Data governance roles

Data governance roles support the management and use of data in companies.

Why data governance roles are critical

In a world in which companies generate and process millions of data points every day, defining clear responsibilities is essential for survival.

Data governance roles create the organizational clarity that companies need to extract maximum value from their data assets. They define who is responsible for which aspects of data management, how decisions are made and how compliance requirements are met.

The Strategic Data Governance Roles

Chief Data Officer (CDO)

‍The Chief Data Officer acts as a Strategic Leader and Drives Data-Driven Transformation at C-Level. 85% of Fortune 500 companies have now established a CDO, as this role has been shown to increase the likelihood of success of data initiatives by 3x.

Data Owner

Data Owner have overall responsibility for specific data areas or domains. They make strategic decisions about data usage, access, and quality standards. Typically, these are managers from the respective specialist areas who have both business and data expertise.

Data Steward

Data Steward are the Operational Guardians of Data Quality. They implement the guidelines defined by data owners in day-to-day business and ensure consistent data standards. Companies with active data steward programs have 45% fewer data quality issues.

The technical data governance roles

Data Architect

Data architects design and implement the technical data infrastructure that Data Governance enables. They create the foundations for Data warehouse, Data Lake or Data Lakehouse-Architectures and ensure that technical systems support governance requirements.

Data Engineer

‍Data Engineers develop and operate the systems for Data Engineering, ETL processes and Data integration. They ensure that data flows safely, efficiently and quality-assured through the corporate landscape.

Data Analyst/Data Scientist

Data Analyst and data scientists use them through Governance structures data provided for analyses, Machine learning and Business intelligence. They are both users and quality monitors of the data stocks.

The Regulatory Data Governance Roles

Data Information Security Officer

‍Data Information Security Officers protect corporate data from unauthorized access, cyber threats, and data leaks.

Data Privacy Officer/Data Protection Officer (DPO)

‍DPoS ensure compliance with data protection regulations such as the GDPR. Violations could result in fines of up to 4% of annual turnover, which is why this role is essential, particularly in regulated industries.

Compliance manager

‍Compliance manager monitor compliance with industry-specific regulations and integrate regulatory requirements into governance processes.

The interplay of roles in practice

Strategic level

‍CDO and data owner define the overall goals and guidelines for data use, while at the same time aligning business requirements with technical options.

Operational level

‍Data stewards, data engineers and data analysts translate strategic requirements into concrete processes and ensure daily quality assurance and data use.

Control level

‍Data Security Officers and Data Privacy Officers continuously monitor compliance with security and data protection standards and take corrective action in the event of discrepancies.

Role definition and implementation with The Data Institute

The Data Institute helps companies successfully establish and implement data governance roles:

Consulting & role design

‍Through our Data Audit we identify your current governance gaps and develop a tailored role strategy. Our Organization development defines specific responsibilities and interfaces.

Implementation & change management

‍We support practical implementation through job profiling, candidate selection and onboarding. Our Interim mandates bridges critical positions during transformation phase.

Governance framework development

‍In parallel with the role definition, we develop the necessary Data Governance-Processes and technical principles through Data Engineering and Reporting & BI-systems.

Culture Transformation

‍By Process & cultural development we create acceptance for new roles and promote a data-driven way of working at all levels of the company.

Success factors for data governance roles

Clear delimitation and responsibilities

‍Overlaps and ambiguities in responsibilities lead to 40% of all governance issues. Precise role definitions are therefore critical to success.

Executive Sponsorship

Data governance roles require strong management support to function effectively and enforce necessary decisions.

Continuous development

‍Roles must evolve with changing business requirements and technological developments. Regular reviews are essential.

Tooling and technology

Modern Data Governance Tools and Data catalog systems help roles to carry out their tasks efficiently.

Data governance roles in various company sizes

Startups and small businesses

‍Here, several roles are often filled by one person. A data engineer can be a data steward and a data analyst at the same time.

Medium-sized companies

‍Specialization is increasing, critical roles such as data owner and data steward are filled separately, while strategic roles such as CDO are often advised externally.