1. Engagement Manager/Project Director/Program Manager (EM)
For overfifteen years, Ihave beendoingsome variationof the same job – managing/directingthe
deliveryof multiple,large,andcomplex ITprojects. For the past 5 years,I’ve beenresponsibleforall
salessupportand delivery activitieswithinone of the company’sstrategicaccounts –First Data
Corporation. Atone point, we had almost200 consultantsengagedacrossmore than60 projects.
Similartomostroles,some activitiesandprocesses are repetitive. Butasan EngagementManager
supportingmultiple clientsanddifferentgroupswithinthe same client,the projects,usersandother
stakeholders, technicalteams,resource andprojectmanagementmethods,andgeneral rulesof
engagementtypically vary. Theycanvary widelyandcontinuously. As does, the approachandongoing
managementrequiredtokeepeveryone ontrack,engaged,committed,andcompletelyinformed. If I
were toselecta single wordtodescribe anEM’s responsibilities,itwouldbe ownership. However,the
keyto doingthisjobwell istoaccept ownershipbutcollaborate andcommunicatecontinuously. I
believeIdothisjobverywell.
Roleslike EngagementManagerare seldomtaught – theyare instead, learned,mostoftenthrough
some pathof progression suchas ProjectLead toSeniorProjectManagerto Program Manager. Project
Lead or Jr ProjectManageris oftenwhere we notice aninitial departure frommore technical roles. This
isalso aboutthe time insomeone’scareerwhere we observe apreference for movingintomanagement
or remainingtechnical. Forthose whochose to remaintechnical but wantto continue togrow and
expandtheirknowledge,it’sthe pointwhere certainarchitectsbeginto develop,suchasa Systems
Architect.
I receivedmyinitialITtraininginthe USAF,and beganas a systemsoperator. WhenI separated,after
nine yearsof service, Iwasworkingforthe officerincharge of a Headquarters-level organization,
creatingcustommachine language systemsapplicationsandprocedures.
I spentthe next12 or so yearsworkingasa seniororleadtechnicianinmanufacturing,banking,and
brokerage. Six yearsof that time Iworked as an independentconsultantforGoldmanSachs where I
managedthe applicationsre-platforming acrosstwomajor mainframe hardware migrations,andwas
eventuallymade the managerof the firm’s Mortgage-backedSecurities TradingSupportGroup.
In 2003 I movedintoa ProjectDirectorrole – essentially across-clientProgramManager,andhave
workedinthat role eversince.