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 'My Digital Job' in the Spotlight: Technical Programme Manager

19/09/2016


'My Digital Job' in the Spotlight: Technical Programme Manager

Alexander is a Technical Programme Director at the Swiss –French start-up Digital Partners. Strong project management skills as well as business and technical understanding are needed for the development of major software projects. These eLeadership skills are increasingly in demand and smart technology is now critical for businesses across all sectors and devices. Here Alexander explains more about the eLeadership role he plays at his company.

“My role is really to act as a bridge between the business needs of our clients and the technical capacity of our products.  For example, our primary product, Horizon, is a software platform that enables a deep understanding of social media commentary.  Using semantic technology, the software is able to ‘understand’ the nature of social media conversations and opinions on a given topic and provide insight on user perspectives.”

This type of product, he explains, requires both business know-how and technical knowledge.  “During a typical day, I will touch base with our technical team to see how they are managing client projects – I might help them iron out a few issues or we might go over the customer’s expectations and how we can deliver them.  But I can also be meeting investors or a potential client to talk about how the software works and how it can be of value to them”.

This day-to-day work suits Alexander’s academic background in biology, applied mathematics and neuroscience.  After obtaining his PhD in the United States, Alexander became interested in semantic technology.  Although he didn’t do any specific technical training in this area, he has developed a good understanding of how it works.  He worked for several companies involved in building semantic technology before joining Digital Partners.

“Through contacts, I learned about the project.  It was incubated at École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) in Switzerland and was then spun off into a start-up company”.

Alexander advises others to find an area of ICT which interests you. “When you find out what you like, look for opportunities that allow you to do it.  Stay focused on this priority and learn as much as you can about it.”

Then he says, along the way, you will also learn a lot about teamwork and business management.  It is this combination of skills which has helped him to develop his valuable eLeadership skills. 

If you are you interested in working in the digital economy and want to know more about the types of roles that are available you can discover more in the Digital job profiles page.

© Σύνδεσμος Επιχειρήσεων Πληροφορικής & Επικοινωνιών Ελλάδας - ΣΕΠΕ, 2016

Executive Agency for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (EASME), 2015. Reproduction is authorised provided the source is acknowledged. The information and views set out on this website do not necessarily reflect the official opinion of EASME, the European Commission or other European Institutions and they may not be held responsible for the use made of the information contained, neither any person acting on their behalf.