Gartner Research

What Are the

Essential Roles
for Data and
Analytics?

Jorgen Heizenberg, Saul Judah, Alan D. Duncan

16 August 2022
What Are the Essential Roles for Data and
Analytics?
Published 16 August 2022 - ID G00774299 - 17 min read
By Analyst(s): Jorgen Heizenberg, Saul Judah, Alan D. Duncan Initiatives:
Chief Data and Analytics Officer Leadership

Chief data and analytics officers need to support the opportunities

and challenges of today’s digital business with the right
competencies. Now is the time to create data and analytics roles
and skills that are fit for the future.

Strategic Planning Assumptions

Through 2023, the machine learning (ML) engineer will be the fastest-growing role in the
artificial intelligence (AI)/ML space, with open positions for ML engineers at half (50%)
that of data scientists, up from less than 10% in 2019.

By 2023, the number of people with disabilities employed will triple due to AI and
emerging technologies reducing barriers to access.

By 2023, all personnel hired for AI development and training work will have to
demonstrate expertise in responsible development of AI.

Analysis
Digital business will not happen without a digital platform with data and analytics (D&A)
at the core (see How to Build a Digital Business Technology Platform). Technology can be
a failure point when not handled correctly, but it is often not the biggest roadblock to
progress. Digital business acceleration will depend equally, if not more, on how you
organize D&A and the required roles, skills and culture to drive this transformation.

Poor data literacy, lack of a data-driven culture and talent shortages are prevalent and
persistent inhibitors to the success of D&A (see How to Overcome the Top 6 Roadblocks
to D&A Leader Success). Consistent with other findings from Gartner’s Chief Data Officer
Agenda Survey for 2022, 1 people, training and culture should be top-of-mind for CDOs to
increase the D&A team’s effectiveness at stakeholder engagement, influencing and
cultural change (see Figure 1).

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Figure 1: Focus on People, Training and Culture for Stakeholder Engagement, Influence
and Cultural Change

Some organizations consider working with an external D&A service provider because they
lack the right resources or are unable to develop or improve their current talent pool. Such
a provider can support the organization by temporarily filling the D&A role deficit and/or
upskilling or reskilling the existing resources.

Providers should execute these engagements with an extra focus on knowledge transfer
and on-the-job training (see Magic Quadrant for Data and Analytics Service Providers).

Chief data and analytics officers (CDAOs) supporting the transformation required for
digital business need to answer the following questions:

■ What are the key D&A roles to focus on for now?

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■ What roles are emerging, and how do those new roles impact the current ones?

Figure 2 and the sections that follow offer related guidance.

Figure 2: The Emerging Spectrum of D&A Roles

Research Highlights
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D&A Roles to Focus on Now

This section highlights the roles that D&A comprises today:

■ Supporting roles: CDAO, D&A manager, D&A architect, business analyst, D&A project
manager, change and transformation manager, D&A tester

■ Data roles: Data engineer, data steward, master data management (MDM) manager,
data modeler

■ Analytics roles: Analytics and business intelligence (ABI) developer, data scientist,
AI/ML developer, analytics steward

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Supporting Roles
Chief Data and Analytics Officer
“Chief data and analytics officer” (CDAO) refers to the business leadership role that has
the primary enterprise accountability for value creation by means of the organization’s
D&A assets, and the D&A ecosystem. Equivalent titles for this role are chief data officer,
chief analytics officer (if the CDAO role or equivalent is not in the enterprise), chief/head
of data and analytics, and other variations.

See Tool: Sample Job Description for Chief Data and Analytics Officers.

D&A Manager
The D&A manager is responsible for managing the D&A center of excellence and, as such,
needs to support the deployment of D&A throughout the rest of the organization. D&A
managers are key contributors to the strategy and vision for D&A. They build the roadmap,
manage senior stakeholders, and oversee the budgets and resources. Besides measuring
the performance of their team, they should also monitor and track D&A’s contribution to
business objectives.

See How to Overcome the Top 6 Roadblocks to D&A Leader Success.

D&A Architect
The data and analytics architect strengthens the impact of, and provides
recommendations on, business information. A D&A architect needs to identify, define and
analyze how information assets drive business outcomes in order to share consistent
data throughout the company. D&A architects “own” the data models.

D&A architects understand the impact of the various D&A scenarios, such as data science
or machine learning, on the overall enterprise architecture. They work with the enterprise
architect on the D&A architecture strategy and supporting platforms.

Business Analyst
There is no single type of business analyst, but rather a spectrum of analysts. Their roles
depend on the D&A use case, vary by interaction, and introduce different responsibilities
and skills requirements. For example:

■ Data analysts have a foundational understanding of statistical analysis and use

these skills to support specific business areas. They either are domain experts or
work closely with such experts to apply insights to business processes or functions.

