So You Want to Be a Project Manager in Marketing Without Being a Marketer? Read This
I was scrolling through Facebook the other day when I came across a question that stopped me mid-scroll: "How do land a project management role in marketing without actually doing marketing work?" Then the comments started rolling in; dozens of people chiming in with the same curiosity.
Fresh graduates with marketing degrees who realized they don't want to write copy all day. Project managers who love coordinating initiatives but don't want to be responsible for creative execution. Career changers who are naturally organized and want to apply those skills to marketing without becoming content creators themselves.
There’s a whole world of marketing project management and coordination roles that nobody really talks about. These positions let you manage marketing projects, coordinate campaigns, oversee timelines and budgets, and keep marketing teams on track; all without writing a single blog post, designing an ad, or managing social media accounts yourself. If you're nodding along thinking "that's exactly what I need," keep reading.
Women Of Project Management® Annual Conference | June 2026 — Women Of Project Management
What Does "Managing Marketing Projects" Actually Mean?
Women of Project Management Conference
Before we dive into specific roles, let's clarify what we mean by managing marketing projects without being a marketer. These are positions that:
Coordinate marketing campaigns and initiatives
Manage timelines, budgets, and resources for marketing projects
Keep cross-functional teams aligned and on track
Ensure marketing deliverables get completed on time
Oversee processes and workflows
Think of it this way: you're the conductor of the orchestra, not the musician. You make sure everyone knows what to play and when, but you're not the one writing the music or playing the instruments. You might be managing a product launch campaign, but the content team writes the copy, the design team creates the visuals, and you make sure it all comes together on time and on budget.
Visit the merch store and grab your copy of The Little Black Book of Project Management Advice!
What separates you and makes you the goat in a role like this is that even though you’re not doing the actual marketing work, you understand marketing needs.
Why Marketing Project Management Roles Are Perfect for You
For Natural Organizers and Coordinators
You're the person people come to when they need something organized. You love creating timelines, tracking deliverables, and making sure nothing falls through the cracks. The idea of managing multiple moving pieces excites you rather than stresses you out. Marketing project management lets you use those natural coordination skills in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.
For Recent Marketing Graduates
You spent four years studying consumer behavior, brand management, and digital marketing strategies. But somewhere between your senior year and graduation, you realized that creating content day in and day out isn't quite what you envisioned. However, you do understand how marketing works, which makes you perfect for managing marketing projects. You can speak the language and coordinate the work without having to be the one executing every deliverable.
For Project Managers Looking for a Change
Maybe you've been managing IT projects, construction projects, or operations initiatives and you're ready for something more creative and dynamic. Marketing moves fast, strategies pivot quickly, and there's always something new happening. Your project management skills are directly transferable; you just need to learn the marketing context.
For Those Who Love Process and Systems
If you get excited about creating efficient workflows, improving processes, and implementing systems that make teams work better, marketing project management gives you endless opportunities. Marketing teams notoriously struggle with organization and process; they need someone like you to bring structure to the chaos.
Project Management Titles to Look Out For
If you’re job hunting in marketing or creative project management, the first hurdle is knowing what to search for. These roles don’t sit under one universal title, so you’ll need to cast a wider net.
Common titles include:
Marketing Project Coordinator
Creative Project Coordinator
Marketing Project Manager
Creative Project Manager
Marketing Production Manager (often shortened to Production Manager)
Assistant / Associate / Junior versions of any of the above
Pro tip: Some companies flip the wording, so also try searching:
Project Manager, Marketing
Project Manager, Creative
Most of these roles are internal, corporate positions, meaning you’re working with internal stakeholders across marketing, design, content, and leadership; not external clients.
If You’re Looking at Agency Roles
Agencies play by slightly different rules.
In addition to the titles above, you should also search for:
Account Manager
Senior Account Manager
In many agencies, account managers and marketing project managers overlap heavily in responsibilities; it’s often the same work with a different title.
Source: Tiara Mclain, Sr. Marketing Project Manager
Common Pitfalls to Avoid
The Born Planner Corduroy Cap
Don't Undersell Your Project Management Skills
You might think you need marketing experience to manage marketing projects, but strong project management skills are more important. Marketing teams can teach you the marketing context; they can't easily teach someone organization, coordination, and timeline management. Your project management experience from other industries is valuable and directly transferable.
Don't Assume All Marketing Project Management Is the Same
Marketing project management varies significantly by company size and industry. At a startup, you might be managing everything from campaigns to events to website updates. At a large enterprise, you might specialize in just campaign management or just event management. Understand what you're signing up for.
Don't Ignore the Fast-Paced Nature of Marketing
Marketing moves faster than most other functions. Priorities shift quickly, urgent requests come in constantly, and you need to be comfortable with ambiguity and change. If you prefer stable, predictable project timelines, marketing project management might be challenging.
Don't Forget That Influence Matters More Than Authority
Marketing project managers rarely have direct authority over the people doing the work. You'll coordinate designers, writers, and specialists who don't report to you. Your success depends on influence, relationship-building, and communication skills rather than formal authority.
Don't Overlook Company Culture and Team Maturity
Some marketing teams are highly organized with established processes; others are chaotic and resistant to structure. Ask about current processes, tools, and team receptiveness to project management during interviews. Bringing structure to chaos can be rewarding, but it requires patience and change management skills.
Your Next Steps
Ready to explore marketing project management? Here's how to get started:
This Week:
Identify three marketing project management roles that align with your skills
Update your resume to highlight coordination, timeline management, and organizational wins
Reach out to two marketing project managers for informational interviews
Join one marketing operations or project management community
This Month:
Take a course on marketing fundamentals if you're new to marketing
Get certified in a project management methodology (Agile, Scrum, or PMP foundations)
Learn a project management tool (Asana, Monday.com, or Jira)
Apply to three positions, emphasizing your project management skills over marketing execution
This Quarter:
Get certified in a marketing technology platform (HubSpot, Salesforce, or Google Analytics)
Attend a marketing operations or martech event
Complete a coordination project that demonstrates your ability to manage timelines and stakeholders
Build a portfolio piece showing how you'd approach managing a marketing campaign
Remember, marketing project management roles aren't "marketing lite" or a compromise. They're strategic, high-impact positions that marketing teams desperately need. Marketing is notoriously chaotic; creative people often resist structure, priorities change constantly, and there's always more work than time. Someone who can bring order to that chaos, keep campaigns on track, and make marketing teams more efficient is incredibly valuable.
By, Airess Rembert, PMP, Member of Women Of Project Management & Blogger at The Nerd Bae
Join.
Join the full discussion inside the Women Of Project Management Membership. Listen to part of our conversation on the Women Of Project Management Podcast.
If you're new to our community, Women Of Project Management is the only community created to support & amplify the voices of women & women of color in every specialty of the project management industry worldwide. We support women in every stage of their career, learn more at Women Of Project Management
