ICT operations manager

ICT operations managers coordinate ICT services and infrastructure ensuring that the organisation has the required infrastructural resources. They also plan and monitor stages of either a business process or a computer process, negotiate contracts and take mitigation action in case of non-fulfilment of agreements. They oversee the day-to-day tasks involving infrastructure components, ICT systems and software.

The following job titles also refer to ICT operations manager:

IT process manager
systems and networks manager
IT operations manager
data processing manager
ICT acquisitions manager
IT data processing manager
ICT operations managers
ICT data processing manager

Bachelor’s degree is generally required to work as ICT operations manager. However, this requirement may differ in some countries.

ISCO skill level is defined as a function of the complexity and range of tasks and duties to be performed in an occupation. It is measured on a scale from 1 to 4, with 1 the lowest level and 4 the highest, by considering:

• the nature of the work performed in an occupation in relation to the characteristic tasks and duties
• the level of formal education required for competent performance of the tasks and duties involved and
• the amount of informal on-the-job training and/or previous experience in a related occupation required for competent performance of these tasks and duties.

ICT operations manager is a Skill level 4 occupation.

These occupations, although different, require a lot of knowledge and skills similar to ICT operations manager.

ICT vendor relationship manager
telecommunications manager
ICT system integration consultant
ICT project manager
ICT resilience manager

These occupations require some skills and knowledge of ICT operations manager. They also require other skills and knowledge, but at a higher ISCO skill level, meaning these occupations are accessible from a position of ICT operations manager with a significant experience and/or extensive training.

This knowledge should be acquired through learning to fulfill the role of ICT operations manager.

Innovation processes: The techniques, models, methods and strategies which contribute to the promotion of steps towards innovation.

These skills are necessary for the role of ICT operations manager.

Manage changes in ict system: Plan, realise and monitor system changes and upgrades. Maintain earlier system versions. Revert, if necessary, to a safe older system version.
Manage budgets: Plan, monitor and report on the budget.
Define technology strategy: Create an overall plan of objectives, practices, principles and tactics related to the use of technologies within an organisation and describe the means to reach the objectives.
Design process: Identify the workflow and resource requirements for a particular process, using a variety of tools such as process simulation software, flowcharting and scale models.
Manage staff: Manage employees and subordinates, working in a team or individually, to maximise their performance and contribution. Schedule their work and activities, give instructions, motivate and direct the workers to meet the company objectives. Monitor and measure how an employee undertakes their responsibilities and how well these activities are executed. Identify areas for improvement and make suggestions to achieve this. Lead a group of people to help them achieve goals and maintain an effective working relationship among staff.
Maintain relationship with suppliers: Build a lasting and meaningful relationship with suppliers and service providers in order to establish a positive, profitable and enduring collaboration, co-operation and contract negotiation.
Use different communication channels: Make use of various types of communication channels such as verbal, handwritten, digital and telephonic communication with the purpose of constructing and sharing ideas or information.
Oversee quality control: Monitor and assure the quality of the provided goods or services by overseeing that all the factors of the production meet quality requirements. Supervise product inspection and testing.
Use ict ticketing system: Utilise a specialised system to track registration, processing and resolution of issues in an organisation by assigning each of these issues a ticket, registering inputs from involved persons, tracking changes and displaying the status of the ticket, until it is completed.
Develop ict workflow: Create repeatable patterns of ICT activity within an organisation which enhances the systematic transformations of products, informational processes and services through their production.
Improve business processes: Optimise the series of operations of an organisation to achieve efficiency. Analyse and adapt existing business operations in order to set new objectives and meet new goals.
Attend to ict systems quality: Ensure correct operations which comply fully with specific needs and outcomes in terms of the development, integration, security and overall management of ICT systems.
Track key performance indicators: Identify the quantifiable measures that a company or industry uses to gauge or compare performance in terms of meeting their operational and strategic goals, using preset performance indicators.
Perform project management: Manage and plan various resources, such as human resources, budget, deadline, results, and quality necessary for a specific project, and monitor the project’s progress in order to achieve a specific goal within a set time and budget.
Train employees: Lead and guide employees through a process in which they are taught the necessary skills for the perspective job. Organise activities aimed at introducing the work and systems or improving the performance of individuals and groups in organisational settings.

This knowledge is sometimes, but not always, required for the role of ICT operations manager. However, mastering this knowledge allows you to have more opportunities for career development.

Systems development life-cycle: The sequence of steps, such as planning, creating, testing and deploying and the models for the development and life-cycle management of a system.
Software components libraries: The software packages, modules, web services and resources that cover a set of related functions and the databases where these reusable components can be found.
Hardware components: The essential components that make up a hardware system, such as liquid-crystal displays (LCD), camera sensors, microprocessors, memories, modems, batteries and their interconnections.
Contract law: The field of legal principles that govern written agreements between parties concerning the exchange of goods or services, including contractual obligations and termination.
Crowdsourcing strategy: The high level planning for managing and optimising business processes, ideas or content by gathering contributions from a big community of people, including on-line groups.
Outsourcing strategy: The high level planning for managing and optimising external services of providers to execute business processes.
Engineering processes: The systematic approach to the development and maintenance of engineering systems.
Software components suppliers: The suppliers who can deliver the required software components.
Hardware components suppliers: The suppliers who can deliver the required hardware components.
Insourcing strategy: The high level planning for managing and optimising business processes internally, usually in order to maintain control of critical aspects of work.
Ict process quality models: The quality models for ICT services which address the maturity of the processes, the adoption of recommended practices and their definition and institutionalisation that allow the organisation to reliably and sustainably produce required outcomes. It includes models in a lot of ICT areas.

These skills and competences are sometimes, but not always, required for the role of ICT operations manager. However, mastering these skills and competences allows you to have more opportunities for career development.

Develop information standards: Develop norms or requirements that establish uniform technical criteria, methods, processes and practices in the information management based on professional experience.
Comply with legal regulations: Ensure you are properly informed of the legal regulations that govern a specific activity and adhere to its rules, policies and laws.
Provide cost benefit analysis reports: Prepare, compile and communicate reports with broken down cost analysis on the proposal and budget plans of the company. Analyse the financial or social costs and benefits of a project or investment in advance over a given period of time.
Recruit employees: Hire new employees by scoping the job role, advertising, performing interviews and selecting staff in line with company policy and legislation.
Implement ict risk management: Develop and implement procedures for identifying, assessing, treating and mitigating ICT risks, such as hacks or data leaks, according to the company’s risk strategy, procedures and policies. Analyse and manage security risks and incidents. Recommend measures to improve digital security strategy.
Manage contracts: Negotiate the terms, conditions, costs and other specifications of a contract while making sure they comply with legal requirements and are legally enforceable. Oversee the execution of the contract, agree on and document any changes.
Apply procurement: Undertake ordering of services, equipment, goods or ingredients, compare costs and check the quality to ensure optimal payoff for the organisation.
Coordinate technological activities: Give instructions to colleagues and other cooperating parties in order to reach the desired outcome of a technological project or achieve set goals within an organisation dealing with technology.
Apply organisational techniques: Employ a set of organisational techniques and procedures which facilitate the achievement of the goals set. Use these resources efficiently and sustainably, and show flexibility when required.

1330 – Information and communications technology service managers

 

 

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References

1. ICT operations manager – ESCO