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■ Data translators, data coaches or facilitators not only bridge the technical gap
between the data scientists/data engineers and the business domains, but also help
drive adoption and literacy throughout the organization. These roles have a good
understanding of the business processes and associated D&A demand, which they
translate into D&A solutions. They need to combine technical understanding with
domain knowledge and have a flair for working with various audiences on
innovation.

See Tool: Job Description for a Data and Analytics Translator.

D&A Project Manager

The D&A project manager is responsible for the success of all projects in the D&A
portfolio. The project manager plans, executes and delivers all projects on time, within
budget and within scope, in accordance with business priorities. Throughout the life cycle
of each project, the project manager tracks project status and manages project teams to
mitigate issues and risks. The project manager is the primary point of contact for D&A
initiatives and manages customer demand with available resources.

Change and Transformation Manager

The change and transformation manager drives organizational results and business
outcomes by developing strategies that encourage employees to adopt new ways of
working with D&A. Change and transformation managers need the support of senior
business leaders (like the CDAO) to foster changes in the behavior of employees and
enable a more data-driven culture. They help develop new skills through education, and
help establish data literacy by building the right fit between people, tasks and tools.

D&A Tester
D&A testers are responsible for managing the risk associated with D&A (e.g., operational
risk or privacy). They manage risk by testing data products (like data pipelines and data
quality) and analytical products (like reports and dashboards) against business user
requirements (user acceptance tests) and IT requirements (system integration tests).

Data Roles
Data Engineer

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Data engineering is the practice of making the appropriate data available to various data
consumers (including data scientists, data and business analysts, citizen integrators, and
line-of-business users). It is a discipline that involves collaboration across business and IT
units. This key discipline requires skilled data engineers to support both IT and business
teams.

Data engineers are primarily responsible for building, managing and operationalizing data
pipelines in support of key D&A use cases. They are also primarily responsible for leading
the tedious (and often complex) task of:

1. Curating datasets and data pipelines created by nontechnical users (e.g., through
self-service data preparation tools), data scientists or even IT resources

2. Operationalizing data delivery for production-level deployments

Finally, they support the key task of deploying analytics and data science outputs into
existing business processes and applications.

Data engineers also guarantee compliance with data governance and data security
requirements. They are mission-critical, as they know where to start with the data and
which pipelines are business-centric. As such, they need to collaborate with the business
and educate the organization on data engineering, ensuring users can do some data
engineering on their own. Data engineers need to be adept in several technical and
business skills, including:

■ Working with diverse datasets

■ Parsing and understanding data

■ Working with domain experts, data scientists and analysts in framing the business
problem

■ Provisioning integrated data quickly across multiple environments

Data engineers are also expected to be collaborative and act as “data gurus” to assist the
business with integrating analytics and data science model outputs into business
processes and interpreting the results. This need has given rise to a subset of data
engineers known as “analytics engineers.”

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Analytics Engineer

The analytics engineer is similar to the data engineer, but focuses on different pipelines.
The traditional data engineer focuses on developing data pipelines from enterprise
operational/transactional sources to the enterprise data repository. By contrast, the
analytics engineer focuses on developing data pipelines primarily for AI/ML models and
data science teams. Analytics engineers prepare data pipelines that create datasets for
analytical purposes, including datasets for end users to import into desktop tools and
datasets for BI developers to import into ABI tools. In addition to regional and local data
sources, the analytics engineer uses the “curated” area of the enterprise data repository
as the source for these types of data products.

Without data engineers, D&A initiatives will be more prone to additional costs, deployment
delays, and data integration, quality and availability problems.

See How to Build a Data Engineering Practice That Delivers Great Consumer Experiences.

Data Steward
With data stewards widely dispersed across the organization (along
department/functional lines or business process lines), there is a critical need to
coordinate stewardship activities for consistency and leverage. The lead data steward
drives this coordination by establishing processes that govern how other stewards:

■ Execute their policy enforcement activities

■ Communicate their actions to their peers

■ Escalate issues and proposals to the information governance board

The lead data steward also helps the steward population interpret policies created by the
board, with the goal of establishing clarity and quality in policy enactment. In addition,
this role serves as a representative for peers and junior stewards on the information
governance board.

The data steward role focuses on enforcing D&A governance policies created by the D&A
governance board. In effect, the steward is responsible for implementing D&A governance
policies and monitoring information assets and people against those policies. When
deviations from policy are detected, and not resolved through automated means, the
steward is the focal point for issue resolution.

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See Case Study: Business Must Drive Data Stewardship (Ovintiv).

