

Artifacts that show their work include a programme roadmap, a governance document outlining decision rights, an interdependency register, a risk log and a stakeholder communication plan. In a small startup, these may live in a single spreadsheet; in a large company, they may be formal documents in tools like Confluence or Notion. Program managers also facilitate workshops and retrospectives to keep the team connected.

Skills and traits required

Effective program managers have a mix of strategic thinking and hands‑on coordination. To hire or grow one, you first need to be clear on what a program manager does. They need to understand product strategy and be able to translate it into a roadmap. Communication and influencing skills are essential to manage stakeholders and lead project managers. Northeastern notes that program managers must coordinate work across projects and establish communication systems. The Claritee article emphasises building strong partnerships and streamlining processes. Resource management skills help them allocate budgets and people. Risk management and process improvement keep the program on track. Finally, empathy and a user‑centred mindset allow them to relate to design and product teams and support an environment that values craft.

For founders hiring someone into this role, look for experience overseeing multiple projects, a strategic mindset and evidence of working across functions. During interviews, ask candidates to walk through how they handled resource conflicts or managed risks at the programme stage. For project or product leads stepping into the position, focus on developing a broader view, learning to influence without direct authority and building budgeting and governance skills. Certifications like PMI’s Program Management Professional (PgMP) can provide structured knowledge, but hands-on experience in coordinating projects is equally valuable.

When and why startups need a program manager

For startups wondering what a program manager does, there’s no fixed stage at which every company needs one, but several signals suggest it’s time. If you have multiple initiatives drawing on the same designers and engineers, constant context switching can lead to burnout and inconsistent quality. When different teams set priorities independently, product and design decisions might pull in different directions. A program manager helps match these streams to the overarching strategy, reduces duplication and ensures that learning from one project informs the others.

Mistakes happen when everything is treated as a separate project. Teams might compete for the same resources or chase conflicting metrics. A program manager brings a holistic view, solves resource conflicts and keeps the focus on benefits rather than outputs. In very early‑stage startups, the role might be part‑time or shared by a product leader. As the company grows, hiring a dedicated program manager lets founders focus on the product vision while someone else manages the moving pieces. The design operations perspective reinforces this need: investing in cross‑team operations has been shown to improve product usability and team efficiency, and organisations with design ops practices report higher stakeholder satisfaction.

Hiring or becoming a program manager

For founders and project managers hiring

Candidates should demonstrate an ability to manage several projects at once and to think strategically. Ask for examples of programmes they have run and how they dealt with conflicting priorities. Look for signs that they can build rapport with designers, product managers and executives. A good job description will mention coordinating multiple projects, developing program controls, overseeing budgets, handling risks and ensuring that deliverables fit the programme’s objectives. You can also ask how they measure success at the programme stage and what metrics they track.

For product or design leads stepping into the role

Many program managers start as project managers or product leads. The natural progression is to shift from running one project to orchestrating several. To succeed, build knowledge of strategic planning, resource management and stakeholder communication. Seek out mentors who have led programmes. Consider training in program management frameworks or the PMI’s PgMP certification. Invest in tools that help with budgeting, risk tracking and communication. Most importantly, stay close to the teams doing the work; your credibility comes from understanding their context.

Challenges and pitfalls

1) Role clarity

A program manager’s scope can blur if no one sets clear limits. They may slip into day-to-day project control or drift too far from what teams are building. The job needs a steady mix of big-picture thinking and practical help, which takes judgement.

What to watch for

• Controls work that should sit with project leads
  
  
• Sits too far back and loses sight of real progress
  
  
• Struggles to balance plans with shifting priorities

2) Pressure on resources

Most programs run with tight staff and tight budgets. Hard choices follow. When priorities shift, some projects lose support at the wrong moment.

What to watch for

• Projects stuck in long queues for people or funding
  
  
• Work paused midway because priorities jumped
  
  
• Teams stretched thin and unable to hit milestones

3) Cross-team change is tough

Getting several teams to adopt new ways of working takes patience and steady follow-through. Each group has its own habits, so pushing change across all of them at once can stall.

