How to Hire a Blockchain Project Manager
As blockchain reshapes industries and changes business practices, companies want experts who can steer complex blockchain projects to success. With competition picking up among blockchain projects, everyone is in a race to launch their projects in the best possible manner. That’s where blockchain project managers play a big role.
Demand for blockchain project managers has increased in recent years, and this trend is expected to continue. According to a report by the BSV Blockchain Association, blockchain project managers are one of the six most in-demand blockchain jobs in 2024.
What are the responsibilities of a Blockchain Project Manager?
Blockchain project managers have the important job of overseeing and making sure the blockchain project assigned to them succeeds. It’s a massive responsibility and only those who have the correct set of skills, education, and experience can be able to accomplish a mammoth task as such. As more and more blockchain projects start entering the crypto market, the need for skilled blockchain project managers is growing fast.
But before you set out to find someone to finish the job, it’s important to know what is expected from blockchain project professionals. This could be helpful in crafting a detailed job description outlining your needs, or even help you understand what value they’ll bring to your team in the first place.
It’s important that a project manager in blockchain understands the space deeply. They need to have their know-how on blockchain platforms, like Ethereum, Solana, Polygon, Binance and more. They should also understand smart contracts, consensus algorithms, and dApps well. If you bring in someone who doesn’t have that background, to put it mildly, it won’t be fun.
We say this because it could be tempting to hire a non-blockchain project manager due to the higher number of professionals compared to blockchain project managers, which is still a niche job role. But it will be far more damaging to hire someone who doesn’t have a passion nor any experience with Web3 to propel your project forward. It could be a massive learning curve for them, and it could significantly slow down any timelines set by your business/company.
With that settled, let’s take a look at some responsibilities attached to blockchain project management.
Planning and strategy development: The main job of a blockchain project manager is planning. They must create a detailed plan and strategy for blockchain projects. This means figuring out what's needed, setting goals, and making a plan to hit those goals within a given timeline. A know-how of project management tools is a crucial prerequisite to carrying out this responsibility and others mentioned below, and as such should be part of the job candidate’s profile.
Team management: The job also involves putting together and leading a team that knows blockchain and has worked with the technology before. Blockchain project managers need to figure out what resources are needed, give out tasks, and make sure everyone works well together. Good communication and leading well are key to keep things moving smoothly and on-time.
Resource allocation: Another big part of the job is handling resources well. This includes keeping an eye on the budget, getting the tools and tech needed, and making sure a team has everything they need to do their jobs well.
Risk assessment and mitigation: Blockchain project managers must be good at spotting risks and figuring out how to deal with them. This involves checking for risks, planning how to manage them, and keeping an eye out for any new issues. In the midst of this, it’s also important for them to spot business chances and make decisions that help the project succeed.
Quality assurance: For blockchain projects to succeed, quality is a top priority. A blockchain project manager needs to set quality standards, do regular checks, and fix any issues that come up. This makes sure the project meets the high standards set and also establishes an example for upcoming projects to work by especially for newer businesses.
Stakeholder management: Managing relationships with everyone involved, like clients, investors, and teams, is crucial. Good stakeholder management means keeping relationships positive, handling concerns, and making sure everyone is working towards the same goals.
Improve and adapt quickly: Lastly, a blockchain project manager shoulders the responsibility for always looking for ways to do things better. This means keeping up with the latest in the field, trying out new technologies and methods, and using best practices to make projects run better and more effectively.
Now we’ve established what responsibilities a blockchain project manager should have. Next, let's look at some questions to ask candidates to see if they can carry out the expectations laid out for them.
Where to find your next Blockchain Project Manager
There are several places you could find a blockchain project manager, but it’s important to know where to look. You could have varying hiring needs, timelines and expectations which could all be factors in where you choose to hire from. Here are some spots worth checking out:
Traditional job sites like LinkedIn may offer help here. You can use search tools to help find the profiles, reach out to them for interviews and decide whether they’re the right fit for your team. Given that Web3 is a niche category at the moment with not a lot of trained professionals in the blockchain project management space, your search could be underwhelming.