MDM Manager
Enterprises differ in how they organize MDM due to wide variations in scope, complexity,
structure, and degree of centralization and localization. However, some basic
organizational principles can be described as best practices for greater success. These
include:

■ Executive sponsorship to drive a shared version of the truth

■ Support for enterprisewide information governance to create and enforce

information management policies

The MDM manager ensures that changes to the organization and business direction that
impact the MDM program are assessed and acted on, either by a central team or within
business units, functional areas or geographies. Responsibilities of MDM managers
include:

■ Defining an MDM vision statement

■ Aligning the scope of each phase of the MDM program with the enterprise
information management (EIM) strategy

■ Identifying business scenarios for each phase of the MDM program for which they
develop a business case

■ Identifying the key business processes that will be affected by the MDM program

The MDM manager works with IT for architecture, data modeling, integration, application
development, data quality technologies, system management, security and reporting.

See Understanding Modern MDM.

Data Modeler

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Data modeling is used to describe the kinds of information that are important to an
enterprise. Data modelers create user-approved data models, work with the D&A architect
who “owns” the data model, and develop business data glossaries and ontologies. They
do this to support data quality, data privacy and security, data lineage and integration,
data governance, runtime models, and database schemas — all to achieve enterprisewide
consensus about the meaning of data. The data modeler consults with multiple subject
matter experts from as many departments and user bases as necessary, modeling
business requirements with consistency and coordination.

Analytics Roles
Analytics and Business Intelligence Developer

ABI developers maintain strong relationships with business partners in order to provide
analytical and technical support for analytics and business intelligence activities. They
develop reports, dashboards and interactive visualizations, and work with data
warehouses, data integration and data modeling to support business decisions,
leveraging data to gain key insights into business opportunities. The developer builds the
company’s ABI capabilities while also ensuring distribution and delivery of high-quality
analytics solutions and BI reports.

Data Scientist

The data scientist is responsible for modeling complex business problems and
discovering business insights using quantitative disciplines (statistical, algorithmic and
mining) and visualization techniques. Data scientists typically have an advanced degree
in computer science, statistics, economics or related fields. The data scientist contributes
to building and developing the organization’s data infrastructure, and supports the
organization with insights and analysis for decision-making processes. Data scientists
often predict (predictive analytics) or classify situations and develop next-best-action
models (prescriptive analytics).

The data scientist role can have different permutations — for example, chief data scientist
and citizen data scientist.

Chief Data Scientist

The role of the chief data scientist is growing in importance. The chief data scientist
works with the chief data and analytics officer. That is, one role does not replace the other.
A separate role focusing on data science has become almost mandatory for
organizations dealing with increased complexity and the pervasiveness of AI.

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See The Chief Data Scientist Role Is Key to Evolving Advanced Analytics and AI.

Citizen Data Scientist

Citizen data scientists are often business users who are not formally trained as data
scientists, but can still execute a variety of data science tasks, supported by augmented
analytics tools for data preparation, data discovery, and model development and
deployment. Citizen data scientists possess the ability to extend their analytics expertise
and apply their business acumen to derive advanced insights, working closely with lead
data scientists that often sit in the D&A center of excellence.

See Tool: Job Description for the Data Scientist Role.

Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning Developer

AI/ML developers are increasingly responsible for enriching various applications with
machine learning or other AI capabilities, such as natural language processing, image
recognition or optimization. They should be able to embed, integrate and deploy AI
models that are either:

■ Developed by data scientists or other AI experts

■ Offered by cloud and other service providers

■ Self-developed using augmented machine learning

In addition, AI/ML developers should be able to collect and prepare data as input for
model training and execution, either by themselves or by working together with data
engineers.

Key skills include the abilities and technical expertise needed for integration and
deployment, such as API management and containerization. Other important skills relate
to data asset identification and connection, data quality, data preparation, and data
integration. AI/ML developers must understand how to apply these data skills to model
training and execution. In addition, to identify potential use cases, they need at least a
basic understanding of the workings, pros and cons of machine learning and other AI
techniques, such as clustering, regression, decision trees, and deep learning and other
neural networks.

Analytics Steward

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This role is similar to the data steward role. However, the work itself takes place in a
different part of the D&A pipeline, and the focus is different too. Whereas the data steward
operates in line-of-business functions enforcing data policy, the analytics steward works
downstream in the analytics, BI and data science team, helping to ensure that D&A
policies are enforced there. Such policy enforcement covers, but is not limited to, the
following:

■ Inbound data ingestion to the analytics infrastructure

■ Model access and development

■ Report and insight distribution and access

As with data stewardship, analytics stewardship is a role, not a full-time job. Analytics
stewards operate in the same way as data stewards and escalate issues to the D&A
governance board as needed.

