Information Technology Project Managers

Software & Systems Engineering

Level 5516 of 1200 points

Job description

Information Technology Project Managers

Job purpose

To plan, initiate and manage information technology projects, leading the work of technical staff and serving as the link between the business and technical aspects of each project, so that deliverables meet quality standards and agreed deadlines, scope and cost targets.

Skills

Knowledge of computer hardware, software and systems and of the engineering principles behind them, with project management method — work breakdown structures, risk assessment and cost-benefit and return-on-investment analysis — customer needs assessment, the accounting needed to hold an annual project budget, and the management principles needed to lead a team. A bachelor's degree is the most common single qualification but is held by well under half of incumbents; two-year degrees and post-baccalaureate certificates are each held by a substantial group, and several years of related experience with on-the-job training is expected.
Serves as the link between business and technical staff. Confers with project personnel to identify and resolve problems, assesses current and future customer needs by direct contact and survey, schedules and facilitates project meetings, establishes and executes a communication plan, and negotiates with stakeholders and suppliers for resources. Directs project personnel, monitors their performance and documents feedback to them.
Identifies and resolves problems raised by project personnel, performs risk assessments and develops response strategies, and initiates, reviews or approves modifications to project plans as circumstances change. Method and precedent are available, but every project differs in its technology, dependencies and stakeholders, and a wrong call carries cost, schedule and delivery consequences for the whole team.
Develops and updates project plans covering objectives, technologies, information specifications, schedules, funding and staffing, builds and manages the work breakdown structure, and manages execution to budget, schedule and scope. Monitors milestones and deliverables, prepares status reports, and identifies the need for initial or supplemental resources. Determines tasks, priorities and goals, and works to the agreed schedule under constant time pressure.
Work is carried out seated at a computer and in meetings. No manual handling or dexterity demands.

Responsibilities

Directs and coordinates project personnel, assigning duties, responsibilities and spans of authority, monitoring performance and documenting feedback, and coordinating recruitment of project staff. Authority runs through the project rather than the line and extends to vendors and consultants; accountable for those staff's work outcomes and health and safety.
Develops and manages annual budgets for information technology projects and manages execution to them. Prepares implementation plans supported by cost-benefit and return-on-investment analysis, selects vendors or consultants, and negotiates with stakeholders and suppliers to obtain resources. Spend is committed within an approved budget and scope.
Ordinary care of a workstation and the project planning and tracking systems used. Responsible for the technologies and resources procured for each project and for the deliverables submitted against quality standards, rather than for premises or plant.
Owns the project record: project plans, work breakdown structures, risk assessments, status reports and documented performance feedback on team members. Status reports inform decisions taken elsewhere and performance records are confidential, so accuracy matters.

Effort required

Holds the whole shape of a project in view — scope, schedule, cost and technical dependencies — while collecting, analysing and summarising information into status reports that must be exact. Assesses risk and decides on plan modifications frequently, under time pressure and on incomplete information, reaching the whole team and company results. Much of the milestone tracking is repetitive.
Conflict situations are a regular feature: competing stakeholder priorities, resource negotiations with suppliers and delivery pressure, and some customers and stakeholders are unpleasant or discourteous. Documenting performance feedback calls for candour, and the postholder remains accountable for delivery when the causes of delay sit with others.
Predominantly seated indoor work, in close proximity to team members, with movement between meetings. No lifting or exertion.

Working conditions

Indoors and environmentally controlled; no hazard, noise or outdoor exposure is evidenced, and close proximity to colleagues is the only physical feature. The exposure is psychological: conflict situations, dealings with discourteous people, external customer contact and speaking to groups.
Around four in five incumbents work a regular established schedule and the remainder an irregular one; no shift or on-call expectation is evidenced, though a majority work more than forty hours a week. Time pressure is constant, decisions are frequent and carry through to company results, and the setting is competitive. The postholder determines tasks, priorities and goals with considerable freedom of decision within the scope, budget and quality standards agreed with the business.

Skills

40% · 231 points▾

KnowledgeLevel 4 of 8
72 of 144 points
Factual and theoretical knowledge in broad contexts within a field of work. The job requires a range of thinking and practical knowledge to find solutions to specific problems in the job or study area.
Interpersonal and communication skillsLevel 3 of 5
58 of 96 points
Effective communication and interpersonal relationships. The job holder is required to adapt communication to different audiences and foster trust, cooperation and positive working relationships.
Problem-solving skillsLevel 3 of 5
58 of 96 points
Variable problems. The job involves dealing with different kinds of problems that require careful thinking, research into different options or adjusting existing ways of doing things. Guidance and resources may be limited.
Planning and organisational skillsLevel 3 of 5
43 of 72 points
Moderate organisational skills required. The job requires the organising and prioritising of multiple tasks, with some level of adjustment to plans on the basis of changing circumstances or deadlines.
Physical skillsLevel 0 of 5
0 of 72 points
Not applicable. The job does not require any particular physical skills (although there is likely to be some physical activity).

Responsibility

35% · 182 points▾

PeopleLevel 3 of 5
86 of 144 points
Moderate responsibility for people. The job includes overseeing or coordinating the work and well-being of others. This may involve supervising, providing regular support, managing conflicts, responding to an individual's needs and ensuring the personal and professional development of individuals.
Goods and equipmentLevel 0 of 5
0 of 84 points
Not applicable. The job does not involve any responsibility for goods or equipment.
InformationLevel 3 of 5
58 of 96 points
Moderate responsibility for information. The job involves managing information to ensure it is accurate, of high quality and secure. The job holder may make decisions about the handling of sensitive data.
Financial resourcesLevel 2 of 5
38 of 96 points
Limited responsibility for financial resources. The job involves handling limited financial resources, such as managing small budgets, processing invoices or participating in financial planning discussions.

Effort

15% · 79 points▾

Mental effortLevel 3 of 5
36 of 60 points
High level of mental effort. The job involves frequent concentration on complex tasks that require considerable mental effort, such as interpreting complex data.
Psychosocial and emotional effortLevel 3 of 5
43 of 72 points
Moderate psychosocial and emotional effort. The job requires the regular management of emotional responses, such as dealing with sensitive or challenging individuals or situations.
Physical effortLevel 0 of 5
0 of 48 points
Not applicable. The job does not require any physical effort.

Working Conditions

10% · 24 points▾

Environment (physical, psychological or emotional)Level 1 of 5
17 of 84 points
Minimal exposure to hazards or stress. The job involves little or no exposure to physical hazards (e.g. chemicals, moving equipment, noise) and minimal emotional or psychological risks (e.g. occasional routine tasks with no emotional burden). There is minor exposure to dust, dirt, fumes, noise, waste, poor lighting, etc.
Organisational environmentLevel 1 of 5
7 of 36 points
Minimal organisational demands. The job requires standard working hours with no night shifts or irregular schedules. There is little or no need for travel or digital connectivity beyond typical working hours.