Use our template to create a compelling and comprehensive IT Product Manager job description to attract top talent.
The position of IT Product Manager is naturally common in companies with an IT production activity. His/her primary role is to manage the various IT resources available to the company. And check that they are in line with the company’s information systems policy. This position is also called operations manager or technical account manager.
In this article, you will find a detailed description of the IT Product Manager’s job, the required skills, salary expectations, and educational background.
This professional only works internally in organizations that produce or sell software or applications. He/she may also be in charge of the commercial dimension of the product itself.
The IT Product Manager, therefore, deals with the production of one or more IT products, the planning of their development, and, in some cases, also defines the marketing strategies adapted to achieve the business objectives.
IT Product Manager main tasks
The main activities of the IT Product Manager may include the design of new IT solutions and the redefinition of the functionalities of existing IT products. In the latter case, the IT Product Manager analyzes the tools in use, detects possible problems, identifies the expert who can solve them, and also the moment of their launch.
This professional figure also ensures that the IT products for which he/she is responsible reflect the strategy and objectives of the business.
During the product design and implementation phases, the IT Product Manager can collaborate with different teams made up of a wide variety of people, such as the developer, the UX Designer, and the Software Tester.
Monitoring the performance of the IT production system
The IT Product manager is responsible for optimizing production, finding the best hardware and software solutions, and IT operations of the company. They are also responsible for backing up and archiving the data produced.
Reliability manager
As a reliability manager, the security of the data produced and the quality of the networks are critical. With the huge evolution of companies to digital technology, data production is increasing and becoming indispensable for any business. This also includes operational maintenance in terms of quality, security, and cost of IT services.
Coordinating the work of the production team
One of the responsibilities of the IT Product Manager is to supervise the production team. He or she is responsible for coordinating the operations technicians, system administrators, and operations engineers. This also includes managing the technical resources required for a successful operation.
Required skills of the IT Product Manager
But, what does it take to be a IT Produc Manager? Here are the main required skills of this professional.
Knowledge of the system architecture
As a manager, it is essential to have a thorough understanding of the IT structure in which one works. This includes mastery of the server operating system and the IT tools present during the production process.
Leadership
Since they are responsible for a team and in charge of coordinating it among several professions, IT Product Managers must be orderly and uncompromising.
Stress resilience
At the heart of the production, he or she is constantly under pressure because the operational maintenance of the business requires him or her to be vigilant.
Context
Because of the increasing use of data by companies, the role of the IT Product manager is becoming increasingly important.
Salary expectation of the IT Product Manager
For this type of position, a minimum of 5-10 years of experience in IT production as a production analyst or programmer analyst is required. The average daily rate is 550 e per day.
Education and training
This position of IT Product Manager requires a five-year degree from an engineering school or university.
Use our template to create a compelling and comprehensive Director of Information Systems job description to attract top talent.
The Director of Information Systems job is a position that combines technical and managerial skills. This role requires the individual to be able to manage multiple responsibilities at the same time. In this article you will find a detailed job description of the Director of Information Systems.
They are responsible for overseeing the daily operations of their company’s information systems department and for the development and implementation of long-term strategies for improving those systems.
This professional must possess strong leadership skills to manage their teams effectively. They must also be detail-oriented individuals who can keep track of several projects simultaneously.
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Director of Information System job description
The Director of Information System is responsible for the entire information system of the company he or she works for. Their role is to ensure the achievement of the company’s objectives.
Let’s see in details what are the main tasks of the Director of Information Systems.
The Director of Information Systems is responsible for the smooth operation of the company’s information system, which they look after from both the IT and telecommunications perspectives. To this end, he or she studies the needs of all lines of business of the company in order to apply the strategy accordingly. They are also responsible for ensuring the security and integrity of the information system.
Key role in the management
Generally, the Director of Information Systems is part of the company’s management, given the budgetary and managerial responsibility of the position. They are required to report on their activities, particularly at management meetings, in the form of a business unit by business unit. It must justify the costs applied to these units to provide a return on the IT investments made.
Management
One of the requirements for the Director of Information Systems position, which is acquired over time, is managerial ability. The quality of leading people is crucial for this type of position, as human relationships can easily deteriorate due to deadline-related stress. The Director of Information’s negotiation skills will be important, especially in dealing with service providers.
