What does a technology strategist do?
A technology strategist spearheads the development of a company's technological structures, ensuring efficiency and smooth workflow. Their responsibilities typically revolve around conducting research and analysis to identify the strengths and weaknesses of a company's information technology systems, designing and implementing strategies to optimize operations, coordinating with different departments to identify their needs, and assessing existing structures to recommend enhancement for optimal quality. Furthermore, a technology strategist may provide technical support and mentor staff, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations when it comes to information technology.
Technology strategist responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real technology strategist resumes:
- Lead software vendor evaluations, RFP process, selections and negotiations.
- Switch data network from frame relay to manage internet with VPN.
- Manage a team of programmers in administering human resources and payroll processes for 6000 employees.
- Lead a series of enterprise OS upgrades and applications enhancements to replace lease terminal device services.
- Maintain all departmental training documents and manage escalated tickets queues to ensure timely resolutions while exceeding SLA's.
- Manage service and maintenance subcontractors for diesel generators, fire alarms, building automation, security and HVAC systems.
- Introduce cost savings through server virtualization to the SBHC infrastructure.
- Translate system level trends (mobile, IoT, wearable, etc) into architecture and memory requirements.
- Work directly with Microsoft's enterprise segment customers to develop enterprise architecture plans.
- Team responsible for all Microsoft back-office infrastructures (DCs, DNS, DHCP, FTP, etc . )
- Maintain VPN to all locations.
- Utilize SQL and various reporting tools.
- Integrate APIs with several third party clients.
- Develop the company website, databases, UX & UI
- Design, install and maintain in-house wireless private and public LAN networks.
Technology strategist skills and personality traits
We calculated that 25% of Technology Strategists are proficient in Digital Transformation, Azure, and Architecture. They’re also known for soft skills such as Analytical skills, Business skills, and Communication skills.
We break down the percentage of Technology Strategists that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Digital Transformation, 25%
Participated in Dreamforce 2014 as session speaker for Engage Your Decentralized Workforce Through Digital Transformation (with Stantive Technologies).
- Azure, 11%
Acted as the technical resources to talk with Partners about converting services to Azure
- Architecture, 10%
Conducted business and technology current state workshops to collaboratively define and scorecard the current state Business Architecture against industry best practices.
- Healthcare, 6%
Defined a healthcare specific future desktop delivery solution that aligned with Dell's overall Flexible Computing strategy and customer needs.
- Project Management, 5%
Provide project management to Emerging Market customers.
- Business Value, 4%
Conducted a future-state prioritization workshop to sort roadmap opportunities by business value and technological risk and complexity.
Common skills that a technology strategist uses to do their job include "digital transformation," "azure," and "architecture." You can find details on the most important technology strategist responsibilities below.
Analytical skills. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for a technology strategist to have is analytical skills. Their role and responsibilities require that "it managers must analyze problems and consider and select the best ways to solve them." Technology strategists often use analytical skills in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "provided significant training and coaching for client's crm and analysis teams. "
Business skills. Another soft skill that's essential for fulfilling technology strategist duties is business skills. The role rewards competence in this skill because "it managers must develop and implement strategic plans to reach the goals of their organizations." According to a technology strategist resume, here's how technology strategists can utilize business skills in their job responsibilities: "mapped the 2002 i/t tactical plan to business strategies and assisted the cio with prioritization of i/t work for 2002. "
Communication skills. Another skill that relates to the job responsibilities of technology strategists is communication skills. This skill is critical to many everyday technology strategist duties, as "it managers must explain their work to top executives and give clear instructions to their subordinates." This example from a resume shows how this skill is used: "fostered two-way communication to remain alert to emerging technologies and understand client infrastructure, strategy, and perspective. "
Leadership skills. technology strategist responsibilities often require "leadership skills." The duties that rely on this skill are shown by the fact that "it managers must lead and motivate it teams or departments so that workers are efficient and effective." This resume example shows what technology strategists do with leadership skills on a typical day: "maintain productive working relationships with executive leadership, key partner departments, and hr. "
Organizational skills. A commonly-found skill in technology strategist job descriptions, "organizational skills" is essential to what technology strategists do. Technology strategist responsibilities rely on this skill because "some it managers must coordinate the work of several different it departments to make the organization run efficiently." You can also see how technology strategist duties rely on organizational skills in this resume example: "find viable technology solutions to problems presented from other organizational pillars. "
The three companies that hire the most technology strategists are:
- Microsoft55 technology strategists jobs
- Change Healthcare49 technology strategists jobs
- Humana46 technology strategists jobs
Compare different technology strategists
Technology strategist vs. Engagement manager
The role of engagement managers is to build and maintain strong relations with clients. They are responsible for managing a portfolio of client accounts and assisting clients with existing projects. Other duties include assisting clients in resolving their problems, managing bills and invoices for assigned customers, and addressing customer issues efficiently and timely. Additionally, engagement managers are responsible for ensuring that company policies are being complied and ethical standards are being followed. They are also expected to manage and meet client expectations.
