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 ☺️

You could have so much fun with this. Queen of All Things has a nice ring to it.

But it’s the project you are managing not the people??

I’d say project director (they may have the same issue with director) or project lead/project delivery consultant or workstream lead if you are one of many?

Delivery Lead or Integration Lead

Project lead

@LlamasintheFog

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

Yes, I think companies are increasingly wary of IT35. I personally used to use a an umbrella company to work through and always been a PM

IR35 ... got to be wary of anything IT too 😂

Have you done a status determination test on the HMRC website? It doesn't care what your job title is and HMRC say they'll stand by it as long as you've answered accurately.

Project Facilitator

@NameChangeforMoneyThings yes passed that

@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.

Eh? They are talking bullshit if they think a project manager title indicates line management responsibility for IR35 purposes. The IR35 test is based on the substance of your job, not the title.

@AdaColeman

Project Facilitator

This sounds VERY junior.

Project Executive
Head of Project X

If you've passed that then why would the c company mind what you call yourself? If you point them to the HMRC website where it says it's fine, share the copy of the assessment with them and then just use the job title you want?

Programme lead is a usual one in our organisation though, if PM isn't suitable.

Project Lead, Delivery Lead or Project Workstream Lead would good equivalents depending on scale of project / programme and your spot in the hierarchy

"Lead" has replaced manager everywhere at my husband's big job. Manager became a dirty word overnight.

Delivery lead

I'd go with project coordinator.

You can still put project manager on your cv afterward to avoid looking junior/daft/wanky, whatever you come up with.

Project coordinator is quite a junior role, I definitely wouldn't go with that if you're leading the Project

Agree Project Coordinator is a junior position in my line of work.

Project Director
Project Lead

Both more appropriate titles for what you're doing.

Project Deliverer
Project Fixer
Project Boss

I’m a project manager too - have been a Senior Change and Delivery Officer in the past, and a Service Innovation Officer. Did the same job in all of them. Transformation Lead?

Definitely sounds like an IR35 issue. I run PM teams and we just make it very clear that contract PMs are just that - on contract. So it's on their email sigs, they're always introduced as such, accountable for their own time as long as they deliver on the project outcomes etc etc. If the company you're contracted to fundamentally object to the manager title though, I would go for "Delivery Lead - XYZ Project". That would also make it clear that you are there to deliver a specific project rather than as a generalist, which should also help with the CEST assessment.

I think "Ma'am" should suffice
In reality use project delivery consultant/lead.
It doesn't actually matter too much for the CV as a lot of places have different titles/hierarchies.
I was very impressed when my friend told me she'd been promoted to VP, as that is a very senior title where I work. She couldn't understand why I was making such a fuss as she was happy she got it but fully expected it and it's middle management in her org.

High Priestess Queen of Projects

@iwishiwasafish

High Priestess Queen of Projects

I'm so nabbing this as my next job title 🤣

Senior Project Lead

But in all seriousness I’d be really concerned about this role given the organisations fundamental misunderstanding of relevant legislative frameworks.