Efficiency in every workspace is measured by the competency of the team members and this is determined by the proactiveness of the team lead or Project manager.
Therefore for the successful execution of projects, there is a need for an efficient project manager proficient in establishing structured solutions for a company’s project, such as the role of an IT project manager.
The essence of this article is to discuss the duties of an IT project manager within an organization. First, we will talk about who an IT manager is, then, we will move further to discuss their roles and responsibilities including the educational requirements involved in getting started as an IT project manager.
Who is an IT Project Manager?
Before we talk about who an IT project manager is, let’s define the role of a project manager.
According to Coursera, “A project manager is a professional who organizes, plans, and executes projects while working within restraints like budgets and schedules”
The project manager takes up the duty of setting up a project for success. They lead tech teams and set strategic goals that align with the benefits and purpose of the project at hand. Also, they are always in contact with stakeholders to ensure the successful closure of a project.
Therefore, with the prefix IT or information technology attached to the word, project manager, we get IT project manager.
Now, who is an IT project manager?
An IT project manager or a product manager is a professional who specializes in guiding and overseeing the successful completion of information technology (IT) projects within an organization.
Their main duties include overseeing the entire process of planning, allocation of projects and funds, and ensuring project implementation and execution in line with the organization’s policies. IT project managers are conductors of complex IT initiatives, they ensure everything runs smoothly from start to finish, within budget, and on time.
IT Project Manager Duties and Responsibilities
The specific role of an IT project manager varies depending on the type of industry and the particular phase of the project.
Examples of some types of IT projects include:
- Audio-visual setup
- Network upgrades and migrations
- Cloud computing and virtualization rollout
- Desktop reimaging
- In-person desktop support
- Resolving hardware issues
- Infrastructure deployment
- Software development and implementation
- Hardware installation and configuration
- Cybersecurity and disaster recovery initiatives
As an IT project manager, you wear many hats. The primary aim of your roles is to ensure the successful completion of all IT projects under your supervision.
Here’s a full breakdown of the key roles of an IT project manager at various phases of a project
Pre-Project Phase:
- Define project scope and objectives: Work with stakeholders to clearly understand project goals, requirements, and deliverables.
- Develop project plans and schedules: Create detailed plans outlining timelines, milestones, tasks, dependencies, and resource allocation.
- Estimate project budget and resources: Determine personnel, equipment, and software needs, and create a realistic budget for the project.
- Assemble and manage project team: Select team members with the necessary skills and experience, assign roles and responsibilities, and foster collaboration.
- Identify and mitigate risks: Analyze potential risks and develop contingency plans to minimize their impact.
- Establish communication channels: Define communication protocols and tools for efficient information flow between stakeholders, team members, and clients.
Project Execution Phase:
- Monitor project progress: Track tasks, milestones, and resource utilization against the plan identifying and addressing any deviations promptly.
- Manage and motivate team: Provide guidance, support, and feedback to team members, creating a positive and productive work environment.
- Facilitate communication and collaboration: Ensure clear and open communication within the team and with stakeholders, addressing concerns and resolving issues effectively.
- Manage risks and changes: Proactively address risks and unexpected changes, adapting the plan as needed while maintaining project objectives.
- Control budget and expenses: Monitor project expenditures closely, taking corrective actions to stay within budget constraints.
- Ensure quality control: Implement quality management processes to ensure deliverables meet defined standards and client expectations.
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Project Completion Phase:
- Close out project tasks: Ensure all tasks are completed according to specifications and documentation is up-to-date.
- Evaluate project success: Analyze project results against objectives and identify areas for improvement for future projects.
- Present project findings to stakeholders: Communicate project outcomes, lessons learned, and recommendations to relevant stakeholders.
- Document project information: Capture project details, decisions, and challenges for future reference and knowledge sharing.
What does an IT project Manager do?
You might have guessed it right by now. An IT project manager works to help an organization achieve its technical projects. This involves planning, organizing, and implementing a company’s technical projects or those of its Clients. They help organizations achieve efficiency and productivity in operations with heavy dependence on IT knowledge.
More so, the IT project manager does not work alone, usually, an IT project manager manages or leads a team to ensure the development of strategies that enhance IT product deliveries and implementation. According to Indeed.com, their main task spans the acrose application department, hardware and software installation, and system upgrades.
Aside from ensuring the completion of tasks through efficient efforts, IT project managers also ensure team members abide by the role and possess deep knowledge about the use of tools, processing phrases, and reporting techniques.
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IT Project Manager Skills and Requirements
To work effectively as an efficient IT project manager you need to possess some level of IT knowledge in addition to the necessary soft skills that make you a valuable worker. Some of these basic skills are listed below:
Hard Skills
- Familiarity with Agile, Waterfall, Scrum, and other methodologies
- Understanding of IT infrastructure, software development lifecycles, and basic programming languages
- Proficiency in project management software like MS Project, Jira, Asana, and Trello
Soft Skills
- Ability to think critically, identify solutions, and make quick decisions under pressure.
- The ability to build strong relationships, collaborate effectively, and delegate tasks efficiently.
- Leadership skills
- Adaptability
- Logical problem-solving skills
- Excellent organizational and time management skills
- Ability to carry out multiple tasks
- Strategic thinking
- Ability to keep team members inspired and motivated.
IT Project Manager Education Qualification
To become an IT project manager, you need to possess the skills listed above, in addition to these skills, you also need a deep experience with technology.
Therefore ideally, you should have a bachelor’s degree in computer science, Business administration or informational technology, or other equivalent certifications.
Although, most employers prefer candidates with a master’s degree in any of the courses mentioned above.
Moreover, you should also have in your name some industrial certification like PMP (Project Management Professional), PMI-ACP (Agile Certified Professional), ITIL (Information Technology Infrastructure Library), Scrum, or PRNCE2, this is an added advantage
IT Project Manager Experience Requirement
IT managers are expected to have prior experience in managing IT or non-IT projects and working as a project lead or assistant with at least 4 to 5 years of working experience. An ideal candidate should have a good track record in delivering IT projects, from inception to planning and execution.
Furthermore, employers prefer candidates with a good background in IT, for example, Custom software development. However, candidates without an IT background and a proven record of tangible work experience and certifications also stand a chance in closing deals as an IT project manager.
Salary Expectations for IT Project Managers
According to Glassdoor, the estimated annual salary of an IT Project Manager is $125,688the the United States area, with an average salary of $116,313 per year.
However, this amount is dependent on the level of expertise and years of experience.
More so, salary ranges differ when compared to regions, locations, and levels of expertise. Kindly consult local directions for more tailored salary descriptions for IT project managers.
Conclusion
According to popular research, professionals in the tech industries thrive amongst others and IT project management is one of such careers.
However, unlike other tech-related fields that require extensive knowledge of coding and programming, As an IT project manager, your basic skills are more organizational and problem-solving than coding.
However, to thrive in the industry, you need to possess a level of in-depth understanding of Information technology. Have at least (Not always needed) a bachelor’s degree in computer science, or Information technology.
Additionally, having a project management certification like PRINCE2 or PMP gives you a competitive advantage in the market as the competition for project management roles is very high.
But, the role of an IT project manager is very Nobel and will fetch you some good dollars if you can prove exceptional expertise in the industries.
Thank you for reading to the end. Interested in an IT Project manager role? Check out our job board for recent job listings, you may find that one role you have been looking for. We wish you success in your job search.
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