Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for E-commerce Project Manager

🎯 Role Definition

We are actively searching for a dynamic and highly organized E-commerce Project Manager to join our growing digital team. In this pivotal role, you will be the central orchestrator for all our e-commerce initiatives, ensuring projects are delivered on time, within budget, and to the highest quality standards. The ideal candidate is a strategic thinker with a deep understanding of the e-commerce landscape, capable of translating business requirements into actionable project plans. You will collaborate with cross-functional teams including marketing, design, IT, and development to drive innovation, optimize the customer journey, and ultimately, achieve our ambitious online sales goals.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

E-commerce Coordinator or Specialist
Digital Project Coordinator
Business Analyst (with a focus on e-commerce)

Advancement To:

Senior E-commerce Project Manager
E-commerce Program Manager
Director of E-commerce Operations

Lateral Moves:

E-commerce Product Manager
Digital Strategy Manager

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Lead the end-to-end planning, execution, and delivery of complex e-commerce projects, including new website builds, platform migrations, feature enhancements, and third-party system integrations.
Define project scope, objectives, and deliverables in collaboration with senior management and key stakeholders, ensuring clear alignment with strategic business goals.
Develop and meticulously maintain comprehensive project documentation, including project charters, detailed project plans, timelines (Gantt charts), and resource allocation schedules.
Act as the primary point of contact for all project-related communications, facilitating effective collaboration between internal teams (development, UX/UI, marketing, merchandising) and external vendors.
Proactively identify, assess, and mitigate project risks and dependencies, developing contingency plans to ensure project milestones are met without compromising quality.
Manage project budgets, track expenditures, and provide regular financial reporting to stakeholders, ensuring projects are delivered within the approved financial scope.
Facilitate agile/scrum ceremonies, including sprint planning, daily stand-ups, sprint reviews, and retrospectives, to ensure the development team is aligned and productive.
Translate business needs and customer requirements into detailed technical specifications, user stories, and acceptance criteria for the development team.
Oversee the Quality Assurance (QA) and User Acceptance Testing (UAT) processes, coordinating testing efforts and ensuring all bugs and issues are triaged and resolved prior to launch.
Coordinate and manage project deployments, developing go-live plans and providing post-launch support to ensure a smooth transition and immediate issue resolution.
Establish and track key performance indicators (KPIs) and project metrics to measure success and provide data-driven insights for future optimizations.
Manage relationships with third-party vendors, agencies, and technology partners, holding them accountable for deliverables and timelines.
Conduct post-project evaluations and lessons-learned sessions to identify successful and unsuccessful project elements and drive continuous improvement in project management processes.
Champion project management best practices and methodologies throughout the organization, mentoring junior team members and improving overall project delivery efficiency.
Partner with the analytics team to monitor site performance, user behavior, and conversion funnels, recommending data-informed projects to enhance the customer experience.
Ensure all e-commerce projects comply with industry standards, including security, privacy (GDPR/CCPA), and accessibility (WCAG) guidelines.
Develop clear and concise status reports and presentations, effectively communicating project progress, challenges, and outcomes to executive leadership.
Prioritize project tasks and manage the project backlog in collaboration with product owners and business stakeholders to ensure focus on the highest-value initiatives.
Lead the discovery and requirements-gathering phase for new digital initiatives, conducting stakeholder interviews and workshops to build a shared understanding of project goals.
Drive the seamless integration of various platforms and tools within our e-commerce ecosystem, such as ERP, CRM, PIM, and marketing automation systems.

Secondary Functions

Assist in the creation of A/B testing plans and analyze results to provide actionable recommendations for conversion rate optimization (CRO).
Stay abreast of emerging e-commerce trends, technologies, and best practices to contribute innovative ideas to the digital roadmap.
Collaborate with the marketing team to ensure project launches are supported by effective go-to-market strategies and communication plans.
Participate in vendor selection and manage relationships with external agencies, developers, and technology partners to ensure they meet project requirements and deadlines.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Project Management Methodologies: Expert proficiency in Agile, Scrum, and Waterfall frameworks.
Project Management Software: Hands-on experience with tools like Jira, Asana, Trello, or Monday.com.
E-commerce Platforms: Deep knowledge of at least one major platform such as Shopify Plus, Magento (Adobe Commerce), BigCommerce, or Salesforce Commerce Cloud.
Web Analytics: Strong ability to use Google Analytics, Adobe Analytics, or similar tools to derive insights.
Technical Acumen: Solid understanding of web technologies, including HTML/CSS, JavaScript, APIs, and system architecture.
A/B Testing & CRO: Familiarity with conversion rate optimization principles and tools (e.g., Optimizely, VWO, Google Optimize).
SEO/SEM Principles: Foundational knowledge of search engine optimization and marketing best practices.
Budget & Resource Management: Proven ability to manage project financials and allocate resources effectively.
Risk Management: Skilled in identifying potential project risks and developing robust mitigation strategies.
Systems Integration: Experience with integrating e-commerce platforms with ERP, CRM, PIM, and other third-party services.

Soft Skills

Stakeholder Management: Adept at building consensus and managing expectations across all levels of an organization.
Exceptional Communication: Superior verbal, written, and presentation skills with the ability to articulate complex concepts clearly.
Leadership & Influence: Ability to lead and motivate cross-functional teams without direct authority.
Problem-Solving: Proactive and resourceful in resolving complex issues and removing project roadblocks.
Negotiation & Conflict Resolution: Capable of navigating difficult conversations to achieve positive outcomes.
Adaptability: Thrives in a fast-paced, dynamic environment and can pivot quickly in response to changing priorities.
Meticulous Attention to Detail: A passion for precision and quality in all deliverables.
Strategic Thinking: Ability to see the bigger picture and align project execution with long-term business strategy.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Bachelor's Degree

Preferred Education:

Master's Degree or relevant professional certifications (e.g., PMP, PMI-ACP, CSM).

Relevant Fields of Study:

Business Administration
Marketing
Computer Science / Information Systems
Project Management

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 3-5+ years of direct project management experience.

Preferred: Demonstrated experience managing complex, cross-functional e-commerce projects from conception to launch in a fast-paced retail or Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) environment.