Tech Jobs Glossary

An Agile coach is someone responsible for adopting, creating, and improving Agile methodology processes within an organization. As a project management method in software development, Agile focuses on small but continuous releases geared toward the overall goal of delivering products and updates to clients. 

The method demands a cultural change in an organization, which can be challenging. For example, Agile requires developers to work closely with other teams, which may differ from traditional project management methods. This is where Agile coaches come in. They help employees and teams adjust to the Agile methodology, practices, values, and principles.

An Android developer is a software developer that specializes in creating applications for Android-based devices. Android, of course, is a mobile operating system (OS) developed by Google. It is based on a modified version of the Linux OS and other open-source software. Android was designed for use on touchscreen mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets. It is the direct competitor of Apple’s iOS, Windows Phone OS, and BlackBerry OS, among others.

Google says that Android apps can be written in Kotlin, Java, and C++ using the Android software development kit (SDK), but other languages should work as well. Android device users can choose from as many as 2.6 million apps today.

If we’re to compare Android with computer OSs, it would be like Windows, the computer OS with the highest share.

An associate product manager is an entry-level position. He or she assists the product manager in developing, marketing, and launching products to ensure profitability. As such, an associate product manager is responsible for helping the product manager strategize to sell the company’s offerings better and forecast profit and loss. He or she directly reports to the product manager or brand manager.

A backend engineer is a software engineer who specializes in developing and maintaining the server-side logic of web applications or software. They focus on behind-the-scenes components that power the functionality and data management of a website, an application, or a service.

You can thus think of a backend engineer as a human traffic light operator. While a backend engineer develops and maintains web applications or software without their users’ knowledge, a traffic light operator manages and controls traffic signals at intersections or road junctions without drivers knowing. Both are crucial to enable things that make our daily lives easy, even if we may never see them at work.

A business intelligence developer is a professional in charge of creating, implementing, and managing business intelligence platforms. These interfaces typically involve using data visualization, interactive dashboards, and data modeling tools. These tools help a business intelligence developer transform data into valuable insights that can, in turn, direct business decisions.

A business systems analyst is one who deals with computer technologies that an organization needs to operate smoothly. He or she is responsible for identifying the necessary technological upgrades that the company needs to improve workplace efficiency and ultimately achieve its business goals.

As such, a business systems analyst must have in-depth knowledge of computer technology. He or she must also analyze the current business landscape to recommend strategies that the company can employ to increase its profit while reducing expenses.

Certified in the Governance of Enterprise IT (CGEIT) certification was designed to validate IT professionals’ skills to manage IT enterprise governance.

CGEIT certification recognizes an IT professional’s knowledge and application of enterprise IT governance principles and practices. Every professional that has this certification, therefore, is capable of bringing IT governance into an organization. They should have a holistic grasp of what is considered a complex subject, allowing them to provide value to their company.

A chief integration officer ensures that all systems, technologies, processes, and people within an enterprise are well-coordinated and working in sync with one another. This corporate executive position can take on the acronym “CIO,” which has always stood for “chief information officer.” Chief integration officer is an evolved version of a chief information officer.

However, instead of being responsible for the IT department alone, the chief integration officer is in charge of more business aspects. The evolution of business systems and processes, such as remote work setups, cloud migration, and the Internet of Things (IoT), brought about the need for chief integration officers.

Chief integration officers act like music conductors who help keep orchestras or choirs in sync. You may also think of them as head chefs in charge of everything kitchen related, such as ensuring there is enough equipment, staff, and raw materials.

A chief security officer (CSO) is a department leader responsible for making sure that his or her organization is safe from all kinds of digital threats. The CSO directs the organization’s infosec team in educating employees about cybersecurity by carrying out strategies to protect the company’s network and intellectual property from threats, including choosing the right security tools.

Think of a CSO as a foreman in a house construction project. The foreman is responsible for leading the entire construction crew to complete the house within a specified time frame and budget while meeting the homeowner’s expectations.

The Chief Technology Officer (CTO) is the executive level role responsible for overseeing how a company uses technology to attain its goals. They create the policies and procedures that determine which technologies to obtain. They also figure out how to best utilize these to help employees work better and how to enhance products and services for customers.

Here's an analogy that might help understand the role of the CTO. A professional sports team usually has a head coach that directs the team's strategy. But the coach may have assistant coaches who specialize in specific areas, such as defensive strategy, or which player to call on in certain situations. The CTO is like an assistant coach, and he is an expert in technology.