Required skills of the Director of Information Systems
But, what does it take to be a Director of Information Systems? What follow are the main required skills for this position.
General technical knowledge
Obviously, it is necessary to have technical expertise in all components of the information system: infrastructure, data, applications…. Second, the Director of Information Systems must have a clear vision of the innovation and change management to implement.
Listening skills
In addition to technical skills, the Director of Information Systems is a leader of people and a visionary. They manage internal teams and deal with service providers. They are therefore responsible for all information system improvements.
Rigor and strength of the proposal
As a member of the management team and the first point of contact with service providers, the Director of Information Systems must be able to negotiate both an internal budget and the price of goods or services from outside. However, this should not affect the ability to listen to others to the detriment of the relationship with employees.
Context
The position of the Director of Information Systems is a key role in a company and involves participation in management committees. Being a position of high responsibility, evolution will be horizontal. However, general management functions are also accessible, but more rarely.
Salary of the Director of Information Systems
There is no specific training for to the position of the Director of Information Systems. Senior IT professionals with 8 to 10 years of experience are the ones who can access this type of position. It is therefore necessary to have proven oneself. The average daily salary of an information systems director is between 800 and 1000 euros.
Education and training of the Director of Information Systems
In addition to technical education, with a BAC+5 engineering degree or a DESSS/DEA in computer science, the Director of Information Systems can also supplement this with an MBA.
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The Quality Manager is the guarantor of the quality of the company’s (or client’s) IT products. They define and accompany the implementation of new procedures and work methods while including the various regulatory and technical constraints.
Nowadays, the job of the Quality Manager is oriented towards the problems of respecting data security and the application assets of companies.
In this article you will find a detailed job description for the Quality Manager.
Quality Manager: the job description
The Quality Manager is a professional who ensures that all of a company’s products satisfy consistent standards. He or she develops and implements quality control tests to ensure that the company’s performance is as desired, inspecting the various stages of production and reporting on the results obtained to take action where necessary.
But what are the main tasks of the quality manager? What are his or her responsibilities and duties? The nature of the Quality Manager’s work is described below.
Compliance with the quality of products and methods
The main task of this position is, of course, to ensure that the quality of products and methods that teams use within the company are in accordance with current procedures and legal standards. They must also consider the quality objectives of their company. Setting standards and methods, integrating existing standards, and adapting them to the structure are also part of the Quality Manager’s daily work.
Audit and testing
One component of the quality manager’s job is to conduct regular audits to ensure compliance with standards. To do so, they develop tests to verify the use of the standards. This allows him or her to detect nonconformities and ensure a level of quality in the processes. It is then the responsibility of the quality manager to oversee the company’s entire IT production chain.
Change management
The quality manager assists in change management during the implementation of quality processes, with the support of business departments. They are responsible for overseeing the change caused by the implementation of new processes.
Required skills of the Quality Manager
But what does it take to become a Quality Manager? Let’s take a look at the skills required of the Quality Manager.
Quality control and rigor
The basis of the management profession is the mastery of quality assurance. It is necessary to master audit procedures, standards, and protocols. In addition, these competencies must be complemented by a sound knowledge of information technology.
Managerial role
Given the cross-functional nature of the business and the different departments with which they work, the quality manager must demonstrate a sense of dialogue to ensure compliance with rules and methodological tools. This is also necessary for change management.
Strength of proposal
One of the key competencies of a Quality Manager is the ability to persuade. Indeed, being a proposal force is essential for quality improvements to take place.
Context
Since the democratization of the ISO 27001 standard on information security management systems, quality managers have steered their careers toward positions that address compliance with the security of companies’ data and application assets.
Career path of the Quality Manager
Depending on the size of the company, the Quality Manager is responsible for larger and larger areas. It is also possible to advance to positions such as operations manager, technical director or even CIO.
Salary of the Quality Manager
The average salary is 400 for a junior profile. But it can be double that for a senior profile.
Education and training
A four- or five-year bachelor’s degree from an engineering school, an undergraduate master’s degree, or even a business school is required for this type of position. However, knowledge of software development is often necessary.
