Careers in IT Project Management
Project managers play a crucial role in the success of any project. Through experience, management skills, leadership qualities, and domain knowledge, they lead the team to accomplish any project. IT project managers are involved in complex scenarios, as they need proper subject-matter industry knowledge and technological expertise. In this Meduvi Journal article, we provide a look at the role of IT project managers and highlight the key responsibilities and challenges that come with this position.
What is an IT Project Manager?
An IT project manager is the one responsible for planning, organizing, executing, and completing IT-related projects. All the matters related to the IT project, such as managing teams, allocating resources, monitoring progress, reporting to stakeholders, negotiating with vendors, and meeting deadlines are managed by an IT project manager. At the end of the day, the key responsibility of the IT Project Manager is to deliver the project on time, on budget with expected business value.
Roles and Responsibilities of an IT Project Manager
An IT project manager can be involved in different kinds of IT-related projects and activities that are all focused on achieving the organization's IT goals. Some of the major projects involving IT project manager participation include:
1. App or software implementation or development
2. Network upgrades
3. Digital transformation
4. Virtualization or cloud-computing activities
5. Data analytics and data management projects
In short, any project involving technological aspects demands the know-how of IT project managers to plan, execute, monitor, and complete that project.
During any project, IT project manager responsibilities or work activities include:
· Setting up project plans, objectives, budget, and time frame.
· Assembling the project team, assigning roles, and initiating the project.
· Manage and organize the project throughout the project cycle from beginning to its completion.
· Monitor the project progress and address any challenging situation.
· Interact with stakeholders or clients to discuss project progress, issues, risks, changes, or any other project-related matters.
· Ensure quality and timely delivery of the project.
· Work on post-project reporting.
Challenges Faced by IT Project Managers
Working with IT projects means facing unexpected simple to complex challenges due to technological complications and other factors. Some of the common challenges that IT project managers have to handle include:
· Unclear or changing client requirements, such as more features demand.
· New findings in the middle of the project.
· Inability to secure allocation of a business subject matter expert.
· Tasks falling behind.
Unlike non-technological projects, IT projects deal with different technologies, systems, and tools. So, IT project managers also sometimes have to mitigate the project team's skill gap in handling new tools or technologies. In short, IT project managers should hold exceptional communication and problem-solving skills to anticipate and overcome different challenges throughout the project lifecycle.
What's the Future of IT Project Managers?
With the rapid technological advancements and digitalization, along with increasing customer demand for digital products/services, organizations are becoming aggressive towards rolling out new feature-enhanced products/services at a faster pace. Tight deadlines, more features demand, and an agile work environment are some of the key aspects that IT project managers have to handle in the present and the future to come. Overall, the IT project manager job continues to become more complex, fast-paced, and challenging with the advancement of technology (Cloud, SaaS, AI, mobile, etc.).
In order to keep up, IT Project Managers can continue their learnings of new technologies, achieving Project Management Certificates like PMP and joining professional networking groups like PMI Mass Bay.
Looking for Project Management jobs? See our Project Management job openings on our Job Listings page and Filter by Category "Project Management".
