Director of IT Studies
What is an IT Research Manager?
The IT Project Manager is responsible for coordinating and overseeing a portfolio of IT design and development projects (in functional, human, financial, technical and administrative terms). He/she is supported by one or more teams under his/her direction.
Depending on the size of the company, a design manager may have several project managers under his or her responsibility.
What are the duties of a Research Director?
Coordinate all IT projects
The IT Research Manager is responsible for supervising and coordinating all IT research projects within the organization. He/she ensures an overall vision and guarantees the coherence and alignment of the various projects.
Ensure functional management of projects
The IT Project Manager oversees the functional management of projects in close collaboration with the teams concerned. He defines objectives, milestones and expected deliverables, and ensures that they are achieved in line with the company's requirements and needs.
Supervising teams
The IT Project Manager supervises and manages teams working on IT projects. He oversees the proper allocation of resources, skills management and professional development of team members. He stimulates collaboration and promotes collective efficiency.
Financial management
The IT Research Manager is also responsible for the financial management of IT research projects. He draws up and monitors budgets, controls costs, and ensures that the financial resources allocated to projects are optimized.
Be in charge of technical supervision of projects
The IT Project Manager plays an essential role in the technical supervision of projects. He ensures the adoption of best practices, the use of appropriate technologies and the quality of technical deliverables. He/she is also responsible for technology watch and promotes innovation within his/her field of activity.
Manage administrative follow-up
The IT Project Manager also manages the administrative aspects of projects, such as documentation, contracts, authorizations and administrative procedures required for project completion. He ensures compliance with current regulations.
The IT Project Manager's mission is based on a holistic approach to IT project management, ensuring efficient coordination, rigorous financial management, high-quality technical supervision and effective team management.
What skills does a Research Director have?
An IT design manager must have technical skills such as :
- A good IT culture: Excellent knowledge of the architecture and functionalities of a company's information system, the application development chain, IT infrastructures and the integration of software or ERP (integrated software packages).
- Good knowledge of IT service providers: familiarity with the main publishers and service companies in the IT market.
- Excellent knowledge of the business application domain concerned by the projects taken on, to establish legitimacy with the project owner.
- Mastery of project management tools: Proficiency in the use of project management tools such as UML, Rational Rose and MS Project.
- A good understanding of the company's environment and activities, as well as the needs and constraints of its users.
- Management skills, particularly in calculating ratios and profitability, budget management and cash flow. Knowledge of how to draw up a master plan and legal notions in the fields of contracts and IT law.
Professional skills such as :
- The ability to synthesize complex technical information into clear, understandable elements.
- The ability to explain technical subjects in a way that is accessible to non-technical audiences.
- Interpersonal skills: ability to establish good working relationships with stakeholders and collaborate effectively.
- Listening and communication skills: the ability to listen carefully to stakeholders' needs and expectations, and to communicate clearly and concisely.
- Diplomacy and negotiating skills: the ability to handle delicate situations diplomatically and negotiate compromises to achieve common goals.
- Ability to make proposals
- Rigor and organization: ability to work methodically, meet deadlines and maintain a high level of organization.
- A good ability to monitor and control the progress of projects, identify potential problems and take corrective action.
- Managerial skills: ability to lead and coordinate project teams, delegate responsibilities and foster collaboration.
- A strategic vision and the ability to stand back, take a global view of projects and align objectives with corporate strategy.
How is the job of research director changing?
The evolution of the job of IT Development Director is marked by the growing complexity of project portfolios, which now include solutions combining SaaS architectures, ERP and specific developments. As a result, the skills required to occupy this position go beyond technical expertise, and involve an ability to federate different players, including those outside the IT department, in order to drive projects forward.
The role of the IT Development Manager has evolved into that of a true service contract manager, responsible for ensuring the coherence of the various project components, from both a technical and legal point of view, in order to provide users with suitable products. This evolution also implies a financial vision, by assessing the return on investment of IT expenditure, as well as a thorough understanding of legal aspects, particularly in the design of contracts or service offers with internal users.
At the same time, the IT Project Manager must adopt a less technically-oriented and more organizationally-oriented approach. In responding to the technical issues raised by project directors and/or managers, he must find answers based on other aspects such as processes and organization, drawing on his solid knowledge of business processes.
The IT Project Manager must therefore develop a cross-functional and strategic vision, capable of reconciling technical, financial, legal and organizational imperatives, in order to bring IT projects to a successful conclusion and meet the needs of internal users in an efficient and relevant manner.
Why call on the services of a Director of Transition Management Studies?
The experience of an IT Transition Manager is a fast and effective response to your needs for a Director of Studies. His knowledge and experience are indisputable assets when it comes to meeting a one-off requirement, as he is quickly up and running.
Thanks to his or her IT expertise and management experience, a Transitional Research Director can quickly understand the challenges of IT research and development projects, and help to achieve these objectives.
Infortive Transition, a specialist in IT Transition Management, thanks to its experience and its network of IT Transition Managers, will be able to meet your need for a Director of Studies.