Most commonly reported Work Activities

•   Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others Getting members of a group to work together to accomplish tasks.
•   Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
•   Getting Information Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
•   Organising, Planning, and Prioritising Work Developing specific goals and plans to prioritise, organise, and accomplish your work.
•   Interacting With Computers Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
•   Scheduling Work and Activities Scheduling events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others.
•   Developing and Building Teams Encouraging and building mutual trust, respect, and cooperation among team members.
•   Monitoring and Controlling Resources Monitoring and controlling resources and overseeing the spending of money.
•   Making Decisions and Solving Problems Analysing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
•   Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.

Working Life

The role of a website manager depends on the type and sise of the organisation they work for. They may supervise other staff, work in a team, or work alone.  
 
Website managers may be involved in the design of a site, perhaps working closely with website designers, or they may take on the role of designer themselves. The manager makes sure that any additions to the site follow the existing style, for example, in terms of design, layout and structure.  
 
Managers who design sites may use a number of different ways to communicate information; this means that they use multimedia. For example, their website may have text, speech, graphics, animation or video pictures. The manager needs to bear in mind the user friendliness of the website and ensure that the graphics do not slow down the loading speed. If the user spends too much time waiting for the site to download, they may not want to visit the site again.  
 
Managers need to achieve a balance between attractive design and delivering clear, easy to understand information. The most successful sites allow people to travel around them easily. Managers may try to make their websites as interactive as possible. This means that there is a two-way flow of information between the user and the website; the computer responds to the user's requests.  
 
Managers may work with communications, public relations and marketing departments. For example, they try to find out about the users of the website. They may put together monthly statistics that show how many people visited the website over that period. This information helps the company to market its services more effectively.  
 
Managers who work on Intranet sites (the use of Internet technologies and email facilities on a closed network, i.e. within a single company) talk to people throughout the company to find out what they want or expect their website to provide.  
 
If there is a problem and the website is down then the website manager will need to troubleshoot and get the website on-line again as soon as possible, this may involve liaising with other computer professionals.

Most commonly reported Work Tasks

• Manage project execution to ensure adherence to budget, schedule, and scope.
• Confer with project personnel to identify and resolve problems.
• Monitor or track project milestones and deliverables.
• Submit project deliverables, ensuring adherence to quality standards.
• Assess current or future customer needs and priorities by communicating directly with customers, conducting surveys, or other methods.
• Initiate, review, or approve modifications to project plans.
• Schedule and facilitate meetings related to information technology projects.
• Direct or coordinate activities of project personnel.
• Develop implementation plans that include analyses such as cost-benefit or return on investment (ROI).
• Identify need for initial or supplemental project resources.

Further Information

• Web Content Manager- from: N.C.S. [UK]
• Web Editor- from: N.C.S. [UK]

This occupation is typically suited for people with the following Career Interests:

 Creative

Creative people are drawn to careers and activities that enable them to take responsibility for the design, layout or sensory impact of something (visual, auditory etc). They may be atrracted to the traditional artistic pursuits such as painting, sculpture, singing, or music. Or they may show more interest in design activities, such as architecture, animation, or craft areas, such as pottery and ceramics.

Creative people use their personal understanding of people and the world they live in to guide their work. Creative people like to work in unstructured workplaces, enjoy taking risks and prefer a minimum of routine.

 Linguistic

The Linguistic's interests are usually focused on ideas and information exchange. They tend to like reading a lot, and enjoy discussion about what has been said. Some will want to write about their own ideas and may follow a path towards journalism, story writing or editing. Others will develop skills in other languages, perhaps finding work as a translator or interpreter. Most Linguistic types will enjoy the opportunity to teach or instruct people in a topic they are interested in.

 Administrative

Administrative people are interested in work that offers security and a sense of being part of a larger process. They may be at their most productive under supervisors who give clear guidelines and while performing routine tasks in a methodical and reliable way.

They tend to enjoy clerical and most forms of office work, where they perform essential administrative duties. They often form the backbone of large and small organisations alike. They may enjoy being in charge of office filing systems, and using computers and other office equipment to keep things running smoothly. They usually like routine work hours and prefer comfortable indoor workplaces.

There various routes into this career. Some entrants have experience in website or multimedia design, while others come from a programming or technical support background. Training in computing languages such as HTML is an advantage for entry.  
 
For some employers, evidence of creative and website management abilities are more important than academic qualifications. This could a portfolio or websites that you have contributed to, including setting up a personal website.  
 
However, many entrants are graduates, or holders of diplomas, and there are a variety of relevant courses in areas such as graphic design, multimedia and computer studies; some courses include an internet option.  

You may be able to enter this career with a degree in a non-IT subject; some employers give IT training to people with a background in more traditional design subjects. Art and design are among the most useful non-IT subjects for entry.

Sample Education and Training Pathways
A number of courses are available throughout the country that focus on learning and skills that may be useful for this career. The examples and links below may guide you in your research. 

Further Education (FET)
Further Education & Training (FET) Courses are delivered by local ETBs, ranging in duration from several weeks up to 20 months. Courses are designed to meet the labour market needs and often include a large element of work experience.

Example search terms include: digital media production, project manager, SCRUM master skills.

Search for FET Courses

PLC Courses (FET)
PLC courses are full-time courses, one or two years duration, with awards at Level 5 and 6 on the NFQ. They are offered nationally in Schools and Colleges of Further Education.

Example search terms include: digital marketing, art and design, web design, fastrack into IT.

Search for PLC Courses

Apprenticeships: 
Apprenticeships are structured work-based training programs that combine on-the-job training with classroom instruction. They run from 2 – 4 years and are open to individuals of all ages, including school leavers, those seeking a career change, and existing employees who wish to upskill.

Examples: ICT Software Dev, Cybersecurity, ICT Network Engineer.

Search for Apprenticeships

Higher Education CAO (Undergraduate) 
Higher Education courses at Levels 6 to 8 on the NFQ, delivered in Universities and Technological Universities & Institutes. Courses run from 2 – 5 years and places are allocated on a points-based system, processed by the Central Application Office.

Example search terms include: web development, multimedia, mobile and web tech, computer science.

Search for CAO Courses

Higher Education (Postgraduate)
Postgraduate courses are courses at Levels 9 and 10 on the NFQ and usually last 1 – 2 years full time, or longer if a PhD or part time. Entrants typically require an undergraduate award (Level 8).

Example search terms include: web design technologies, innovation.

Search for Postgraduate Courses

Springboard courses: ICT web design and innovation NFQ Level 7-9 search Springboard courses 

Salary Range (thousands per year)* €45k - €105k

Salaries vary based on employer, location, experience, duties, and role.

Data Source(s):
Sigmar / Brightwater / CPL / Morgan McKinley/ Collins McNicholas/ Archer/ Abrivia/ Azon/ Clark

Last Updated: July, 2024

Note: The following information relates to occupations that include: Information technology and telecommunications directors; IT specialist managers; IT project and programme managers.

This information has been derived from the Solas National Skills Bulletin (2023).

The annual average employment growth rate for this occupation over the five-year period was strong, with employment levels growing annually since 2018. Those employed were primarily male (70%), working full-time (97%) and the share of non-Irish citizens at 19% was in line with the national average.

The number of employment permits issued grew from 359 in 2021 to 974 in 2022; although the majority were for the ICT sector, they also spanned a range of other sectors, with roles including IT project/program manager and technical lead. Vacancies for IT project managers were identified in the Recruitment Agency Survey and by employers (Spotlight on Skills and Skills for Growth) as being difficult to fill. While demand may be slowing, shortages persist for this occupation.

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