Tech Industry Gold Standard
Strategy
Transformation
Capability Matrix
Bridging Tech & Business Value
Strategy is about defining the path forward. Transformation is about making it happen. This matrix explores the roles that guide organisations through digital change.
Introduction
TechSkills is a techUK company and is the accreditation body for Tech Industry Gold – the employer-led accreditation for tech education and training. The TechSkills Careers Matrix has been developed against the SSC Standard Skills Classification (SSC) to provide a consistent framework for understanding digital career pathways and the skills employers need. We created these resources to help learners, parents and careers advisers make informed education and career decisions, supporting our mission to close digital skills gaps and prepare people for successful, job-ready careers in tech.
The Nine Domains of Strategy & Transformation
Business Analysis
The bridge between business goals and technical reality. Defining the 'What'.
Salary Progression
£24,850 — £87,000+ (Junior Business Analyst 10th percentile to Senior Business Analyst 90th percentile, IT Jobs Watch UK)
Core Capabilities
Typical Roles
Business Analyst • Technical BA • Systems Analyst • Requirements Lead
Work-Ready Indicator
"Ability to turn a vague business ask into a precise, testable technical requirement."
Best Suited To
Logical thinkers who enjoy detail, organisation, and clear communication.
Tech Consulting
The experts for hire. Advising businesses on the best path forward.
Salary Progression
£42,500 — £100,000+ (IT Consultant median to Principal Solutions Architect / Digital Transformation Consultant median, IT Jobs Watch UK)
Core Capabilities
Typical Roles
Digital Consultant • IT Strategist • Solution Architect • Management Consultant
Work-Ready Indicator
"Ability to advise a client on a technology strategy and defend it under scrutiny."
Best Suited To
Natural communicators who thrive in changing, high-stakes environments.
Project & Programme Mgmt
The engine room of delivery. Keeping projects on time, on budget, and on scope.
Salary Progression
£32,500 — £94,500+ (Junior Project Manager median to PMO Lead 90th percentile, IT Jobs Watch UK)
Core Capabilities
Typical Roles
Project Manager • Programme Manager • Scrum Master • PMO Lead
Work-Ready Indicator
"Ability to keep a multi-team delivery on time, on budget and on scope."
Best Suited To
Highly organised leaders who love checklists and seeing things finish.
Transformation & Change
The human side of tech. Ensuring people actually use and like the new tools.
Salary Progression
£40,000 — £89,750+ (Junior Change Analyst median to Senior Transformation Manager median, IT Jobs Watch UK)
Core Capabilities
Typical Roles
Change Manager • Transformation Lead • Adoption Specialist • Culture Lead
Work-Ready Indicator
"Ability to get an organisation's staff to actually adopt a new tool or process, not just tolerate it."
Best Suited To
People-people who understand that tech only works if humans use it.
Customer Success
The relationship experts. Ensuring clients stay happy and grow with the technology.
Salary Progression
£28,000 — £90,000+ (Customer Success Manager typical range to Enterprise Solutions Engineer median, Payscale UK / IT Jobs Watch UK)
Core Capabilities
Typical Roles
Customer Success Mgr • Solutions Engineer • Account Manager • Implementation Lead
Work-Ready Indicator
"Ability to turn a struggling client relationship into a renewed, expanding contract."
Best Suited To
Relationship builders who enjoy teaching and technical problem solving.
Strategy & Leadership
Leading at the board level. Defining the future of the organisation.
Salary Progression
£119,952 — £268,784+ (CIO 25th–75th percentile total pay, i.e. base plus bonus/equity — top decile reaches £396,448, Glassdoor UK)
Core Capabilities
Typical Roles
CIO • CDO • Head of Transformation • Tech Strategy Lead
Work-Ready Indicator
"Ability to set and defend a multi-year technology strategy at board level."
Best Suited To
Experienced leaders who want to shape the world's biggest businesses.
Enterprise Architecture
Mapping how technology across an entire organisation fits together
Salary Progression
£87,500 — £140,000+ (Enterprise Architect median to Head of Enterprise Architecture median, IT Jobs Watch UK)
Core Capabilities
Typical Roles
Enterprise Architect • IT Architect • Technology Strategy Lead • Architecture Governance Lead
Work-Ready Indicator
"Ability to design an organisation-wide technology blueprint that prevents duplicated systems and wasted investment."
Best Suited To
Big-picture strategists who can hold an entire organisation's technology estate in their head.
Vendor & Commercial Management
Negotiating and managing the suppliers that deliver technology change
Salary Progression
£39,733 — £85,000+ (Supplier Relationship Manager average to Senior Procurement Manager, Check-a-Salary / Payscale UK)
Core Capabilities
Typical Roles
Vendor Manager • Commercial Manager • Procurement Lead • Supplier Relationship Manager
Work-Ready Indicator
"Ability to negotiate and enforce a contract that protects value on both sides of a deal."
Best Suited To
Commercially minded negotiators who protect value on both sides of a deal.
Green Tech & Sustainability Strategy
Turning an organisation's environmental and social commitments into a strategy the business can actually execute.
Salary Progression
£32,000 — £128,000+ (Sustainability Manager 10th percentile to Sustainability Director, Payscale UK)
Core Capabilities
Typical Roles
Sustainability Manager • Head of Sustainability • ESG Strategy Lead • Responsible Sourcing Lead
Work-Ready Indicator
"Ability to translate a sustainability commitment into a strategy the business can actually measure and deliver."