There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, technology strategist responsibilities require skills like "architecture," "business value," "technology solutions," and "technical sales." Meanwhile a typical engagement manager has skills in areas such as "analytics," "customer service," "portfolio," and "cloud." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.
Engagement managers tend to make the most money working in the professional industry, where they earn an average salary of $141,730. In contrast, technology strategists make the biggest average salary, $144,588, in the insurance industry.The education levels that engagement managers earn slightly differ from technology strategists. In particular, engagement managers are 3.2% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than a technology strategist. Additionally, they're 0.3% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Technology strategist vs. Solutions manager
A solutions manager oversees the planning and execution of a business project or program. Their responsibilities revolve around liaising with clients to discuss their needs and preferences, coordinating with various departments to gather and analyze data, identifying weak areas, and recommending solutions through new processes and policies for optimal service and performance. They may also delegate tasks, assess the workforce, and produce progress reports and presentations. Furthermore, as a manager, it is essential to lead and encourage the team to reach goals, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations.
Each career also uses different skills, according to real technology strategist resumes. While technology strategist responsibilities can utilize skills like "digital transformation," "business value," "technology solutions," and "technical sales," solutions managers use skills like "cloud," "customer service," "infrastructure," and "erp."
Solutions managers may earn a lower salary than technology strategists, but solutions managers earn the most pay in the retail industry with an average salary of $123,115. On the other hand, technology strategists receive higher pay in the insurance industry, where they earn an average salary of $144,588.Average education levels between the two professions vary. Solutions managers tend to reach lower levels of education than technology strategists. In fact, they're 9.2% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.3% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Technology strategist vs. Chief information officer
A chief information officer, also known as CIO, is responsible for the technological development within the company or organization. Primarily overseeing all information technology-related operations, a chief information officer takes the lead in setting the department's budget, developing strategies that will improve computer systems, and implementing policies to attain significant growth in profit and client base. Furthermore, a chief information officer is in charge of managing the workforce behind computer systems, ensuring their efficiency in accomplishing tasks and projects.
There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, a technology strategist is likely to be skilled in "azure," "business value," "technology solutions," and "technical sales," while a typical chief information officer is skilled in "portfolio," "customer service," "cloud," and "disaster recovery."
Chief information officers make a very good living in the agriculture industry with an average annual salary of $154,502. On the other hand, technology strategists are paid the highest salary in the insurance industry, with average annual pay of $144,588.When it comes to education, chief information officers tend to earn similar degree levels compared to technology strategists. In fact, they're 5.0% less likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.5% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Technology strategist vs. Director of information management
A director of information management is an information technology expert in charge of spearheading the efforts to manage and develop information systems. Their responsibilities revolve around setting goals and objectives, handling budgets, identifying the company's needs, and performing research and analysis to determine the best practices to optimize business operations. They must also keep up with the latest trends in technology and data security for continuous innovations. Furthermore, as a director of information management, it is essential to lead and encourage the workforce to reach goals, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations.
Even though a few skill sets overlap between technology strategists and directors of information management, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, a technology strategist might have more use for skills like "digital transformation," "azure," "healthcare," and "business value." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of directors of information management require skills like "oversight," "patients," "portfolio," and "infrastructure. "
In general, directors of information management earn the most working in the health care industry, with an average salary of $137,507. The highest-paying industry for a technology strategist is the insurance industry.The average resume of directors of information management showed that they earn lower levels of education compared to technology strategists. So much so that theyacirc;euro;trade;re 8.5% less likely to earn a Master's Degree and less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree by 0.5%.Types of technology strategist
Updated January 8, 2025
