More than halfway through 2007, the demand for IT managers of all kinds continues to exceed supply. And this trend figures to persist well into 2008.
Not surprisingly, managers with extensive experience implementing and maintaining vendor-specific applications and operating systems such as Microsoft .NET, and pretty much anything related to SAP, are seeing their salaries rise well above the industry average, employment industry experts say.
And while there are plenty of jobs out there for experienced techies, CIOs today are most enamored of IT managers who also appreciate and understand the bottom-line dynamics that drive any and all IT decisions.
"Unlike two or three years ago, the market is much more employee-driven," says Jon Estes, vice president at Robert Half Technology, an IT staffing and recruiting firm. "But employers are asking for technologists who have good business ideas and understand how what they're doing affects the bottom line."
In consultation with Robert Half Technology and IT workforce research firm Foote Partners, Baseline has compiled a list of the 8 Hottest IT Management Jobs today and into 2008. Salary figures were primarily provided by Foote Partners, with contributions from Salary.com.
For the purposes of this list, "hot" IT management jobs are defined by how in-demand these positions are today and for 2008 at large and midsize companies. It's important to note that technology management titles vary considerably from company to company and region to region. One organization's administrator might be another's director or vice president.
The compilation is also a reflection of how large enterprise customers are dealing with the emergence of Web-based applications and security issues as well as the age-old problem of effectively gathering, integrating and managing disparate systems across multiple platforms.
Here's the list:
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1. Director, Business Technology
Salary:
$143,934 to $180,280, with a national average of $158,253.
Role:
Plan, direct and coordinate the activities of designated system development projects to ensure the goals and objectives of all IT projects are accomplished on time and under budget. Often is responsible for managing the budget for areas involving computer system development, hardware and software. Establish work plans and staffing for each phase of a given software or hardware project, and arrange for the recruitment or assignment of project personnel.
Killer Management Trait:
A manager's manager position. You're the guy or gal who has to make sure all the trains are running and on time at all times. A great Director of Business Technology understands system development life cycles and documentation standards, and has plenty of experiencing managing disparate units within the IT organization.
2. Vice President/Director, Business Application Development
Salary:
$120,831 to $156,795, with a national average of $136,042.
Role:
Improve business processes and support critical business strategies by managing the development, implementation and maintenance of numerous application systems. Lead multiple projects simultaneously and oversee developers to ensure management-mandated specifications are met.
Killer Management Trait:
Can you juggle? While blindfolded? Expect the unexpected. There's no shortage of ideas—brilliant and undercooked—that will be coming your way. You'd better be creative, organized and confident because you'll be spending a lot of time managing the expectations of upper management.
3. Vice President/Director, SAP Program Management
Salary:
$119,567 to $154,337, with a national average of $134,621.
Role:
Responsible for managing project scope, budget, schedule and resources of large-scale SAP implementations. Expected to work with both IT and business managers to deliver timely solutions that meet the goals and budget established by executive management. Must be able to effectively pass along and communicate process knowledge and support activities to the application management team. Those who have overseen multiple NetWeaver implementations are especially in demand.
Killer Management Trait:
Ability to persuade and sell senior management on IT projects. Better have strong interpersonal skills to navigate a minefield of personnel situations inherent in an environment where staff is under tight deadlines and unrelenting pressure.
4. Web Security Manager
Salary:
$110,483 to $141,777, with a national average of $121,747.
Role:
Design, implement and maintain security measures to support the information and data security needs of the company's Web sites and applications. Research and evaluate new or improved security measures to protect the network from hackers, cyberterrorists, and any number of viruses and worms determined to penetrate the corporate firewall.
Killer Management Trait:
Master the art of paranoia. Get in tight with security vendors and engineers. It wouldn't hurt to be a reformed or recreational hacker yourself.
5. ERP Project Manager
Salary:
$82,149 to $148,622, with a national average of $115,400.
Role:
Develop, plan and implement enterprise resource planning systems. Responsible for setting deadlines, assigning tasks and monitoring progress of implementations from conception to launch. Evaluate and recommend changes to current and future ERP systems to meet organizational needs. While SAP is certainly prominent, PMs also need plenty of experience with Oracle and Microsoft ERP implementations.
Killer Management Trait:
It's a big help to have long-established relationships with the ERP vendor and consultants who will be working on the implementation. Being able to discern the "A" team from the "B" team when it comes to picking implementation team members is key.
6. Manager, IT Security
Salary:
$98,547 to $126,460, with a national average of $108,397.
Role:
Develop and manage all elements of information systems security including disaster recovery, database protection and software development. Manage IT security analysts to ensure that all applications are functional and secure. Work with Web Security Manager to find potential vulnerabilities within the network as well as external threats.
Killer Management Trait:
Attention to detail is at a premium. Must have a wide range of expertise in terms of operating systems, encryption and wireless technologies. The buck stops with you whenever data is compromised.
7. Manager, Web Systems
Salary:
$95,775 to $127,836, with a national average of $108,110.
Role:
Manage all aspects of Web systems including design, release and maintenance of intranet and extranet. Work with customers and vendors to maximize opportunities in the company's Web-based presence.
Killer Management Trait:
Whatever Google's doing, copy it. Seriously, pay close attention to emerging Web-based applications and trends to stay ahead of the competition.
8. Project Manager, Data Warehousing/Business Intelligence
Salary:
$94,768 to $121,321, with a national average of $106,533.
Role:
Plan, direct and coordinate data warehouse and BI projects. Monitor all project activities to ensure the currency, quality and integrity of all information. Work closely with the user community to determine what data needs they have, and then translate those needs into system requirements and design specifications.
Killer Management Trait:
Intuitive skills are at a premium. Users often know they need something but can't always articulate it in process-oriented terms. Have to know applications and technical eccentricities of Business Objects, Informatica and Oracle cold.
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