... www.\obpostings. net
2. Virtual Organization Leader
The Internet has drastically shortened product
cycles, increased globalization, and created a
need for more real-time communications servic
es. As such, entrenched, single-purpose teams
aren't necessarily the most effective or nimble
solution to many of today's business problems.
Jumping from project to project, virtual organi
zation leaders assemble teams of experts from
around the world to achieve specific goals. When
the task is complete, the leader disbands the team
and moves on to the next problem. The work is
typically coordinated online, where the manager
can oversee results and cut back on internation
contact for the project sponsor.
Favorite part of the job: "I get to work with
the best of the best."
Toughest aspect of the job: "Not knowing
how busy you're going to be from week to week—
but that's also the exciting part." Salary: $60,000
$90,000
into multiple areas."
Toughest aspect of the job: "Bringing together
in a standardized manner the plethora of informa
tion and formats is a very significant challenge. And
doing it all in an Internet-time environment takes a
lot out of you."
Salary: $50.000-$80.000
4. Chief Community
Strategist
Building Web communities
has always been a slippery
task, but for some sites they're
a vital business resource.
Some companies have created a position to devel
op and manage all aspects of building a sense of
community online. A chief community strategist
is equal parts policy maker, minister of culture,
ombudsman, and operations manager. Matthew
Bannick, vice president of customer support, han
dles this role for eBay, the site that is the ultimate
in convergence of community and business. He is
a direct link between eBay's 3.8 million commu
nity members and the company's top executives.
He and his team develop reports for managers
based on feedback from eBay message boards,
customer email, and monthly face-to-face meet
ings with community members. The company
uses that information throughout its operations.
For example, chat from eBay's "discuss new fea
tures" message board is collected, organized, and
delivered to the company's product marketing
team. And the majority of changes to eBay's
Website come directly from community sugges
tions. such as a new feature that allows users to
rate their satisfaction with other traders to create
a collection of positive and negative comments
that becomes each trader's community reputation.
3. Content Engineer
If Websites were houses, content engineers would
be the architects. These polymaths are responsi
ble for the overall organization and presentation
of a Website's content. Content engineers work
with almost every part of an Internet business,
hashing out infrastructure requirements with the
IT department, assisting with marketing cam
paigns, strategizing with executives, and working
directly with suppliers to gath
er product information.
"You bring things from
the theoretical phase, talking
about ontologies and how to
classify materials, to actually
creating a system and trying
al calling expenses to boot.
Helen Stefan, an account
manager with the high-tech PR
firm Copithorne&Bellows,
began managing virtual PR
teams to cope with changes the
Internet has imposed on the PR
industry, such as accelerated
product launches, and clients' requests for
announcements on everything from the Melissa
virus to market news and industry mergers.
Now, Stefan can absorb that increased
demand, and catch unplanned, quick-turnaround
projects by assembling virtual teams of employ
ees from the firm's global offices in places such
as Boston, Singapore, and Paris, plus a roster of
outside contractors. Team sizes can range from
just a few people to as many as seven experts.
Research materials, progress reports, budget
information, and communication is handled
through the corporate intranet, while Stefan man
ages the project from her office. Overseeing dis
parate team workers hasn't been difficult, Stefan
says, because most are highly skilled and expe
rienced contractors, accustomed to working on
targeted deadlines.
"We can jump on major projects, and we never
have to say no." says Stefan. "It's almost a bot
tomless resource."
Evolution: Companies need to maintain a lean
staff and still compete in a rapidly changing busi
ness climate. Virtual teams give companies access
to specific expertise from specific people as need
ed, no matter where they are, with potential appli
cations in areas such as marketing and product
design.
Skills needed: Virtual organization leaders
must understand the business' goals and strategies,
and know how to find the resources to complete a
project quickly. Highly developed people skills
also help leaders handle the various personalities
of contractors and clients, and serve as the main
it on hundreds and thousands of users," says
Thomas Kudrycki, vice president of engineer
ing, who manages the content engineering
department for Chemdex. Creating an online
"catalog of catalogs" for laboratory and life-sci
ences supplies is particularly complex.
Chemdex content engineers start the process by
suggesting to marketing and executive teams
specific supplies or vendors needed for the site.
Once those departments secure the necessary
deals, content engineers design automated inter
faces to collect product information directly
from suppliers, systematically categorize that
information ("building the ontology," according
to Kudrycki), choose additional materials to add
context, and ultimately design the presentation
and layout of that content, handing off the plans
to a separate group of Web designers and
builders.
Evolution: Content engineering combines
traits of old-fashioned catalog marketing with com
puter science, creating something unique to the
Web.
Skills needed: Content engineers must have
some technical background. But a deep under
standing of the content they are working with, and
the audience they are serving, is most important.
For example. Chemdex content engineers all hold
advanced degrees in life sciences.
Favorite part of the job: "It's a fusion of so
many different traditional job descriptions, which
provides for variety and potential career growth
Bannick also sits in with eBay's executive man
agement as a community advocate. But that task
isn't difficult if the community strategist has suc
cessfully embedded community issues into the cor
porate culture.
Evolution: Businesses that once scoffed at
community as a touchy-feely concept now rec
ognize it as a major force in ecommerce. Its role
is likely to gain importance as Websites focus on
customer retention. Skills needed: General man
agement skills and operations experience are
important, but understanding how the communi
ty interacts and how it relates to the company is
essential. Bannick traces the development of his
community instincts to a stint as a diplomat with
the U.S. State Department, where he reported on
economic and political developments after
German reunification.
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