The different IT department roles and responsibilities

With the widespread adoption and growth of technology in business, an IT department has become an essential piece of a modern organization’s infrastructure. As a result, many organizations are scrambling to hire/expand their IT departments to manage their IT network effectively. 

Understanding the roles and responsibilities within an IT department is crucial for maintaining optimal performance and ensuring that technology supports business objectives. Here’s an overview of the key roles and functions within an IT department:

What is an IT department?

An IT department is the team (or 1-person operation) that is responsible for managing and securing a company’s IT infrastructure. Their main responsibilities, as a whole, include remote monitoring and management, patch management, and IT support via helpdesk and IT ticketing.

An organization’s IT department consists of IT experts who manage the organization’s IT infrastructure and ensure that it runs optimally. In the digitalized business landscape that most modern businesses find themselves in, an IT department is the backbone of any organization.

That’s because it is responsible for evaluating and determining the services and vendors that can provide the organization with the best equipment and service support.

IT departments also facilitate intra-organizational communication and collaboration, ultimately facilitating optimal functionality among them. For most non-technical staff, it can be challenging to actually put into words what the IT department does. But the IT technicians are the behind-the-scenes operators who keep organizations going with all things tech. In 2025, this translates to helping keep just about every workflow operational.

Key roles and responsibilities

1. IT management and administration

IT management and administration ensure that an organization’s technology environment is reliable, secure, and aligned with business objectives. This function combines strategic planning with hands‑on oversight to keep systems online and users supported. Their responsibilities include:

• Maintaining IT Infrastructure: Ensuring all systems and networks are operational.
• User Support: Assisting with hardware and software issues for new and existing users.
• Employee Training: Educating staff on IT systems and best practices.
• System Updates and Security: Implementing updates and assessing potential threats.
• Compliance and Licensing: Managing software licenses and ensuring compliance with regulations.

2. IT procurement

IT procurement sources the right hardware, software, and services to meet organizational needs while controlling costs. This role balances technical requirements with vendor relationships and budget constraints. In recent history, part of IT procurement responsibilities is to determine the right software and tools to use AI in IT management.

Here are the main responsibilities of the person in charge of IT procurement:  

• Identifying Needs: Assessing the company’s IT requirements.
• Vendor Selection: Choosing vendors and solutions that align with organizational goals.
• Implementation: Overseeing the deployment of new technologies.

3. IT security

The job of an IT security technician is to safeguard an organization’s digital assets against threats, ensuring data remains confidential, integral, and available. This role combines proactive measures with rapid response to incidents. Their key responsibilities include:

• Cybersecurity Strategies: Implementing measures to prevent unauthorized access and protect data.
• Data Protection: Ensuring confidentiality, integrity, and availability of information.
• Incident Response: Managing and responding to security breaches.

4. Network administration

Network administration staff maintain the backbone of an organization’s connectivity, ensuring a reliable network performance, communication, and data flow. Administrators design, configure, and secure network environments for optimal performance. Their main tasks include:

• Network Setup and Maintenance: Configuring network hardware and ensuring connectivity.
• Security Management: Implementing security protocols and monitoring network traffic.
• Disaster Recovery: Setting up contingency measures and emergency power supplies.

5. Systems analysis and architecture

Systems analysts and architects design IT solutions that support evolving business processes and technology trends. They bridge the gap between user requirements and technical implementation. Their main responsibilities are: 

• Systems Analysis: Evaluating current systems and recommending improvements by teaching the staff.
• System Design: Creating new IT systems or adapting existing ones to meet organizational needs.

6. Helpdesk and support

An IT department’s helpdesk is the frontline between end users and IT services, resolving issues quickly to maintain productivity. It operates through tiered support levels to appropriately escalate more complex problems. Responsibilities include:

• User Assistance: Handling requests related to IT issues and troubleshooting problems.

IT support levels

IT support is split up into 3 different levels, which are generally based on issue complexity.

Level 1 support

This is the first tier of support and is often provided by the least experienced IT support personnel. They offer the most basic IT support, usually handling things like password resets and software updates. For more complicated queries, they’ll generally forward the ticket along to the Level 2 support staff.

Level 2 support

When a support ticket is too complicated for a Level 1 technician, they’ll send it to the Level 2 support team, which are more experienced and can resolve a wider variety of issues. They’ll then review the issue with the end user and do their best to help them find a solution. 

Examples of Level 2 support issues include malfunctioning hardware and network issues. If a solution is beyond them, they’ll send the ticket up to the Level 3 support.

Level 3 support

Level 3 support is reserved for IT technicians, architects, and engineers with expert-level knowledge and experience. Solving issues at this level usually requires access at the highest level of an organization and extensive product information.

Centralized vs. decentralized IT structures

With a centralized IT structure, all the users are connected to a central server that keeps all the network data and user information. A decentralized IT structure has several peer-to-peer user groups, each with a separate server that stores data and information needed by that particular group.

Centralized IT structures offer:

• Lowered hardware expenses
• Improved productivity
• Increased purchasing power
• Improved Compliance
• Improved flow of information

Decentralized IT structures offer:

• Customized IT selection and configuration
• Increased fail-safes
• Improved response to new IT trends

IT department best practices

To stay ahead in an era of rapid digital transformation, IT departments need to stay committed to following best organizational practices. Here are three guidelines that all IT departments should follow to run optimally and provide the best service possible.

Commitment to growth and adoption

As an IT department, if you want to stay efficient, you’ll need to stay in the loop on new technology that can make your job easier. As an example, Atera’s Copilot tool, powered by Agentic AI, can help the average technician save 11-13 hours of time per week by reducing ticket response time with automated ticket summaries, automated script generation, and more.

Image via Atera

IT governance & strategy

IT governance is all about aligning IT-related activities with an organization’s goals and objectives. This is done by properly managing and monitoring IT investments so that they are efficiently used, and any risks are promptly identified and addressed.

Security, compliance, and risk

IT departments need to create and enforce security policies that clearly define the steps needed to protect their systems and data from cyber threats. IT departments should also stay up-to-date with relevant regulations so they can update these policies as needed.

Asset lifecycle and management

Asset management involves tracking and managing all IT assets like hardware, software, and licenses, among others. It allows IT departments to keep an accurate inventory of its IT assets so that costs are saved by not buying unnecessary assets. It also enables compliance with the organization’s policies, industry regulations, and standards.

How Atera enhances IT department efficiency

Today’s IT teams must juggle governance, security, asset management, and service delivery—all while adapting to evolving business needs and mounting complexity. 

Atera’s remote monitoring and management (RMM) platform puts these critical functions—and more—at your fingertips: from AI-driven anomaly detection and predictive maintenance to automated patch deployment, script generation, and self-service ticket resolution.

By unifying network discovery, helpdesk, patch management, and deep analytics into one intuitive dashboard, Atera empowers IT departments to eliminate silos, reduce manual labor, and be proactive about potential issues before they have the chance to impact end users.

Using Atera to handle routine monitoring and repetitive tasks, your team can redirect its energy toward strategic projects—whether that’s rolling out new services, tightening cyber-defenses, or optimizing infrastructure for future growth. Our powerful software is trusted by over 12,000 customers in 120 countries, who collectively manage about 5 million devices.

Image via Atera

Experience firsthand how our AI-powered IT management solution transforms reactive firefighting into proactive IT stewardship: start your 30-day free trial today, with no credit card required.