Job description
IT project managers are responsible for the planning, designing, installing and monitoring of information technologies. Using a defined and supported technological strategy, they lead, delegate and supervise the work completed by technical staff. Their work consists of tracking the progress of user departments and data centres to ensure corporate standards, cost targets and deadlines are met.
Duties
- Manage information technology projects, system activities and technical personnel
- Assign responsibilities, supervise employees and review the work completed by staff
- Monitor project milestones, ensure deliverability and install remedies to project hiccups
- Develop plans for IT projects, including systems, specifications, schedules and staffing
- Establish objectives for every IT project that is started, and make sure they are followed
- Work with team members and other employees to identify and resolve problems
- Collect and analyse internal data, track industry trends and identify relatable variables
- Prepare, compose and summarise information to submit analytical reports
- Participate in personnel decisions, help recruit candidates and monitor their performance
- Develop, submit and, if approved, manage annual budgets to company satisfaction
- Create implementation plans that enhance cost-benefits and offer a return on investment (ROI)
- Negotiate with vendors and suppliers to order materials and resources at the lowest cost
Skills, qualities and knowledge
Working hours and environment
Average working hours
40hweek
Typical schedule
Full Time
Standard business hours
An IT project manager will execute a typical 40-hour workweek during regular business hours. That said, there will be many occasions where you will need to come into the office on a weeknight, weekend or even holiday to solve a technical issue or to meet a deadline. The upside is that some of this work could be completed at home, since the technology enables telecommunication, allowing you to work remotely.
An IT project manager can expect to work inside of an office environment. Depending on the size of the company and possibly various locations, you could travel between offices to work on IT.
Salary
Bottom 10%
$47k
Median
$90k
Top 10%
$150k
Annual salary estimates are based on percentile wage data collected through the Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) survey of US workers.
Qualifications and training
Education level
Undergraduate
DVM / VMD degree
Study time
4years
To become an IT project manager, the minimum requirement is a bachelor’s degree in information technology, IT project management or computer science. These programmes cover a wide variety of courses to help you thrive in your position, including IT security, database management systems and programming fundamentals.
If you’re not pursuing postgraduate education, then it would be a prudent move to seek out certification, such as the Project Management Professional (PMP), Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM) or PRINCE2 Foundation & Practitioner.
Job outlook
Projected growth
10%
No of new jobs
42.2k
Automation risk
22%
Career progression
With experience, you will be given more responsibility, overseeing various projects and managing staff. You could then advance to an executive or senior management role.