Best Suited To
People who care about environmental and social impact and want to embed it into how a business actually operates, not just report on it after the fact.
Beyond the Spreadsheet
The Future of Business
As technology changes how we work, strategy and transformation will change with it. This matrix will reflect these shifts.
"Technology defines our future — people who master it define our success."
Specific Career Pathways:
Strategy & Transformation
Mapping the common routes and professional progressions in this family.
Business Analysis
The bridge between business goals and technical reality. Defining the 'What'.
Entry Roles
Business Analyst • Technical BA • Systems Analyst • Requirements Lead
Core Skills
• Requirement Eng • • Process Mapping • • SQL • • Stakeholder Mgmt • • Agile
Professional Outlook
Logical thinkers who enjoy detail, organisation, and clear communication.
Market Salary
£24,850 — £87,000+ (Junior Business Analyst 10th percentile to Senior Business Analyst 90th percentile, IT Jobs Watch UK)
Tech Consulting
The experts for hire. Advising businesses on the best path forward.
Entry Roles
Digital Consultant • IT Strategist • Solution Architect • Management Consultant
Core Skills
• Strategic Thinking • • Advisory • • Case Modelling • • Client Mgmt
Professional Outlook
Natural communicators who thrive in changing, high-stakes environments.
Market Salary
£42,500 — £100,000+ (IT Consultant median to Principal Solutions Architect / Digital Transformation Consultant median, IT Jobs Watch UK)
Project & Programme Mgmt
The engine room of delivery. Keeping projects on time, on budget, and on scope.
Entry Roles
Project Manager • Programme Manager • Scrum Master • PMO Lead
Core Skills
• Project Planning • • Risk Mgmt • • Budgeting • • Team Leadership
Professional Outlook
Highly organised leaders who love checklists and seeing things finish.
Market Salary
£32,500 — £94,500+ (Junior Project Manager median to PMO Lead 90th percentile, IT Jobs Watch UK)
Transformation & Change
The human side of tech. Ensuring people actually use and like the new tools.
Entry Roles
Change Manager • Transformation Lead • Adoption Specialist • Culture Lead
Core Skills
• Change Theory • • Training Design • • Comms Strategy • • Empathy
Professional Outlook
People-people who understand that tech only works if humans use it.
Market Salary
£40,000 — £89,750+ (Junior Change Analyst median to Senior Transformation Manager median, IT Jobs Watch UK)
Customer Success
The relationship experts. Ensuring clients stay happy and grow with the technology.
Entry Roles
Customer Success Mgr • Solutions Engineer • Account Manager • Implementation Lead
Core Skills
• Account Mgmt • • Onboarding • • Retention • • Product Expertise
Professional Outlook
Relationship builders who enjoy teaching and technical problem solving.
Market Salary
£28,000 — £90,000+ (Customer Success Manager typical range to Enterprise Solutions Engineer median, Payscale UK / IT Jobs Watch UK)
Strategy & Leadership
Leading at the board level. Defining the future of the organisation.
Entry Roles
CIO • CDO • Head of Transformation • Tech Strategy Lead
Core Skills
• Visionary Leadership • • Financial Acumen • • Governance
Professional Outlook
Experienced leaders who want to shape the world's biggest businesses.
Market Salary
£119,952 — £268,784+ (CIO 25th–75th percentile total pay, i.e. base plus bonus/equity — top decile reaches £396,448, Glassdoor UK)
Enterprise Architecture
Mapping how technology across an entire organisation fits together
Entry Roles
Enterprise Architect • IT Architect • Technology Strategy Lead • Architecture Governance Lead
Core Skills
• Enterprise Architecture Frameworks • • Technology Roadmapping • • Architecture Governance • • Stakeholder Alignment
Professional Outlook
Big-picture strategists who can hold an entire organisation's technology estate in their head.
Market Salary
£87,500 — £140,000+ (Enterprise Architect median to Head of Enterprise Architecture median, IT Jobs Watch UK)
Vendor & Commercial Management
Negotiating and managing the suppliers that deliver technology change
Entry Roles
Vendor Manager • Commercial Manager • Procurement Lead • Supplier Relationship Manager
Core Skills
• Contract Negotiation • • Vendor Governance • • Procurement Strategy • • SLA Management
Professional Outlook
Commercially minded negotiators who protect value on both sides of a deal.
Market Salary
£39,733 — £85,000+ (Supplier Relationship Manager average to Senior Procurement Manager, Check-a-Salary / Payscale UK)
Green Tech & Sustainability Strategy
Turning an organisation's environmental and social commitments into a strategy the business can actually execute.
Entry Roles
Sustainability Manager • Head of Sustainability • ESG Strategy Lead • Responsible Sourcing Lead
Core Skills
• Sustainability Strategy • • ESG Reporting & Data • • Stakeholder Engagement • • Regulatory Compliance • • Responsible Sourcing
Professional Outlook
People who care about environmental and social impact and want to embed it into how a business actually operates, not just report on it after the fact.
Market Salary
£32,000 — £128,000+ (Sustainability Manager 10th percentile to Sustainability Director, Payscale UK)
Typical Day-to-Day
- Solving technical puzzles
- Collaborating with teammates
- Building reliable solutions
- Continuous learning of new tools
- Presenting insights to stakeholders
- Securing and optimizing systems
Entry Pathways
Academic Route
Degrees, T-Levels, HTQs
Vocational Route
Apprenticeships, Bootcamps
Industry-Led AccreditationEnquiries
info@techskills.org