Technical Consultant Job Description
Technical consultants come up with solutions to technical problems and spend much of their workday in front of computers. While some work in-house for individual companies, many tech consultants are self-employed, and clients seek their services on an as-needed basis. Oftentimes, technical consultants are part of a larger design team and work closely with other professionals. Technical consultants tend to work full-time but may need to put in extra hours to finish a project. Traveling to a client’s location is common.
Any industry that uses technology could benefit from the services of a technical consultant. The demand for technical consultants, as categorized by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under “Software Developers, Applications,” is expected to increase by 19 percent through 2024, with more than 23,800 job openings each year.
Technical Consultant Duties and Responsibilities
Providing customers with technology that can help them operate more efficiently is at the heart of a tech consultant’s position. Our analysis of job postings revealed the following as some of the core responsibilities taken on by technical consultants:
Assess Technical Operations
Technical consultants must have a solid grasp of the problem that needs to be solved in order to choose the appropriate software and hardware. By talking with clients, they learn about expectations and desired results. Technical consultants may even spend a few days observing a workplace to get a better idea of the operations and of where improvements can be made.
Design and Test Technology
Using their array of knowledge and coding ability, technical consultants develop what the customer wants. They may have to make modifications to get hardware and software to work together. At each step along the way, technical consultants conduct tests to verify that their plans are working correctly. They also keep an eye out for bugs and security challenges.