Use our template to create a compelling and comprehensive Chief Technical Officer job description to attract top talent.
The Chief Technical Officer (CTO) is in charge of technical innovation and the deployment of technologies adapted to the development and efficiency of a company’s activities. As a consequence, the CTO is one of the most important technology-related positions in a company. He/she leads the technology or engineering department.
Usually the highest-level information technology (IT) specialist in a company, the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) is the executive who manages the technical requirements of an organization. In other words, they must ensure that software, hardware, and technology processes are capable of serving the company’s members and customers. The CTO must always be well informed about all aspects of technology.
But, what are the tasks of a chief technical officer?
Oversight of all IT projects in the company
The CTO reviews the company’s short- and long-term technology needs through a technical audit. This will enable him or her to identify the company’s aging or obsolete facilities.
The CTO formulates development policies on infrastructure and innovation. To this end, he or she makes technology investments to help the company achieve its goals and increase revenues.
Providing innovative and fit-for-purpose solutions
The CTO plays a key role internally. He or she may also have to play a sales role in dealing with potential customers and clients.
Required skills of the Chief Technical Officer (CTO)
Excellent computer skills
The CTO must be an expert in: web, programming languages and development in general. This will help them understand the problems and goals of his projects. These skills also enable him to manage technical teams.
Delegation and team management skills
The CTO is, primarily, a manager. Thus, they must lead and motivate their teams toward the same goals. They work closely with the technical profiles that make up their teams and with the company’s management.
Being visionaries and strategists
The CTO must also be able to implement the best business strategies and power the technology infrastructure. To do this, he or she must analyze the target markets and keep a constant eye on the situation.
Since R&D has been an essential strategic component of companies for many years, the rise of information technology and the digitization of companies have reinforced the importance of the Chief Technology Officer. Today he or she is employable within large companies as well as smaller structures such as start-ups.
Salary
The average daily rate for a CTO is between 600 and 1,000 euros.
Education and training
In conclusion, the CTO must hold a five-year degree from a university, computer science school, or engineering school. However, this position is not accessible after graduation, but rather, in general, after 5-10 years of experience.
The Validation Engineer’s job is to verify the conformity of the product (software, equipment, system) with the original specifications and official standards. In the case of software or an application, the validation engineer must validate them completely before they are launched in client environments.
This professional may work for a manufacturer, an operator, a service company, etc. He or she reports to the design department or the technical department and is not part of the development team.
The Validation Engineer occupies a central position between development, documentation, integration, and quality. Therefore, it is important that he/she has good interpersonal skills. This engineer can intervene at the customer site to set up testing. But also at national and international standardization institutes.
Among their main missions, Validation Engineers must comprehensively review product specifications. Then they establish a validation and qualification plan, writing specifications for scenarios and tests and designing tests and test tools corresponding to all points of the specifications to be validated.
Then, the Validation Engineer performs testing, running trials until the product is satisfactory according to the imposed testing standards. Finally, they identify problems, make changes, and test corrections. In addition, they must prepare a validation report and possibly a product dossier for the certification application.
Required skilled of the Validation Engineer
It is essential that the validation engineer has general and specific knowledge of the technical field. They must also have a perfect command of validation methods.
In addition to technical skills, the validation engineer must be open-minded and have a global vision of the product. It is also very important that this professional has a sense of rigor and organization and that he/she attaches importance to the respect of methods.
On the other hand, he/she must have a logical mind and a sense of criticism so as to always put himself/herself in the place of the final user and to guess his/her point of view. Good interpersonal skills and writing skills are also required for this position.
Salary
The salary of a validation engineer varies according to the experience of the consultant, the scope of the position, and the size of the company.
For a beginner, the salary of a validation engineer will be around 30k€ per year. With experience, they can expect to earn between 30 and 40 k€, or even 45 k€.
As for the freelance, it varies from 300 to 700 €/day.
Education and training
To become a Validation Engineer, it is necessary to have an engineering degree or a professional master’s degree. It is also possible to become a validation engineer after having gained experience in the field of software development. During his or her career, this professional can evolve in the development, project management, quality, and methods departments.