What to watch for

• Mixed messages between teams
  
  
• Friction about timelines or expectations
  
  
• Slow adoption of new tools or methods

4) Treating projects as isolated pieces

A program isn’t just a stack of independent efforts. If each team runs on its own track, the whole program drifts apart. This leads to duplicated work, gaps, or mismatched plans.

What to watch for

• Projects that solve the same problem in different ways
  
  
• Gaps between components that should work together
  
  
• Conflicting assumptions about scope

5) Weak stakeholder support

When key people don’t share the same understanding, progress slows. Misaligned goals trigger rework or last-minute shifts.

What to watch for

• Sponsors who hold different expectations
  
  
• Teams surprised by decisions
  
  
• Repeated debates about direction

6) Output-focused thinking

Counting features without checking their effect leads to weak results. A program that only chases delivery dates misses whether the work actually helps users.

What to watch for

• Feature lists treated as success metrics
  
  
• No space to assess user impact
  
  
• Teams pressured to ship rather than learn

7) Gaps in design-led work

If researchers and designers stay outside early planning, teams often build the wrong things. Features fit the backlog but not the user’s needs.

What to watch for

• Research done too late to shape decisions
  
  
• Design treated as a polish step
  
  
• Features that meet spec but feel off for users

How to support your program manager

• Set clear decision rights so everyone knows who chooses what
  
  
• Keep regular conversations going with teams and sponsors
  
  
• Share the same vision of what the program aims to deliver
  
  
• Bring research and design into planning from the start

If you want, I can turn this into a full guide or adjust it for a different audience.

Future trends and evolution

Program management is evolving alongside product development. Agile and hybrid approaches call for continuous adaptation rather than rigid plans. Remote and distributed teams add complexity to communication but also broaden the talent pool. Design operations is gaining recognition: companies that invest in design ops report measurable improvements in usability and efficiency, and design‑led firms outperform benchmarks by up to twice the revenue growth. Programs are shifting from output‑driven to outcome‑driven; managers are expected to demonstrate value, not just deliverables. Technical programme management, product operations and design operations are converging. Staying relevant means learning new tools, embracing data and fostering cross‑functional leadership.

Conclusion

Programs are not just larger projects; they are strategic collections of projects that drive meaningful change. The question of what a program manager does comes down to this: they translate strategy into coordinated action, connect people and projects, steward resources and measure whether the company is moving in the right direction. In design‑led startups, where creative and technical work must be matched with business goals, a program manager is the glue that holds it together. As founders, product managers and design leaders, understanding and investing in this role can reduce duplication, improve delivery and free you to focus on product vision. Take a step back and assess your current projects – do you have someone looking across them? If not, adopting a program mindset might be your next advantage.

FAQ

1. What does a program manager do?

A program manager oversees a group of related projects called a programme. They coordinate with project managers, create master schedules, manage risks and budgets, and ensure that projects fit the organisation’s strategy. They also act as the main point of contact for stakeholders, measuring whether the collective work delivers the expected benefits.

2. What are the top three skills of a program manager?

Strong communication and stakeholder management are critical. Program managers need to influence across functions and report effectively. Strategic planning and resource allocation allow them to map projects to business outcomes and distribute budgets wisely. Risk management and process improvement help them identify inter‑project risks and ensure continuous improvement.

3. What is the highest salary for a program manager?

Salaries vary widely by region, industry and scope. In India, a salary guide from a job platform lists an average base salary of ₹37,484 per month, with higher compensation in major cities and senior roles. In the United States and large technology firms, total compensation often includes bonuses and equity and can be significantly higher.

4. Is a program manager a senior position?

Yes. Compared with a project manager, a program manager has a broader scope. They oversee several projects, focus on strategic alignment and are responsible for ensuring that those projects drive business outcomes. Because they sit at the intersection of execution and strategy, program managers are often senior and work closely with leadership.