How to Find the Right Project Manager for Your Agency
Key Takeaways
- The right project manager is not just organized - they need a specific combination of hard and soft skills to thrive in an agency environment
- Agency PMs must be comfortable with ambiguity and constant context-switching across multiple clients and project types
- Communication skills matter more than technical tool proficiency - tools can be taught but communication instincts are harder to develop
- Look for PMs who can manage up and down - they need to lead client conversations and support their delivery teams simultaneously
- Cultural fit is critical because agency PMs interact with nearly every team and client in the organization
- Hiring for potential and adaptability often outperforms hiring for specific industry experience in fast-moving agency environments
Galen Low, Co-Founder of The Digital Project Manager, joins the Agency Journey podcast to break down what makes a great agency project manager and how to find one. With over a decade of experience shaping and delivering human-centered digital transformation initiatives across government, healthcare, transit, and retail, Galen has a deep understanding of what separates good PMs from great ones - and why agencies specifically need a different breed of project manager.
Why Agency PMs Are Different
Project management in an agency environment is fundamentally different from project management in-house. Agency PMs juggle multiple clients, each with different expectations, timelines, and communication styles. They context-switch constantly throughout the day. They need to protect their team’s capacity while also keeping clients happy and driving revenue. The skill set required is broader and more demanding than what most PM job descriptions capture.
Galen explains that many agencies make the mistake of hiring project managers based on certifications or tool proficiency alone. While PMP certifications and experience with specific platforms are useful, they do not predict success in an agency setting. The real differentiators are softer skills - communication, adaptability, emotional intelligence, and the ability to manage competing priorities without losing composure.
The agency environment also demands a level of business awareness that internal PMs rarely need. Agency PMs need to understand profitability, scope management, and client retention at a level that directly impacts the agency’s bottom line. They are not just managing timelines - they are managing relationships and revenue.
The Six Characteristics of a PM Unicorn
Galen outlines six characteristics that define the ideal agency project manager - what he calls a “PM unicorn.” These traits go beyond the standard project management competencies and speak to the unique demands of agency life.
First, the best agency PMs are exceptional communicators. They can translate between clients who speak in business outcomes and delivery teams who speak in technical tasks. They know when to be direct, when to listen, and how to deliver difficult news without damaging relationships. This translation skill is arguably the most valuable thing a PM brings to an agency.
Second, strong agency PMs manage up as effectively as they manage down. They are comfortable pushing back on unreasonable client requests, escalating issues to leadership when needed, and advocating for their team’s capacity. At the same time, they support their delivery teams by removing blockers, clarifying priorities, and shielding them from unnecessary noise.
Third, adaptability is non-negotiable. Agency work is unpredictable. Timelines shift, scopes change, and priorities evolve - sometimes in the middle of a single day. PMs who need rigid plans and predictable schedules will struggle in this environment. The best agency PMs build flexible frameworks that can absorb change without falling apart.
Hiring for Potential Over Pedigree
One of Galen’s strongest recommendations is to hire for potential and adaptability rather than specific industry experience. An agency that only works with SaaS companies does not necessarily need a PM who has only managed SaaS projects. What they need is someone who can learn quickly, build relationships, and adapt their approach to new contexts.
This is especially important in fast-moving agency environments where the client mix, service offerings, and team composition are constantly evolving. A PM who thrives because they have deep expertise in one narrow area may struggle when the agency pivots or takes on new types of work. A PM who thrives because they are a fast learner and strong communicator will adapt to whatever comes next.
Galen also addresses cultural fit - a factor that agencies sometimes underweight in their hiring process. Agency PMs interact with nearly every person in the organization. They work with designers, developers, strategists, account managers, and leadership on a daily basis. A PM who does not mesh with the agency’s culture will create friction across the entire operation, regardless of how strong their technical skills are.
Building a PM Hiring Process That Works
The conversation also covers practical advice for agencies building their PM hiring process. Galen recommends scenario-based interviews where candidates walk through how they would handle real agency situations - a scope creep conversation with a client, a team member who is consistently behind, or a project that is going off the rails. These scenarios reveal far more than standard behavioral interview questions about how a candidate will actually perform in the role.
He also suggests involving the delivery team in the hiring process, not just leadership. The people who will work most closely with the PM should have input on whether the candidate will be a good fit. This approach improves the quality of hire and gives the team ownership over who joins their ranks.
For agencies struggling to find the right project manager, Galen’s framework provides a clear and practical lens for evaluating candidates. By focusing on the characteristics that actually predict success in an agency environment - rather than defaulting to certifications and years of experience - agencies can make better hiring decisions and build stronger operations.