In addition to the required academic level and years of experience, those seeking the position of Technical Director must have a solid background in physical technology, both in theory and practice. A thorough knowledge of information systems and their legal-technical framework, as well as good knowledge of normative regulations and industrial property law are not to be neglected.

In addition to essential technical qualities, the technical director must have excellent interpersonal skills and a clear commercial sense. He must be particularly at ease with personnel management, budget management and project management missions. 

Last but not least, this position requires a high degree of availability and mobility. Working hours are relatively long and the technical director travels very frequently to attend meetings with partners, professional gatherings and conferences.

The first assignment of a technical director is to oversee all of a company's projects, from pre-sales to support. Thus, he or she is responsible for measuring the return on investment (ROI) of the information systems department (DSI) and a division of the computer engineering services company (SSII), depending on the structure for which he or she works. Then, he defines or redirects a new company strategy in terms of innovation and therefore more innovative projects, depending on the results. The CTO thus plays a key role in the management of projects that require a certain degree of efficiency to achieve rapid ROI, as is the case with Web projects.

In addition, the CTO is frequently called upon by senior management to establish research and development (R&D) programs and provide ideas for new products and processes. Indeed, he or she may be called upon to coordinate the development of products that are always in compliance with quality, safety and environmental regulations.

The main role of a Technical Director is to optimize a company's production process based on an analysis of its resources and processes. He will have to exchange with the different teams to draw up a precise analysis of the material (equipment, modern technologies, etc.), human (available skills, team coordination) and normative (safety, hygiene, legislation) conditions. These observations enable the Technical Director to define all possible areas for improvement and recommendations, whether on the purchase of equipment, the reorganization of teams or the introduction of new working methods. His conclusions are then brought before the management, which can decide to invest or launch research programs.

The position of Technical Director is difficult to access, especially if you are a recent graduate. Indeed, the job requires a fine knowledge of the field. For this, it is necessary to have held a managerial or executive position for several years (between 5 and 10 years) before being able to apply.

In addition, a Technical Director may have followed various long-term training courses. Indeed, he or she will have to master a broad knowledge of physics and applied mathematics, technical sciences, management and law. He may hold a diploma from a general or specialized engineering school in the field of activity of the target company, a Master's degree specialized in the field of activity of the target company or a school of computer science...