Entry-level IT workers and experienced IT pros with programming skills are slated to be in high demand in 2012, but at the top of the IT ladder the job market doesn't look much better than last year's. However, there are a handful of executive IT positions that are likely to stand out, reports Meridith Levinson at CIO magazine. 

Technology trends will likely be a driving force when it comes to hiring CIOs, vice presidents, managers and directors in IT this year. It is not uncommon for IT departments to have become somewhat overwhelmed by big data, mobility, virtualization and cloud computing, Levinson reports. Companies are finding it necessary to add directors and managers to handle these trends, and others are establishing new management positions for them, according to Martha Heller, president of Heller Search Associates.

If you're looking for a new IT management job this year, one place to look is at Internet companies funded by venture capital, or private-equity firms and the companies they own, some recruiters say. "Compared to enterprise technology and enterprise software companies, the opportunities at Internet-related companies continue to be bountiful," said Keith Giarman, global leader of DHR International's venture capital and private-equity practice. "There's tons of capital chasing those opportunities."

The hottest IT leadership position this year will be heading up infrastructure, Levinson reports. In some cases, this may be a VP role and in others a manager or director role, but there are likely to be a lot of these jobs open as baby boomers retire. Because so many trends--including mobility and consumerization of IT--involve hardware, those with experience in infrastructure management will have opportunities.

The second hottest area for IT executives is in directing and managing outsource providers and vendors because companies need people to handle these relationships. By the same token, there may be significantly more executive-level IT positions at software-as-a-service vendors and BPO firms, said Marc Lewis, CEO of Leadership Capital Group. "Demand for CIOs, CTOs, VPs and directors of IT at SaaS companies or business process outsourcing companies will be robust," he said.

Unified communications presents a third area of opportunity for IT leaders this year. Knowing how to make the exploding number of devices and programs all work together is a talent most companies are eager to have on board. In a similar fashion, managers who can head up mobility and leverage the technology while addressing its challenges will be relatively marketable.

Knowing how to take control of big data, implement data integration and a strategy for managing it is a fourth area of expertise expected to be in demand.

Business relationship managers will also be sought. "Because of cloud and consumerization, in some companies the business can work directly with the service provider and get an app for their business without even talking to the CIO," Heller said. "CIOs need business relationship managers to maintain some degree of control and understanding of everything that's happening across the business."

For more:
- see Meridith Levinson's article at CIO

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