Certified Information Security Manager (CISM) certification showcases an IT professional’s expertise in information security governance, program development and management, incident management, and risk management.

CISMs are responsible for monitoring and checking all the components that comprise computer security in a business. They plan for and implement security measures to protect the organization’s data from cyber attacks, unauthorized access, corruption, and theft.

A cloud engineer takes care of any system or application that has to do with the so-called cloud.

The cloud, of course, refers to all servers that any user can access over the Internet, including all the software or applications that run on them.

A cloud engineer is thus someone who takes care of an organization’s cloud computing needs that encompass design, planning, development, management, maintenance, and support.

A computer numerically controlled (CNC) programmer develops machines that cut raw materials into useful outputs. The responsibilities of a CNC programmer include interpreting project blueprints, designing programs, and creating devices to produce the desired product.

CNC machines or those that CNC programmers develop are primarily used in manufacturing. These include conventional devices such as drills, lathes, and milling machines that you can learn more about in the Read More section.

A CNC programmer can be likened to a dishwasher operator. He or she arranges the kitchen utensils to wash and tells the dishwasher how to do so. In the same manner, a CNC programmer tells a manufacturing machine what tools to use and how to cut a raw material to fit the final product.

A computer hardware engineer is responsible for developing and designing electronic products, such as circuit boards, processing units, computer chips, modems, keyboards, printers, memory and storage devices, data switches, and other mechanical and electrical components of systems. He or she can have a career in various industries, such as manufacturing, research and development, and IT.

A computer hardware engineer can either work independently or as part of a team of IT professionals. In some organizations, computer hardware engineers are also in charge of maintaining and providing technical support for users of internal hardware.

Being certified in risk and information systems control (CRISC) means having the ability to identify and manage risks through developing, implementing, and maintaining information systems (IS) controls.

Developing IS controls just means designing measures to keep risks out of your network. Implementing them is the next step, which means rolling out the processes to avoid security events. Maintenance has to do with being consistent with your implementation. It also ensures updating measures when necessary (as threats evolve ideally).

A database administrator is a person who is responsible for keeping a company's databases healthy and secure. This role requires maintaining a suitable database environment by regularly running tests and undertaking maintenance operations.

Database administrators have specialized knowledge and training in database design, configuration, installation, capacity planning, performance monitoring, backup, and data recovery, and security troubleshooting.

An e-discovery analyst is responsible for documenting and storing electronic data for use in legal procedures. The role is crucial in a lawsuit or an investigation. Most of an e-discovery analyst’s tasks include data management for emails, documents, databases, presentations, audio and video files, voicemails, social media posts, and websites.

An e-discovery analyst deals with complex processes because the data he/she deals with can be dynamic and contain additional metadata, including file properties, sender and recipient information, and even time-date stamps. Plus, he/she also has to ensure the original content of the data is preserved.

A Flutter/Dart software development specialist is a software engineer developing in a language called Dart, using a framework called Flutter.  The Dart language, developed by Google, is aimed at programming user interfaces deployed on a variety of platforms such as Android OS, Apple IOS, as well as, web servers. The code it generates runs fast as if it were a “native app.” Flutter is a framework or toolkit, written to run on Dart. It provides higher-level functions, objects, and tools in the Dart programming environment.

Leonardo da Vinci was a gifted artist. At the same time, he possessed a very sharp scientific mind. Very few people at that time could combine both skills. That’s why he is an icon of the Renaissance Age.

Today’s pale equivalent of the Renaissance man would be the full-stack developer. Traditionally, it took two sets of workers to build a website. One would focus on the frontend, the aesthetic elements that determined how the site appears to users. The other would take care of the backend components. These included interactions with the database and other technical processes that happen under the hood.

The full-stack developer can take care of all the technology layers—the stacks—required to build a fully interactive website.

A geographic information system (GIS) analyst is often regarded as a mapmaker who employs technology, such as mapping software, to create digital maps. His or her work involves the application of spatial and geographical information to develop a database, too. Before, GIS analysts mainly helped cartographers and geographers with their work. Today, GIS analysts work for various industries, such as agriculture, astronomy, archeology, law enforcement, disaster management, and engineering.

GIS analysts also often work with computer-aided design (CAD) technicians to develop digital tools, such as mobile maps, that can guide end-users to their desired destinations.

An iOS developer is a software developer who specializes in creating mobile apps powered explicitly by iOS.

iOS, of course, is the mobile operating system (OS) developed by Apple, Inc. to run on its hardware exclusively. It powers all Apple mobile devices, such as the iPhone and iPad Touch. It used to power the iPad before the device shifted to iPadOS in 2019.

