Project manager for infrastructure projects

Project managers for infrastructure projects coordinate large-scale construction projects such as railway lines, roads and airports or the construction of wind farms and the development of sports facilities.

It is often part of project management to tender task packages and, after a selection process, to award them to architectural offices, engineering offices and nature conservationists. The contracts to be drawn up are to be managed and the costs of offers and invoices are to be checked. Scheduling and optimization of processes is also within the area of ​​responsibility. The project manager is therefore the interface for many stakeholders involved in construction projects and thus assumes a key function for the successful realization of projects.

Andreas Schröder (Projektmanager at Drees&Sommer)

Good communication skills and a structured way of working are two of the most important skills in the day-to-day work of a project manager

Picture: Andreas Schröder

In everyday work, the focus is on the exchange with colleagues from your own and also from other projects, but also the coordination with external project participants. This includes planning meetings, regular meetings (so-called jour fixe) with the client and meetings at operational and management level. As a project manager, the main task is to prepare and lead these meetings and to follow up on open points. With the help of regular meetings, the current project status can be monitored, problems identified and necessary steps derived from them. Project managers keep an overview of the entire project, keep track of documents, create reports, check supplements (additional requests from companies due to additional services) and invoices and update schedules. Project managers solve problems and are responsible for the progress of the project.

Soft skills that are particularly well developed are relevant for the work of project managers. Strong communication skills are particularly important for the best possible coordination of projects. In order to keep track of the project in the sometimes turbulent everyday work are also

  • logical thinking
  • an organized and structured way of working
  • good self management
  • Strong interpersonal communication skills

good conditions. Furthermore, a certain personal robustness is required for a factual handling in everyday work. Self-management during your studies already prepares students for everyday work as a project manager.

The necessary technical competence for a project manager in the field of infrastructure planning, which can already be acquired in the bachelor's degree, depends on the respective projects. Expertise in specific areas can be beneficial for planning a project and communicating with stakeholders. Depending on the technical focus of the project, skills acquired from different modules are used. examples are

  • Traffic 1&2 and Traffic and Environment
  • Waste technology

In general, however, basic specialist knowledge of infrastructure planning makes everyday work easier. These can be acquired, for example, in the following modules:

  • Municipal land use planning
  • Basics of spatial planning

The basics of planning, designing and constructing module realistically reflects the range of tasks of project management and already gives a good insight into a possible later professional life.

Important skills for later everyday work can also be acquired at Master's level. The field of infrastructure planning is very broad. The following modules can provide an overview of this.

  • Infrastructure Planning
  • environmental planning

For a more in-depth examination of various topics, the department also offers seminars and projects for specialization

  • Spatial development in a national and international context
  • Interdisciplinary project for infrastructure solutions in developing and emerging countries
  • Project infrastructure with a realistic business game