After a few years of experience, this professional will also be able to claim the position of the project manager or method manager. Moreover, depending on the skills they have acquired, they may also work as consultants.
Use our template to create a compelling and comprehensive Solution Architect job description to attract top talent.
The Solution Architect job is to design, explain and implement solutions adapted to the company’s specific problems. He or she also builds complex offerings and advises clients on the transformation of information systems. They must study technical feasibility and risks before proposing solutions.
In a constantly changing technological environment, companies must ensure that their information systems are updated to meet new requirements. This digital transformation requires thus specific skills and practices to keep the company at the forefront of technology
So, what ae the Solutions Architect’s tasks?
Analyzing the project environment and its challenges
The Solution Architect manages the entire project and takes care of solution costs. He or she also manages the development team.
Define a solution path suitable for the company
Typically, companies have their specific information systems, information context, and integration requirements. The Solutions Architect must therefore ensure to propose a system that meets the company’s expectations.
Respect for constraints
Each solution is built using specific tools and implementations that can generate significant costs. The Solutions Architect must therefore know how to optimize the budget assigned to the project, considering the technological and management constraints.
Required skills of the Solution Architect
Excellent technical knowledge
Like the SAP FICO consultant, the Solutions Architects must have excellent technical knowledge in their field. In order to offer the best possible analysis, the Solutions Architect must know everything about operating systems, database management systems, or network equipment.
Specific skills may be required in portals, CMS, multi-channel, BPM, service architecture (SOA), etc.
Analytical skills and a systemic vision of information systems
Designing a solution requires knowledge of the articulation of the different components of the company. The Solutions Architect must therefore understand the company’s strategy and its business model in order to assimilate the objectives.
They must also analyze the technological functioning of the company to identify the means to implement to bring the project to a successful conclusion.
A strong ability to present ideas
Communication skills are essential for the Solutions Architect, who will be negotiating with different stakeholders in the business to understand their needs and analyze risks.
This position involves working with IT engineers, business analysts, and project groups. The Solutions Architect must therefore be able to listen, advise and explain.
Whether it is supporting a digital transformation project, finding a solution that fits the business ecosystem, or preventing information system risks, more and more companies are turning to a Solutions Architect.
A well-designed solution helps the team realize a project on time and on budget, and guarantees a concrete answer to a problem.
The Solutions Architect can work as a sector specialist in a large company or as an external consultant, on their own, or for an ESN (digital service company).
Salary
The average daily rate for an Operations Analyst is between €500 and €900, which is similar to the daily rate for a Storage and Backup Engineer.
Training and education
To become a Solutions Architect, the most common training is a 5-year degree in engineering (networks and IT) or a Master’s degree in networks, telecoms, and IT.
To conclude, the job of Solutions Architects is accessible to experienced managers with skills acquired in project management. A minimum of 8 years of professional experience in the IT field is generally required.
You’ve probably heard of the role of project manager. And now you’re wondering what these professional roles consist of and what their tasks and career paths are. Well, in this article we will tell you all about the Project Manager roles, their competencies, skills, and salary expectations.
What is Project Management?
Firstly, let’s define what it is. Project Management is the process of planning, developing, and delegating responsibilities for an organization’s intended objectives of a particular project according to agreed criteria.
What is a Project Manager?
Then, based on the definitions found on the Internet, the Project Manager is the person responsible for planning and safeguarding the successful execution of the steps to carry out a project. In other words, it is the profile that coordinates the work of the team to meet the objectives.
Large companies have always invested in a similar role to take responsibility for the management and supervisory tasks. But, why are the roles and skills of the Project Manager more important today than ever before? What has changed so that all companies have decided to incorporate one in their ranks?
The answer is simple. The digital business context in which we find ourselves is very changeable and the strategy varies according to external demands. This is why today, more than ever, companies need Project Managers, who will keep the focus on objectives and take into account the external factors that the team is facing.
According to the data, 71% of Project Managers who have shared their salary say that it has increased in the last year. The demand for this profile continues to grow steadily, mainly in countries such as Mexico, Colombia, Peru, and Spain.
Of course, the salary depends to a large extent on the project management experience that each person brings. Among the most in-demand profiles, the average salary of a Project Manager with 2 to 5 years’ experience is between $30,000 and $40,000 gross per year, depending on the geographical area and the size of the company.