An iOS developer is responsible for the design and code of the base app. Part of his or her task is to ensure the app maintains its quality throughout use. As such, he or she may need to fix bugs that may affect the app’s performance via updates.

An IT security analyst is responsible for keeping an organization’s digital assets secure from unauthorized access. As such, the job of an IT security analyst focuses on protecting the company from cyber threats and proactively seeking to detect threats and eventually mitigate them if they make it past the company’s security systems.

Ultimately, an IT security analyst analyzes an organization’s security programs and procedures to make sure they are effective. After the analysis, an IT security analyst makes the necessary recommendations for upper management approval and implementation by security administrators.

A Java developer holds a technical position that deals with building and maintaining software that users should find straightforward. He or she is responsible for designing software, testing its efficiency, and ensuring that each process is congruent with each system’s function.

A Java developer works with software engineers to ensure the efficacy of programs and that each end-user would have the best user experience. Part of the job also means collaborating with different departments to make sure each component works consistently throughout.

A junior web developer is responsible for creating and designing websites. Any entity that needs to improve its website hires a junior web developer to get the job done. Apart from the site’s appearance, a junior web developer also enhances the website’s technical features to make sure that it stays up no matter how many people visit it.

In some cases, junior web developers also create a website’s content. That said, they can construct a site from end to end. But they can also choose to take on specialized tasks such as backend web development only or frontend web development. 

A junior web developer means having less than 2 years of experience and so he or she may not have skills that are 100% at par as a senior web developer. As such, they are likely to take on less complex tasks and may receive mentoring from senior web developers who can develop applications from top to bottom with ease.

A network engineer, also known as a “network architect”, is a professional responsible for working on a company’s computer network. He or she makes it possible for each employee to connect to and access systems on the network. A network engineer works on wide area networks (WANs), local area networks (LANs), intranets, and extranets.

The complexity of a network engineer’s tasks depends on the scale and operations of the company he or she works for. In such cases, several network engineers of a multinational company (MNC) work together under the Chief Technology Officer (CTO).

A pay-per-click (PPC) specialist is an expert in Internet advertising. He or she is responsible for planning and optimizing online advertising campaigns for Google AdWords or Bing Ads.

A PPC specialist can work in-house for an organization or a digital agency that takes care of third-party campaign management for a wide variety of clients. His or her working hours are usually flexible but may entail weekend work and overtime to meet deadlines. Some organizations also allow their PPC specialists to work remotely.

A project control officer helps delegate IT tasks and manage IT projects. He or she typically serves as a mid-level coordinator working under senior staff and senior project managers.

Project control officers or project coordinators typically ensure that IT professionals have clear roles in individual projects. Their duties may also include budgetary and risk management tasks. They work directly with project managers, so some employers ask that they use diplomacy to serve as an effective liaison between different management levels. They may have their own deliverables, handle personal issues, prioritize workloads, work on change orders, or present documentation. Project control officers coordinate various project tasks to ensure they proceed effectively and efficiently.

A project engineer is someone tasked to manage technical working groups. Often, his or her job focuses on doing calculations, preparing bids, writing design specifications, scrutinizing equipment requests, and drawing diagrams and layouts.

A project engineer is responsible for overseeing the success of an entire project, which can be an interconnection of tasks carried out by different people from various departments. His or her role would be to liaise between the project head and everyone else working on a specific project. In some cases, a project engineer also serves as the technical point person for the client.

A Python developer writes server-side web applications using Python. They are responsible for writing backend components to ensure that each application is compatible with third-party services.

Python is becoming increasingly in demand, mainly due to its simplicity and the massive growth of the data science discipline. Many are now using the language for machine learning (ML), artificial intelligence (AI), web development, academic research, and even scientific computing.

A quality assurance (QA) manager ensures that a product meets the required qualifications to become acceptable. He or she is responsible for planning, directing, and devising quality control policies. These policies must uphold the company’s efficiency and profitability by streamlining processes.

A QA manager’s primary goal is to ensure that any software or hardware his or her company produces meets both external and internal requirements before they get sold to customers. To achieve this, a QA manager must carefully inspect and identify flaws and other non-conformance issues and know how to measure the effectiveness of quality assurance teams. 

A Ruby on Rails or RoR developer is tasked to write server-side web application logic using the Ruby on Rails Framework, which allows developers to work on tasks without too much coding. He or she specializes in building databases and providing technical support for organizations from various industries. As such, he or she usually works on backend components but also collaborates with frontend developers.

