If you find you're taking on tasks that are outside your company role, or you're a little bored in your current position, don't immediately hunt for a new job. Instead, it may be time to create a new role at your company. Though it sounds like a pipe dream, developing a new role at your company may not be as hard as you think. Consider these tips on how to take the reins and make your ideal company role.
1. Find a problem
To create a new role at your company, you need to have something tangible that can be understood by others.1 Finding a specific issue within the company that only your skills can solve is the key. You may already be solving the problem and not even know it. It may take time to find and get to know this problem, especially if you're not the one directly dealing with it. Regardless of whether the issue is big or small, it's important to familiarize yourself with it. Talk to the people who are directly dealing with it, and brainstorm a few solutions for it. List your skills on paper and see how the two correlate. Really exploring the conflict will help you conjure up a role that can solve this problem.
2. Make the role
Before your proposal, you need to construct a realistic role. Consider how current positions at your company are formatted and tailor your role to it. You want to be able to discuss your role the same way others at the company are talked about so that your colleagues understand. You also will want to lay out a set of goals that this role will help you accomplish in the first year. Showing where there is a problem in the company, and how this role can fix it, will allow your employer to understand the need to create this position.
3. Consider your current position
As you begin to formulate this new role, think about your current one. Will the new position include your current duties or does it involve an entirely different department? If you plan to expand your current role, explain the expansion process in detail and how the new duties correlate to the old ones.
4. Resource
Look into other companies who may have a similar position to the one you're considering at this company.2 Speak with employees who are in that role to learn how it's evolved over time and what pitfalls there may be. You may also want to discuss salary if you're expecting a raise.
5. Make your pitch
You most likely will have to present this new position to a few different people. The first will be your direct supervisor or whoever you report to. Though you may want to sprint to the CEO, hopefully your direct boss can give you feedback on the role and discuss whether it's feasible. They may also be able to tweak the qualifications if necessary. Don't be discouraged if they shut the idea down or have a lot of suggestions. Hearing criticism from them will be much easier than a higher up.
1 https://www.themuse.com/advice/how-to-create-a-new-job-at-your-current-company
2 http://work.chron.com/propose-job-company-7715.html