Skills of a Project Manager
The role of project manager, unlike other profiles, does not require purely technical knowledge. Rather, it requires a specific set of skills that are acquired while working in the profession. For example, the ability to plan, organize, coordinate and control work.
1. Leadership
In the digital era, the role of the Project Manager must revolve around leading and driving the digital transformation within the company. A good leader must know how to transmit these values to their team. Also, they need to transmit their motivation to work and achieve the objectives.
Being a leader does not mean that you do not need to work in a team. On the contrary, you need to interact with many hierarchical levels within the company, and it is important to know how to do it with each one of them to clearly determine the objectives and guidelines to be followed.
3. Organization
To a large extent, the Project Manager’s job is to organize, organize and organize. The organization of the processes and actors involved in the project depends on him/her, as well as a good organization of the deadlines and times of the actions.
4. Communication
If there is one thing a Project Manager is expected to be, it is a great communicator. One of their tasks is to create good communication channels and ensure that all the agents involved in the project know and are clear about their role in the planning.
5. Conflict management skills
In addition, interpersonal relationships in project management are a fact of life, and it is inevitable that conflicts may arise at some stage. That is why it is important that the Project Manager knows how to manage this type of problem and act as a mediator to solve them and create a good working environment.
A good manager must also be aware of his or her limitations and assume that it is impossible to cover everything. Therefore, it is important that he/she knows when to delegate and trust his/her subordinates, respecting their functions and motivating them in their work.
7. Detail-oriented and attentive
The quality of the service provided is one of the main objectives to be met by the Project Manager. To this end, he/she must be demanding and attentive to detail, assessing at all times that the standards of excellence are met and being able to identify what goes wrong to make the right decision at all times.
8. Knowledge of the market
Undoubtedly, if the project has a market outlet, it is the Project Manager’s job to know the trends and the competition that may arise to adjust the focus of the objectives towards success.
The position of e-CRM (electronic customer relationship management) project manager lies at the intersection of the IT, marketing, and sales functions. This role occupies an important place in the field of web-based customer relations, as it coordinates the implementation of digital campaigns across all of a company’s digital platforms.
In addition to setting the main objectives within a project, unforeseen events can also arise. It is crucial that the Project Manager knows how to guide the team with quick and precise decision-making, and establishing deadlines.
10. Knowledge in evaluation and metrics
Having knowledge of analysis and metrics is essential for the Project Manager since one of its functions is to evaluate the efficiency, progress, performance, productivity, and quality of a project or product. In this sense, metrics help to know the status of the ongoing project in terms of time, costs, and profitability.
The budget indicates how funds will be spent during the lifetime of a project. The Project Manager needs to define in terms of cost all efforts invested in each task.
What you need to study to become a Project Manager
Professionals with specific and multidisciplinary training with a digital base who manage value, time reduction, agility, and reliability of objectives are becoming increasingly important in companies. Although there is no specific career with which to learn to cover Project Manager roles, you do need to have skills in management, business, and techniques such as design thinking, problem-solving, and Agile & Scrum.
Design Thinking
Design Thinking is a discipline that is based on the sensitivity and methods of designers to match the needs of people with what is technologically feasible.
Brands are constantly looking for digital experts that combine emotion and innovation. It is within this context that they seek the help of a Creative Technologist.
The Creative Technologist plays an important role in the digitization of an agency or brand. His or her main mission is to help position brands through technology and innovation. It is a hybrid job that combines expertise in technology, marketing, and design.
Problem-solving is the skill that determines why a problem arises and how to solve it. It starts with identifying issues, devising solutions, implementing these solutions, and evaluating their effectiveness.
Agile and Scrum
Agile and Scrum is the process of regularly applying a set of best practices to work collaboratively as a team to achieve the best possible outcome for a project. Moreover, Agile and Scrum are some techniques used to achieve objectives.
The Agile transformation can be a very difficult project for a company. Many reasons can lead to failure: management not open to agility, change of direction and goals… The Agile Coach is a change agent for companies on the road to agility. He helps companies transform over the long term.
