Every job title associated with big data is in high demand these days and command enviable paychecks. But when enterprises spend, they want to be sure that they get real value for their investment, the same is true for the job of data architects.
Data architects are responsible for aligning business goals along with IT assets. This means that they envision how all the different components ultimately come together (like data, cloud services, software, hardware, networks, developers, testers, DBAs, and various other resources of an IT infrastructure).
Data architects are entrusted with correctly modeling how the infrastructure and its different components will align with the requirements of the business. They will also have to implement a plan to realize the model of daily operations while recognizing the requirements of constant change.
Check out: What It's Like To Be a Principle Data Architect at Tesla Motors
The model will include optimized data formats and structures, the resources themselves, and the best practices for handling data by the system and staff. To achieve this, data architects will have to be equipped with in-depth technical knowledge that can be employed in the context of what the business is trying to achieve.
Furthermore, they should also be able to convey this information in a manner that can be easily understood by business leaders.
But what makes a data architect great? Or even an industry superstar? Let’s dive right in!
Data architects know their audiences inside out
Superstar data architects know their audiences intimately and clearly understand their motivations. This enables them to easily identify what the audience wants or what the business is trying to achieve.
So they can come back to their business leaders with their own ideas about what can be achieved realistically and what’s just not possible.
They can establish a clear idea that business people understand
Data architects should display a deep understanding of their own field and be able to approach it in every angle possible. This means that they need to be able to clearly answer questions about big data and how it works to individuals for any background imaginable.
Video Guide: How To Create a Data Infrastructure
These individuals have a knack for keeping things simple to make it easy to connect with any audience they have to communicate with. In other words, they use language that is highly appropriate for each occasion.
They have a deep understanding of the public and private life of data
Data architects who are on top of their game have a clear understanding about how data is generated, what triggered the generation, and why it was generated. They also know how it flows and why it’s used.
This means that they are able to look beyond the simplicities of the information and find ways to work with innovative ways during the lifecycle of that data. Furthermore, they have a great understanding of good data architecture practices and all data oriented vices.
Superstar data architects are also able to build great data architectures even in web applications (which isn’t an easy feat). If that wasn’t great enough, they will also continue to strive to build excellent data models.
They know all there is to know about data governance
When you’re working with a superstar data architect, you don’t have to worry about data governance because they will be the masters of that domain. This is a core component of data management and they know how to manage it well.
Data architecture is at the center of today’s hottest technologies and trends (it’s also key to enterprise architecture). So you can expect the demand for data architects to keep outpacing supply for years to come.
