Software Development Roles Your Business Needs

If you've never worked with a software development team before, it's probably natural to think that the term describes a simple group of software engineers operating under the guidance of some type of leader who handles digital and technology projects.

This is not exactly wrong, but in fact the reality is much more complex. Of course, developers are the backbone of a development team and there is someone responsible for the entire project, but there are other critical roles that you should also be aware of. Although these professionals are not as well known in popular culture as the so-called backbone of software projects, they are no less important to the results.

Knowing all the critical functions of software development – ​​essential functions for a team responsible for building innovative products – brings you closer to building a successful team. As a leader in a technology space, even if that space is not software-centric, you must be aware of the team composition required to bring projects to fruition.

Given our deep experience as offshore developers, we know how beneficial it can be for people to learn about these roles to better understand the dynamics of the development team and recognize what each of its members brings to the table. But before we look at the specifics of roles and responsibilities, let's discuss the general nature and structure of software development teams.

How do you build a good software development team?

There is no magic formula for creating the ideal software development team. Any expert in the field will tell you that crafting the right mix is ​​never a guarantee, no matter how much time or resources you dedicate to the hiring and retention process.

That said, a good software development team is one that has the members and roles necessary for the project at hand. Since all projects have specific requirements, building a good team means building a team of the right professionals to tackle the project plan with a goal-oriented approach that values ​​creativity, problem solving, innovation and communication.

Ideally, you'll focus on these values ​​and rewards as you go through the hiring process for specific software development roles. However, you should always keep them in mind because you can't expect every candidate to have them – you will have to actively and continually look for them when you are reviewing the profiles of potential team members who are applying to join. of your development team.

You should also use them as the core of your development process, informing your workflow with them to improve the end result. Remember that team structures of any kind are rarely, if ever, permanent, and you will almost always need to evaluate and reevaluate your efforts and the team structure. Staying aware of your core skills and values ​​– those needed to keep the project and business flowing – will be fundamental to the success of your project and your business.

It is also essential that you keep in mind that diversity is fundamental to good software development. This is because people from different backgrounds and lifestyles can bring new perspectives that can enrich all your software solutions and projects and impact them positively. Also remember that talent transcends demographic factors like gender, race, age and geographic location – and they should not play a role in determining who is best suited for your team's roles.

Product owner: the product development leader

Function description

When starting any software development project, you must start with the product owner. This is the person who knows what the final product should look like, as they deeply know the project and the users. Furthermore, it is the one who best understands the customer's needs, so that they are in the right position to guide development towards a satisfactory final product.

Role responsibilities

The Product Owner wears a few different roles. For example, they are responsible for designing and managing the product backlog, ensuring it flows smoothly and without interruptions. They also evaluate market demands and consider how the product can best meet user needs. Market research is part of the role – the product owner will define user personas and translate product requirements into meaningful stories.

The product owner's ultimate goal is to ensure that the product that comes out of development provides the value you are looking for. This is why product owners must be analytical and creative, as well as aware of current trends to inform the development process.

Engineering manager: the project mentor

Function description

The engineering manager is the person responsible for the successful development of the entire lifecycle. Thus, they are responsible for planning the project, defining its scope, implementing said plan, monitoring its progress and marking the end of development. Basically, the engineering manager organizes the daily work of software engineers and checks how they do it.

Role responsibilities

Although engineering managers don't code themselves, they have experience in software development – ​​they are often software developers with extensive field experience. This gives them the know-how to suggest routes to take when problems arise, which are likely to happen in today's flexible development environment. They must also possess strong leadership qualities to lead the team's efforts.

Project manager: keeping everything running smoothly

Function description

The project manager is essential to keeping the project on track. They wear many hats in this role and must possess strong leadership skills, organizational qualities, technical knowledge, and interpersonal skills. However, although they work closely with the product manager — along with everyone else on the software development team — their responsibilities are quite different. Mainly, your job is to make sure the project goes smoothly.

Role responsibilities

Because project managers have a wide-ranging role, their tasks are many and varied. They are fundamental for all stages of the project: distributing responsibilities, defining deadlines, evaluating budgets, keeping everyone aligned and focused on tasks and serving as a liaison between team members, stakeholders and clients. They act as a reference for all team members, keeping everyone organized and aligned with goals and objectives.

Software Architect: Providing Structure

Function description

In a high-level position, the software architect takes a broad view of the software, making informed choices about how it will work. The software architect defines the essential aspects of the software's internal structure and its technical aspects. They also define the technology stack and standards and review code to ensure overall quality, aligning progress with one thing in mind: keeping the code simple and functional.

Role responsibilities

Additionally, the software architect provides technical support at different stages of the software development life cycle until release. Thus, they need a lot of programming knowledge, but they must also have leadership skills to help and motivate software developers throughout the process.

