What does an information technology project lead do?

Information technology (IT) project leads are professionals who manage a team of IT professionals that work on the IT projects of an organization. These project leads are required to handle all issues regarding the project and financial management as well as review business and product requirements with the technical development team to address production issues. They must collaborate with the technical and application team leaders so that they can ensure the appropriate development of infrastructure architecture. IT project leads must also participate in negotiations with the software suppliers and IT consulting firms.
Information technology project lead responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real information technology project lead resumes:
- Manage business users and analysts through JAD sessions to develop BRD, use case scenarios, and work flow Visio diagrams.
- Manage deployment of SaaS financial aid management solution to clients in higher education, including for-profit and non-profit institutions.
- Facilitate working sessions, reviews, and scrum meetings with QA and project teams.
- Involve in the complete SDLC of the project beginning with analyzing the requirements.
- Maintain a UNIX, Solaris and SuSe network, as well as a BSD server farm.
- Work on all phases of SDLC, from gathering requirements to testing, implementation, and support.
- Coordinate with QA team to develop test strategy and document test plans, test cases and reports.
- Conduct requirement-training workshops for development and QA team.
- Coordinate the documentation of asset management/inventory process via SharePoint.
- Develop application work flows and interface documentation using Visio.
- Develop product configuration and pricing application integrate with ERP system.
- Administer front-end SharePoint to allow departmental groups collaborate effectively on project execution.
- Work with windows and UNIX server teams in identifying vulnerabilities and provide vulnerability remediation.
- Standardize Linux batch script deployments so that global implementations would incorporate the same code with minimal modifications.
- Govern validation of user access within Linux virtual and live environments while enforcing implementation of strategically assign roles.
Information technology project lead skills and personality traits
We calculated that 22% of Information Technology Project Leads are proficient in Project Management, Software Development, and Status Reports. They’re also known for soft skills such as Creativity, Analytical skills, and Communication skills.
We break down the percentage of Information Technology Project Leads that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Project Management, 22%
Developed and distributed the definition of key project management terms which included resource effort requirements, naming conventions and milestone definitions.
- Software Development, 5%
Developed and demonstrated prototype software, and participate in both operational analysis and software development.
- Status Reports, 4%
Scheduled weekly meetings to review status reports, system design and system process flows with the project team.
- Scrum, 4%
Introduced Agile Methodology to the PMO, acting as Scrum Master on the Contract Management System project.
- Project Scope, 4%
Provided business and system analysis to guide project scope, business requirements and development.
- SDLC, 3%
Cost Management System: supervised 7 contract programmers, using all parts of SDLC, performed enhancements & daily system support.
Most information technology project leads use their skills in "project management," "software development," and "status reports" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential information technology project lead responsibilities here:
Creativity. The most essential soft skill for an information technology project lead to carry out their responsibilities is creativity. This skill is important for the role because "because analysts are tasked with finding innovative solutions to computer problems, an ability to “think outside the box” is important." Additionally, an information technology project lead resume shows how their duties depend on creativity: "coordinated the documentation of asset management/inventory process via sharepoint. "
Analytical skills. Another essential skill to perform information technology project lead duties is analytical skills. Information technology project leads responsibilities require that "analysts must interpret complex information from various sources and decide the best way to move forward on a project." Information technology project leads also use analytical skills in their role according to a real resume snippet: "use microsoft sharepoint to store project data and manage milestones. "
Communication skills. information technology project leads are also known for communication skills, which are critical to their duties. You can see how this skill relates to information technology project lead responsibilities, because "analysts work as a go-between with management and the it department and must explain complex issues in a way that both will understand." An information technology project lead resume example shows how communication skills is used in the workplace: "maintained client relationship and satisfaction through weekly project status reports, weekly client meetings, and timely communication. "
The three companies that hire the most information technology project leads are:
- Siemens51 information technology project leads jobs
- Citi13 information technology project leads jobs
- University of Pennsylvania9 information technology project leads jobs
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Information technology project lead vs. Project manager/team lead
Project Managers are responsible for managing and overseeing the operations of a project from inception to completion. Their duties include defining project scope, developing a project plan, creating work breakdown structures to distribute resources, and communicating responsibilities to all project team members and vendors. They organizie work schedules, set milestones, track project progress, resolve technical issues, articulate roadblocks to project sponsors, propose risk mitigation strategies, and maintain project documentation. Project Managers also handle file submission for project closure, conduct post-project evaluations, supervise project communications, act as chairman in project status meetings, develop project governance structures and liaise with system security managers to coordinate system security activities.
These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of an information technology project lead are more likely to require skills like "software development," "relational database management," "network infrastructure," and "data analysis." On the other hand, a job as a project manager/team lead requires skills like "infrastructure," "process improvement," "risk management," and "project budget." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.
Project managers/team lead tend to reach similar levels of education than information technology project leads. In fact, project managers/team lead are 1.2% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.6% more likely to have a Doctoral Degree.Information technology project lead vs. Project management lead
A project management lead is in charge of overseeing all processes involved in the planning and delivery of projects in an organization. Their responsibilities typically revolve around coordinating departments and personnel involved in every project to ensure accuracy and timeliness, managing budget and expenditures, producing progress reports and presentations, assessing risks, and delivering optimal quality results. Furthermore, as a management lead, it is crucial to lead and encourage team members, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations.
While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that information technology project lead responsibilities requires skills like "software development," "status reports," "scrum," and "application development." But a project management lead might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "customer service," "portfolio," "risk management," and "plumbing."
Project management leads may earn a lower salary than information technology project leads, but project management leads earn the most pay in the energy industry with an average salary of $108,150. On the other hand, information technology project leads receive higher pay in the finance industry, where they earn an average salary of $108,009.In general, project management leads achieve similar levels of education than information technology project leads. They're 0.9% more likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 0.6% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Information technology project lead vs. Project team lead
A project team lead sets up the expectations for the team members. Project team leads are in charge of setting the direction for the team members. They see to it that the members will not stray from the team's goals. They lead and engage in project works. It is their job to maintain the dynamics of the team. It is their aim not to fail in their management and leadership skills. They need to have conflict and resolution skills, communication skills, attention to detail, and patience.
There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, an information technology project lead is likely to be skilled in "software development," "scrum," "business process," and "application development," while a typical project team lead is skilled in "r," "logistics," "database," and "hvac."
Project team leads earn the best pay in the finance industry, where they command an average salary of $115,815. Information technology project leads earn the highest pay from the finance industry, with an average salary of $108,009.project team leads typically earn similar educational levels compared to information technology project leads. Specifically, they're 2.9% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 1.0% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Information technology project lead vs. Project leader
A project leader is responsible for supervising the team and managing the distribution of tasks to ensure the project's success with the highest efficiency and accuracy. Duties of a project leader include motivating the team, managing the team's needs and concerns, providing effective strategies to improve the team's performance, creating reports, monitoring the team's progress, and maintaining the coordination between team members. A project leader should have exceptional leadership skills to handle the team's operation and identify areas of improvement to deliver excellent results.
Types of information technology project lead
Updated January 8, 2025