Drivers Influencing Future D&A Roles

The growing importance and strategic significance of D&A — for example, in digital
business acceleration — are creating new challenges for organizations and their D&A
leaders. Some traditional IT roles are being disrupted by “citizen” roles performed by
nontechnical business users. Other new hybrid roles are emerging that cut across
functions and departments, and blend IT and business skills.

Several key factors are contributing to the emergence of these roles, including:

■ The increased strategic importance of D&A calls for the creation of an executive-
level D&A leader to look for value and monetization.

■ Increased business-domain-led analytics has created part-time and hybrid roles

across departments and lines of business.

■ Algorithmic business is creating new responsibilities and roles for those managing
D&A, and requires different, more-complex skills in areas such as AI.

■ Increased dependence on real-time analytics (using streaming data) requires

different skills and a different mindset.

■ More data is moving to the cloud, and organizations are looking for an infrastructure
to support scalability (growth), agility (speed) and cost optimization.

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■ Traditional data management roles are impacted by the emergence of new users
demanding more autonomy in data management activities.

■ Data management roles need to evolve to meet new and increasing demand for data
access.

■ New citizen roles — such as the citizen data scientist and citizen data engineer — are
complementing traditional roles like the extraction, transformation and loading (ETL)
developer, and require new approaches to responsibility and accountability for data
management activities.

■ The need to prototype new data is leading to more-adaptive forms of governance,

which, in turn, are creating a need for changes in organization and roles related to
D&A.

A technologist looks at what can be done with data. A compliance officer knows what
must be done with data, taking into consideration regulations such as GDPR. But with
technology innovations like AI stretching possibilities to the limits of the imagination, and
regulations often trailing the pace of innovation, a third question emerges: What should be
done with data? This is the domain of data ethics.

Figure 3 shows how blending different skills might lead to the creation of new D&A roles.
Business expertise also includes valuable change management skills, sometimes referred
to as “soft skills,” such as creativity and communication (see A Human-Centric Approach
to Data and Analytics: Introducing the Homo Analyticus).

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Figure 3: Convergence of D&A Skills and Expertise

Emerging Roles for D&A

As the transformation toward the digital and algorithmic business continues, you need to
get ready to develop new roles.

Here are just a few to consider:

■ Data ethicist: The data ethicist thinks through the unintended consequences of the
use of data and determines the risks and opportunities. What value can be generated
from new uses of data, and does that match the organization’s values? As not all
unintended consequences of data can be predicted, the data ethicist monitors for
unforeseen consequences that may lead to disproportionate insights into the lives of
people. Lastly, the data ethicist is responsible for making all stakeholders ethically
aware. When there is AI involved, and key topics include explainable AI and bias
detection, the role of the data ethicist becomes very technical and mathematical in
nature.

■ See Tool: How to Build a Digital Ethics Curriculum.

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■ Data product manager: This role is vital when business and information leaders
agree on monetizing data to generate revenue or reap other financial benefits. The
role includes three key functions. The first is conceiving and planning new ways to
monetize data. The second is identifying or developing markets for information
among partners and others. Finally, the third is coordinating with IT, marketing,
finance, legal and other product management groups to execute information product
objectives.

■ Decision engineer: Decision engineers support decision-making processes to ensure

the most optimal decisions are made. They have a deep understanding of how
effective decision-making processes work, also providing human and social
perspectives. Decision engineers proactively come up with better ways of making
optimal decisions, using various techniques and automation.

■ See Innovation Insight for Continuous Intelligence.

■ Knowledge engineer: This role is dedicated to supporting the business using rules,
knowledge graphs or other models as a conceptualization of domain knowledge.

■ See Case Study: Augment Domain-Expert Decisions With Knowledge Graphs

(BDO UK).

Evidence
Gartner Chief Data Officer Agenda Survey for 2022. This study was conducted to explore
and track the business impact of the CDO role and/or the office of the CDO and the best
practices to create a data-driven organization. The research was conducted online from
September through November 2022 among 496 respondents from across the world.
Respondents were required to be the highest-level data and analytics leader in the
organization: chief data officer; chief analytics officer; the most senior leader in IT with
data and analytics responsibilities; or a business executive, such as chief digital officer or
other business executive with data and analytics responsibilities. The survey sample was
gleaned from a variety of sources (including LinkedIn), with the greatest number coming
from a Gartner-curated list of over 4,519 CDOs and other high-level data and analytics
leaders. Disclaimer: Results of this study do not represent global findings or the market as
a whole, but reflect sentiment of the respondents and companies surveyed.

Document Revision History

What Are Must-Have Roles for Data and Analytics? - 6 July 2021
What Are the Must-Have Roles for Data and Analytics? - 23 April 2020

Gartner, Inc. | G00774299 Page 14 of 15

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Actionable, objective insight
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