If you can't call yourself a manager what sounds senior instead of PM

[giraffesateleaves]

I'm a Project manager, but can't use that title so what can I use instead? My new contract say they want me to decide the title.

Project Coordinator ? Project specialist ? Project Consultant ? None of these say you are running a project though ☺️

Project Leader/Lead? Project Specialist? Project Officer?

Project Leader?

I'd say Project Lead or Project Officer

Project leader or consultant I think. Why can't you use the title of PM?

Project Lead

Project Coordinator - sounds too junior, I would think that's someone who assists the manager.

Project specialist - sounds like an SME who is part of the project team.

Project Consultant - same as above.

Why can't you use PM? That might help come up with a few more ideas.

Director/Project Director

What was the job advertised as?
I’ve seen Project Leader/Lead used before. Project Coordinator or Specialist is more junior in my experience as these roles effectively support a PM.

Top Chief Project Bosser……….. no one will actually care what your job title is……..

@ghislaine

Director/Project Director

This sounds veryyyy important!

I was going to suggest something with Director in it as well

Programme Lead.

Project Managers at our place are called Delivery Managers these days - apparently it's an Agile thing.

Business Analysts are bizarrely called Business Designers now.

If you can’t be a Manager, can you be Head Of Instead?

Can't use Manager as I'm not managing anyone ( I know, I know) it's a something to do with the new tax rules, it all a bit complex, but I'm a contractor.

@giraffesateleaves

Can't use Manager as I'm not managing anyone ( I know, I know) it's a something to do with the new tax rules, it all a bit complex, but I'm a contractor.

It sounds very much like someone along the line has entirely misunderstood something!

I quite like Project Lead. Just would need to check with the other consultant that that doesn't step on their toes. I have no idea what they are calling themselves.

Could do project delivery consultant?

@MiddleParking it's a grey area, but the company say to avoid me appearing like an employee, they don't contract people using the title Manager. Apparently if you manage people as a contractor you should be employed. I won't be managing people just processes.

Are you working in an Agile way? If so you could be the Scrum Master. If not I'd go with Project Lead.

Principal project manager
Associate project manager
Project lead
Delivery manager
Head of project management
Head of delivery
Delivery lead

Project Lead

Their reasoning is bizarre. We've had hundreds if not thousands of contractor PMs who didn't have line management responsibility, with no tax issues.

This blog might be interesting... Or it may just muddy the waters further 😂
plan.io/blog/project-leader-vs-project-manager/

Leader or lead.
Directors are usually higher than managers in the food chain and manage the managers. Consultants are generally brought in to oversee something specific and don't always work for the company.

It's no doubt since the IR35 changes but seems a very cautious approach, I mean why couldn't you be a Contract Project Manager? Anyway, I would probably go for Project Lead as it's closest to Manager

I like project lead. But it is a bit crazy - you’re not managing people, you’re managing the project…!