A search engine evaluator is responsible for analyzing search engine results to ensure that each stays relevant and accurate for users. His or her tasks include evaluating web searches, videos, and other content. He or she does intense research to provide contextual feedback on how useful search results are.

Since a search engine evaluator often does Internet research and assessment, he or she must have a working knowledge of computers and the Internet.

A search engine evaluator provides a human perspective to search engine algorithms to make sure users get high-quality and relevant results.

A search engine optimization (SEO) specialist is responsible for analyzing, reviewing, and implementing relevant changes to websites to ensure that they rank well in search engines. His/Her work entails maximizing website traffic by creating pages that address the needs of their user base.

In simple words, an SEO specialist’s job is to make websites show up on the first page of search engine results. 

A security operations center (SOC) analyst is a cybersecurity staff member who is responsible for monitoring and fighting threats to an organization’s IT infrastructure. He or she is in charge of assessing security systems, identifying and patching vulnerabilities, and improving cyber resilience.

Some organizations choose to build their internal SOCs, but those that lack experts and know-how rely on outsourcers.

Becoming an SOC analyst can be an excellent career choice for those who want to jumpstart their career in cybersecurity. 

A software delivery manager is primarily responsible for coordinating and managing the entire software development process. He or she oversees a project to ensure its success by coordinating teams, resources, and activities.

A software delivery manager would have a direct hand in software development in smaller organizations, but his or her central role is to manage projects and collaborate with other professionals.

A software delivery manager plays a crucial role in identifying the functional requirements for each department to ensure the completion of software development. He or she may also be tasked to monitor and review competitors’ programs as a basis for software upgrades. In short, a software delivery manager provides a team with a clear direction when creating applications.

A software engineer is a licensed professional who designs, develops, and runs coded programs to carry out computing functions. He or she makes computer programs and applications run and work.

Think about how your computer runs using its operating system (OS). Each OS comes with additional software that each user can download to make other features work. Some of these applications include Netflix, Instagram, and TikTok. While these are not necessary for making a computer function, they can enhance a user’s digital experience. Guess who makes them? Software engineers do.

An SQL (pronounced as “ess-cue-el”) developer is someone adept at using a programming language, specifically Structured Query Language (SQL). SQL is used to build and manage computer database applications.

As such, an SQL developer is responsible for creating a database and writing SQL queries using an SQL program. An SQL developer’s primary responsibilities are summed up by the acronym “CRUD,” which stands for “Create, Read, Update, and Delete” in database operations.

SQL developers apply organizational security measures for specific systems that run applications like Oracle SQL, Microsoft SQL Server, SQLite, and MySQL. They are responsible for monitoring the execution of processes to ensure that each follows best practices.

A system administrator sets up a computer network and takes care of regular server maintenance. He or she must ensure that an organization’s IT infrastructure facilitates an optimal work environment, especially when multiple user computers access a local area network (LAN) at the same time, that is, during a typical workday.

Any organization with a connected network needs a reliable system administrator to manage complex computer operations and ensure that all systems work optimally. As such, a system administrator may also need to resolve issues that arise following hardware failures.

A user interface (UI) developer assumes a technology-centered role that aims to combine programming, human psychology, and creative design to create a digital software that provides smooth and relevant user experience (UX). 

He or she is tasked to develop an interface that matches user expectations. For example, a UI developer can make webpage navigation simple, user-friendly, and straightforward. The task is more than using the right fonts and colors. UI developers have to make sure that the design they create is relevant to end-users. A UI developer can also choose to specialize in specific platforms, such as mobile or web.

A user experience (UX) designer plans, designs, and develops web applications using coding and visual design tools. He or she is responsible for ensuring that the website and apps take into account how end-users would communicate with the website or app owners. UX designers help ease the process via the site design, user-friendliness, and smooth linkages between pages or programs.

What does a UX designer do? The job of a UX designer is often confused with that of a user interface (UI) developer. While both positions need to work together, their professional responsibilities have notable differences.

The Vice President (VP) of Product assumes a supporting role to the Chief Technology Officer (CTO), but they are both team leaders. The VP of Product may be responsible for leading a team toward achieving strategic initiatives, mainly creating a product road map. He or she prepares the technical vision for the product of a given company.

VPs of Product serve as a point persons for developers and engineers within organizations. They are highly visible in that they create transformative digital products that have a significant impact on outcomes. Their position is critical to intersecting product strategy and technology.