What does a Chief Technical Officer do?

A chief technical officer is an individual who manages the technological aspects of a business. There are several integral duties of a chief technical officer job, including conducting research into the best technologies that will increase a company's revenue; overseeing the company's technical integrity; and identifying, selecting, and implementing new equipment. A chief technical officer is a high level employee within a company, and his or her duties are largely executive and supervisory in nature.

Nearly all companies must utilize technology to conduct business. It is this facet of the business that is managed by the chief technical officer. He or she stays abreast of the latest trends in technology and studies the best ways to use this technology to increase revenue for the business. For example, this might include purchasing new computers or software that are able to process information at a faster rate, resulting in higher productivity levels and more product on the market. To succeed in the business world, a company usually needs to possess the latest technology, and it is a principal component of the chief technical officer's job description to ensure that the business is up to date on recent innovations.

Chief technical officer jobs involve a large amount of management, both of the people and of the systems currently employed with a company. Since this position is at the executive level, the person in it must supervise all employees working in the technical department or departments. The chief technical officer also guarantees that all technological systems are running smoothly and creating the best possible results for the increased profit of the business.

This executive plays a vital role in the conducting of research and in the development of new means of technical production. He or she works closely with other executive level employees to identify strengths and weaknesses in the current system in order to put a better technical plan in place. Other duties might also require the individual to take part in product development in order to implement the most cost-effective, revenue-generating ways of creating a new product.

Those working in chief technical officer careers have typically had abundant experience in both executive level administration and information technology (IT). The position marries both of these aspects to create a powerful presence within a company, and an appropriate level of experience and education is mandatory. A chief technical officer will commonly possess a master's degree and a wealth of experience in administration and IT.