This could, however, be easily fixed by going to a Web3 talent board like CryptoJobsList. Places like these draw in folks who are already part of blockchain and have varying degrees of experience in the space. This can make your search for the right candidate easier and much more focused. You can find full-time, part-time, contract and freelance resources here and in the grander scheme of things, it’s much more affordable to use these talent boards. Which brings us to freelancing professionals - if you’re strictly looking for freelance blockchain project managers, you could consider going to platforms like Toptal and Upwork.
If you have room to spend more money, working with blockchain recruitment agencies can connect you to highly skilled blockchain project managers. They usually have a roster of professionals ready to be placed or even do headhunting for you.
If you have more time to spare, you could go for options like professional networking and online communities. Events, conferences, and meetups are goldmines for finding blockchain pros. They allow you to connect with various professionals across the board, face-to-face. If you don’t have the time to travel, you could always go for online crypto communities and forums bustling with talent. Places like Reddit’s r/blockchain, Bitcointalk are some places where you can engage. Ask for tips or post jobs to attract the right people.
Overall, where you go to hire a blockchain project manager depends largely upon your hiring requirements, budget and timelines. Evaluate all these possible options and see which is the best fit for you.
Questions to ask when hiring a Blockchain Project Manager
When hiring for a blockchain project manager, picking the right questions is key. You should always go for a mix of questions that address technical and soft skills, paired with detailed explanations of previous experience - as all these factors can go a long way in helping you find the right fit for your blockchain company.
Can you explain the fundamental concepts of blockchain technology?
The purpose of this question is to understand whether the candidate has a grasp of blockchain basics. It’s a good first question to start with, allowing the interview to warm up at a steady pace. Ask them to simplify these concepts for you in order to test the depth of their knowledge.
How have you previously managed blockchain projects?
The purpose of this question is to learn about their experience. Encourage the candidate to discuss past projects they’ve done with other companies and what the scope was. In their explanation, the candidate should also focus on the obstacles they met and how they solved them.
What methodologies do you use to ensure the successful delivery of blockchain projects?
The purpose of this question is to understand what methods they use to approach their blockchain project. Projects need detailed planning and teamwork and a candidate with experience should be able to list down methods that have previously guaranteed success and addressed a certain blockchain project's special needs. Bonus points if they suggest which methodologies could successfully work for your project.
Can you describe your experience with smart contracts and decentralized applications (dApps)?
The purpose of this question is to test the job candidate’s blockchain knowledge and any relevant experience. Smart contracts and dApps are crucial to any blockchain, and any experience creating or managing these technologies is valuable.
How do you approach risk management in blockchain projects?
The purpose of this question is to gauge how the candidate spots, evaluates and lessens blockchain-specific risks. In order to answer this question, you can encourage the candidate to draw upon past experiences of risk management, any judgment errors they feel they made and what they would’ve done instead. This would allow you as the hiring manager to test their situational awareness and risk management judgments.
How do you stay updated with the latest advancements in blockchain technology?
The purpose of this question is to see whether or not the candidate has an existing habit of staying updated and improving continuously. A great blockchain project manager should ideally keep up with blockchain trends. The candidate should easily be able to tell you the names of certain newsletters, news websites, studies, podcasts they regularly follow.
Can you give an example of a challenging situation you faced in a blockchain project and how you resolved it?
The purpose of this question is to look for the candidate’s ability to overcome obstacles. Ask for real-life stories to see their problem-solving in action.
Using questions like these in your interviews can help you pick the best blockchain project manager. Make sure to adjust the questions to fit your company's needs and goals. You may also go for more technical questions if you feel the need.
We hope this was enough to help you hire a blockchain project manager. Scroll up to the top of the page to explore and hire blockchain project managers available for work.