The IT Manager Role Explained

If you want to know more about the IT manager role, this page is for you. It quickly shares a wide breadth of IT-manager-related information, including information on what an IT manager is, how an IT manager differs from an IT director or CIO, the roles and responsibilities of an IT manager, the goals of an IT manager, the key IT manager skills, the different types of IT managers, best practices adopted by IT managers, and how to become an IT manager.

What is an IT manager?

An IT manager is a leadership role within an organization’s IT organization. The role is responsible for managing the organization’s IT infrastructure, including ensuring that technology meets the organization’s goals and objectives. IT managers are also accountable for non-technology areas related to the management and leadership of staff (usually IT specialists), their work environment, and other management areas, including strategic planning and budgeting.

How does an IT manager differ from an IT director or CIO?

The roles of an IT manager, IT director, and Chief Information Officer (CIO) differ across responsibilities, scope, and strategic focus.

An IT manager has an operational focus and is primarily responsible for day-to-day IT operations, leading teams, and implementing and maintaining IT infrastructure. It can be considered a tactical role that reports to an IT director or CIO.

An IT director has a broader scope than an IT manager, focusing on the IT organization’s operational and strategic planning. They will lead or initiate the development of IT policies, strategies, and long-term plans to align IT initiatives with business goals and typically report to a CIO.

CIO is an executive-level and strategic role focusing on the overall technology strategy and its alignment with the organization’s business goals. A CIO develops and implements the corporate IT vision and long-term strategy with other C-suite executives.

Roles and responsibilities of an IT manager

IT manager duties and responsibilities vary by organization and the employed organizational structure. There are some typical IT manager responsibilities, though:

• Team management and leadership – providing guidance and support, assigning work, evaluating performance, and ensuring employee skills and expertise are as needed.
• Operational management – overseeing day-to-day IT operations, including maintenance, upgrades, and IT support.
• Security management – ensuring the integrity and security of IT systems and data and handling security incidents. However, this will likely be addressed by focused IT security professionals.
• Budget and resource management – managing IT budgets and allocating the available resources effectively.
• Strategic planning – contributing to the development of IT strategies aligned with corporate goals and objectives.
• Vendor management – negotiating contracts and managing relationships with third-party product and service providers.
• Stakeholder management – working with internal stakeholders, such as business function leads, to understand business needs and prioritize IT investments.

What are the goals of an IT manager?

IT managers’ goals align with their responsibilities and the organization’s strategic goals. Again, they will differ between IT managers, but there is some commonality:

• Ensuring IT strategies and initiatives support business objectives
• Implementing best practices for IT operations
• Overseeing the successful maintenance and upgrading of IT infrastructure
• Understanding the technology needs of business functions and providing solutions
• Maintaining high levels of system or service uptime
• Implementing robust cybersecurity measures
• Developing and managing IT budgets effectively
• Identifying improvements and cost-saving opportunities
• Leading and developing IT staff
• Ensuring that IT practices comply with relevant laws, regulations, and industry standards.

What skills should IT managers have?

The role of IT manager requires a broad spectrum of skills. Again, what’s needed will depend on the specific role, but there are some commonly required skills:

• Leadership – the ability to lead individuals and teams
• Technical skills – while there’s likely not a need for an IT manager to be overly technical in every IT management discipline, they should have a general knowledge of corporate technology and will have previously been well-versed in systems management, network management, cybersecurity, or similar
• Analytical skills – analyzing information and using it for problem-solving
• Communication skills – effectively communicating both verbally and in writing
• Time management – the ability to perform tasks on time and to meet deadlines
• Teamworking – the ability to work and perform well with others
• Budget management – financial acumen and the ability to optimize costs and make informed decisions on technology investments.

Getting promoted to an IT manager

For many people, simply working hard and demonstrating the required IT manager skills and experiences will get them promoted to an IT manager role. It’s a sound route to take. However, other things will help your career progression to an IT manager role, including:

• Developing strong technical skills in your current role
• Staying current with the industry trends, new technologies, and best practices through courses, certifications, and self-study
• Enhancing leadership and management skills by volunteering to lead projects or team-based improvement activities
• Developing and demonstrating the required soft skills such as communication, problem-solving, and time management
• Regularly asking for feedback from line managers and peers to identify improvement areas and demonstrate a commitment to career progression
• Understanding your organization’s business objectives and goals and how IT supports them
• Learning about budgeting, financial planning, and cost management (even if irrelevant to your current role)
• Build relationships with colleagues in different departments to understand different perspectives and use professional organizations, industry conferences, and online forums to learn from other IT professionals
• Keep a record of your accomplishments and share them during performance reviews and informal conversations with your line manager
• Seek out senior mentors to provide guidance, advice, and support as you pursue a managerial role
• Make your career aspirations known to your line manager and work with them to create a career development plan
• Offer to mentor and train junior staff or volunteer as an acting manager when needed.

Types of IT managers

The IT manager role not only differs by organization; there can also be various types of IT manager roles. For example:

• IT operations manager – responsible for the smooth and efficient IT system and service operations
• IT infrastructure manager – responsible for overseeing an organization’s IT infrastructure from design through to maintenance and support
• IT service manager – responsible for managing IT service delivery and ensuring that IT services align with business needs (including IT service desk operations)
• Application development manager – responsible for overseeing the development of software applications and their maintenance
• IT security manager – responsible for safeguarding an organization’s IT infrastructure and data.

Best practices for an IT manager

Many bodies of industry best practices are available to IT managers that relate to specific IT management areas, such as IT service management and cybersecurity. Additionally, there are also management best practice “pillars” that are commonly used by successful IT managers, including:

• Getting support from senior management for new initiatives and changes
• Utilizing an industry IT management framework to drive operational practices
• Being proactive – from day-to-day operations to driving improvement
• Regularly reporting performance in a way that’s focused on what business stakeholders are interested in
• Using fit-for-purpose IT management tools to improve IT operations and business outcomes.

How to become an IT manager?

To become an IT manager, you’ll need work experience in IT. What’s required will vary by company, but it’s not unusual for the requirement to be at least five years of IT experience. Having an IT-related degree will help, but this requirement will vary by company.

Demonstrating the required IT manager skillset and having a successful track record of IT experience will hopefully be regarded higher than your interview technique. So ensure that your CV mentions occasions where IT manager skills such as leadership, analytical skills, communication, time management, and teamwork were employed to deliver or exceed the desired results in a previous role.

Relevant IT certifications will also help any prospective IT manager wanting to promote their abilities to a hiring manager.

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