As you can probably guess from the title, a software architect is an architect in the most global sense: someone who conceives, designs, and defines the structure and flow of the product, as well as all the elements that make it up.

Software developers: the builders and enablers

Function description

Being the building blocks of any development project, software developers are responsible for coding the software. They are essentially the ones who create the software themselves, basically solving the logical problems found in the project, finding solutions so that they can finally implement them through efficient code.

You might think that you need to hire developers with as much experience as possible to build your team. While you certainly need this experience to come up with sophisticated solutions, you can always supplement it with junior developers who can handle routine tasks. This way, you can have a more diverse team, which takes advantage of the strengths of all its members and which brings the solutions that different projects require.

Role responsibilities

Software developers build programs, applications, and systems using their coding skills and knowledge of the intricacies of software development processes. They are also responsible for maintaining and updating this software in order to keep it functional and usable as well as high performance.

UX and UI Designers: The Masters of User Appeal

Function description

User experience is an important part of the software development process, which is why it requires the help of dedicated professionals. UX/UI designers have distinct roles, but their work is interconnected, so let's consider them together. On the one hand, the UI designer is responsible for designing the user interface, which is everything that users see and interact with when using the software. On the other hand, there is the UX designer, who is responsible for creating a satisfying experience for the user by paying attention to everything, from the interface to performance.

Role responsibilities

In a sense, UX designers oversee UI designers, as the former role's work has a profound impact on the overall experience. But UX designers go beyond simply designing the interface, as is a UI designer's main job – they think like end users and suggest improvements to make the software easy to use and an overall pleasant experience.

It's more than just defining a look and feel – it's about defining how the software behaves and acts, how it can communicate what it expects from the user, and how it can be made easier to understand at a glance, while also providing a super performance.

Quality Control Engineer: The Quality Confirmer

Function description

Without a rigorous quality assurance (QA) process, your software could very well fail. Although there are people who do not consider the QA engineer to be crucial to a team, this role has become essential. This is because they analyze the processes used to develop the software to ensure they are efficient enough to provide high-quality results.

Role responsibilities

The QA engineer's responsibilities encompass much more than just pointing out bugs — it's about understanding the underlying development procedures and suggesting improvements that bring more quality to the final products.

Quality control testers are increasingly critical with each passing year because the need for higher quality products continues to increase. The motivation behind this is to have more robust software that can face digital threats that are growing in number and severity, while at the same time keeping product vulnerabilities to a minimum. This is why QA engineers are the guardians of quality in software development and are responsible for encouraging other members to strive for higher quality in the products they create.

Business Analyst: Thinking about the Big Picture

Function description

Finally, we have the business analyst, responsible for analyzing the needs of the client's business to inform its development. These business needs are translated into requirements which, in turn, are translated into the objectives that the software must fulfill. This process is not easy, but it is absolutely fundamental to the success of any project. This role acts as the bridge between business and technical purposes.

Role responsibilities

Business analysts provide a lot of creativity in the early stages of development. They suggest ways in which business needs – often abstract or far removed from the software itself – can be transformed into specific requirements that developers can work with. This creativity is not mere imagination — business analysts back up all their suggestions with real data.

In short, business analysts are responsible for evaluating the overall performance of companies, whether as a consultant or internally, and developing process improvement plans in order to help the business achieve its goals. They have many different tasks in their arsenal, such as researching, liaising with different departments, and drawing conclusions. Ultimately, they will present their findings to leaders as recommendations.

The ideal team composition by BairesDev

While all of these functions are crucial at some point during software development, you may have some projects on hand that can do without one or two. Ideally, however, you should have all of them involved, as they all add unique value and specific skills to the development process and the final product. However, as we mentioned above, it all depends on what you're building, your specific circumstances, and your existing infrastructure.

Furthermore, the functions complement each other and, when key positions are missing, other professionals are expected to carry the weight. This often means that individuals who do not have the necessary specializations because they are used to focusing on other areas are forced to take on software development roles that are outside their area of ​​expertise.

Not only can this lead to team resentment, but it can also mean a more chaotic and difficult development process.

Build the perfect team for your company with BairesDev

Our years of IT development have given us the knowledge and experience you need to hire the best IT professionals for your project, whatever it may be. We will work with you to bring in the talented individuals needed to build higher-level projects and ensure you have the right team composition for your specific initiatives.

Not only will we find the right solution for your business, but we will also continue to support you and monitor results. We believe in an ongoing partnership – this is the basis for success. Our professionals are at the forefront of their specialization or niche. They have years of experience and represent the highest level of talent, regardless of their area of ​​expertise.

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