Enterprise IT projects have increased in scale and complexity, requiring a structured approach to engaging project participants. In response to these demands, organisational structures have shifted from generalist roles to specialised disciplines. Project managers, who previously performed support functions like administration, scheduling, and risk management, now rely on dedicated roles—such as project administrators, schedulers, and risk managers—to carry out these responsibilities.

To support this shift, role descriptions in enterprise IT projects define the accountabilities, responsibilities, and deliverables for each participant. Clear role definitions establish distinct boundaries, enabling participants to apply their expertise in line with project requirements. Project roles are grouped into the following functional categories:

• Business roles: Align project outcomes with strategic objectives.
• Project delivery roles: Manage and execute project activities.
• Service management roles: Support both project delivery and operational continuity. 

This structure clarifies the required knowledge and skills for each participant, enabling project teams to assign responsibilities effectively and build the necessary capability.

Business Roles

Business roles align projects with organisational strategic objectives by providing oversight and subject matter expertise. These roles are divided into directive and consultative categories. Directive roles hold decision-making authority, while consultative roles contribute specialist knowledge and guidance.

Directive roles include:

• Project owner: Directs the project, confirms that deliverables align with the business case, and validates expected benefits and return on investment.
• Senior user: Represents the user community, confirms that outcomes meet user needs, and supports transition to operational use. 

Consultative roles include:

• Business sponsor: Allocates resources, resolves high-level issues, and supports alignment with business priorities.
• Legal counsel: Advises on compliance with laws, regulations, and internal standards.
• Compliance manager: Interprets and monitors regulatory requirements to maintain legal and policy compliance.
• User representatives: Act as subject matter experts, identify business issues, and recommend changes to improve outcomes.
• Marketing and communications specialist: Manages communication and brand alignment for projects that affect external or internal public image. 

Participants in business roles contribute a strategic perspective and domain-specific knowledge. They do not necessarily require formal qualifications in project management or technical disciplines to fulfil these responsibilities.

Project Delivery Roles

Project delivery roles manage and execute project activities to meet scope, budget, time, and quality expectations. These roles are grouped into management, facilitation, and execution categories. Management roles provide direction, facilitation roles coordinate delivery processes, and execution roles carry out project tasks to deliver solutions that support business outcomes.

Management roles include:

• Project manager: Oversees project execution, manages timelines, resources, and budget.
• Project assurance manager: Ensures adherence to quality standards throughout the project.
• Technical lead: Provides technical direction, resolves issues, and ensures scalable solutions. 

Facilitation roles include:

• Scrum master: Facilitates Scrum processes, removes impediments, and supports team adherence to Scrum practices.
• SAFe program consultant: Guides SAFe framework implementation, provides training, and supports continuous improvement.
• Organisational change manager: Plans and executes change management strategies, including stakeholder engagement, communication, and training, to ensure smooth transitions. 

Execution roles include, but are not limited to:

• Business analyst: Defines requirements, acts as a liaison between stakeholders and the project team, and validates that solutions address business needs.
• System analyst: Specifies functional and technical system requirements, analyses integration needs, and supports solution design.
• Data analyst: Interprets data requirements, develops data models and reports, and supports data-driven decision-making.
• Developer: Builds, configures, and maintains system components to meet design specifications and technical standards.
• Process analyst: Assesses and redesigns workflows to align with system changes and improve operational efficiency.
• Test analyst: Designs and runs test scenarios, reports defects, and confirms systems meet acceptance and quality standards before release 

Participants in project delivery roles require qualifications and experience to manage large-scale IT project challenges effectively.

Service Management Roles

Service management roles maintain project outcomes in live environments and uphold operational reliability. These roles address incident response, service levels, system integrity, and user support using defined processes and tools.

Service management roles include, but are not limited to:

• IT operations manager: Directs daily operations, monitors system performance, and manages unplanned disruptions to minimise service impact.
• Service delivery manager: Coordinates service teams and confirms services meet expectations and agreed service levels.
• Technical support specialist: Provides end-user support, resolves technical issues, and contributes to ongoing service improvement.
• Security analyst: Secures systems and data, assesses risks, and responds to security incidents. 

Participants in service management roles require technical certifications and an operational understanding of frameworks such as ITIL. These roles help maintain the reliability, security, and user experience of systems delivered by the project.