Job Description of a Manager for Technical Support

Computer support specialists provide technical assistance and support to customers and internal users. The technical support manager is responsible for directing and coordinating day-to-day technical support operations.

Duties and Responsibilities

1. According to Julie Kling Burns, author of "Opportunities in Computer Careers," the manager of the technical support group supervises, schedules work and assists in troubleshooting. The technical support manager also takes part in planning, evaluation and issues resolution.

Education/Experience

2. Technical support managers will typically have a bachelor of science degree in computer science or a related field. It is not unusual for a technical support manager to come up through the ranks; these individuals generally possess an associate or trade school degree.

Keeping Current

3. Technical support managers must stay current to provide the highest degree of service to their staff and business partners. Burns recommends they read technology-based periodicals, join a professional organization, attend seminars, go to sales presentations and surf the Internet.

Working Conditions

4. Technical support requires excellent people skills and a great deal of patience. Technical support managers require tenacity to ensure that the technical support staff effectively resolves issues quickly with minimal impact to business operations.

2008 Employment/Earnings

5. The Bureau of Labor Statistics classifies technical support managers as computer and information systems managers, and as of May 2008 there were 276,820 people employed in this classification. The average annual wage was reported as $118,710.