On the other hand, the origin of the term Scrum comes from rugby. The job of the Scrum Master is analogous to that of the scrum-half. The Scrum Master has the responsibility to push others in the right direction. Promote team unity, and communicate with the outside world. The Scrum Master, therefore, acts as a guide. He or she helps and facilitates the work of the team, with a view to improvement and adaptation.
Jira is a multi-functional platform developed by Atlassian that facilitates the management of development and Agile projects. It is a tracking software enabling teams to define activities, identify blockages and share information. This tool is specifically designed to meet the needs of teams working in Scrum or Kanban.
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What are the best free software tools to organise you activity as an IT Pro? Better time management will allow you to increase your productivity...
What are the best free software tools to organise you activity as an IT Pro? We all have our own method to organise our daily and weekly tasks, but that doesn´t mean we shouldn´t be keep trying new things to see what we can improve. Better time management will allow you to increase your productivity, develop stronger relationships with your team and clients and even have some extra time to work on your career development strategy.
To make that easier, we have put together a list of free software tools in the hopes you discover at least one you are not yet using. If that’s not the case, you can take this list as validation of how good a job you are already doing. Wink. Wink.
Some of these tools are completely free, while others also offer several subscription tiers. Whether you are an independent contractor or part of a company’s IT department, they will help you build better and more robust projects, more effectively and in less time.
Does this one
really need an introduction? Well, maybe. Especially since Google recently went
and rebranded G in a move that surely confused many of us out there. Now known
as Google Workspace, the productivity suite is a whole world in and of itself. From
storage, to document collaboration, you will find in it everything you need to
carry out all your basic everyday tasks.
Even more
so since the rebrand, Gmail serves as the platform’s backbone, making it easy
to create an efficient workflow between your email, calendar and files.
Workspace also comes in handy when you need to share and work on documents with
clients or people external to your organisation. Google Sheets is great for
easily storing and sharing data sets.
Evernote is pretty much the only notebook you will ever need, and it’s free unless you want to use it in more than two devices at once.
It’s very intuitive and quick to use, and it allows you to share individual notebooks and notes with other people, anytime, anywhere. In addition, Evernote can integrate perfectly with other tools like Google Workspace and Slack, making it an ideal solution for collaboration.
You can include almost anything you want in your notes, from images and videos to PDF documents. Furthermore, the Evernote web clipper tool makes it possible to capture screenshots and ideas directly from the web. This information is saved in a note which includes a link to the original page. All your searches are saved in one place for easy access. You can also scan physical documents directly on the app.
To transfer your emails to Evernote, you only need to forward them to your
unique Evernote email address.
This
easy-to-use project management tool will inevitably improve your daily life. Juggling
between a thousand tasks is not, well — an easy task. No one enjoys forgetting
a deadline or wasting their time.
Trello allows you to create and manage to-do lists and set up reminders, so you don’t miss anything. What makes it particularly compelling is how simple and intuitive it is to use, letting you organise your activity without adding more work to your already packed workflow.
It’s advisable to use Trello in combination with another very practical and free tool: Toggl. This time-tracking tool allows you to have a precise idea of the time you spend on each task on a daily basis. The goal is not to waste too much time on tasks that require a disproportionate time investment and to manage your time better to improve your productivity.
Asana is a free tool that was originally created at Facebook to organise internal workflows. Compared to Trello, this project management tool loses the simplicity but offers endless customisation and deeper integration with existing workflows. It is particularly useful for collaborative projects.
You can assign and delegate tasks to collaborators and set the deadlines to meet. The whole team can easily see all pending and completed tasks in a single place. Everyone is then able to plan their time to their taste to meet the specified deadlines.
Calendly works
with your Outlook, Google, iCloud and Office 365 calendars, allowing you to
consolidate all your schedules into a single one for optimal management of your
time. It also allows you to precisely define “break” periods between several
meetings or projects, to create secret events, and to avoid certain meetings or
last-minute appointments.
But perhaps
the best thing about Calendly is its automated scheduling feature, which saves
you the time-consuming hassle of having to send back-and-forth emails to agree
to a time that works for both parties.
The tool is
perfect if you need to collaborate with people from other countries since it
automatically detects the time zone of your contacts for even smarter time
management.
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