Data Architects and System Architects – The roles and their importance

The core focus of architecture, and of those who practice it as a profession, is to plan the design, layout, and construction of buildings. The Data Architects and System Architects employed in the planning and building of business-critical data infrastructures have a similarly vital role to play in their industries. Read on to find out more about these intriguing professions.

What does a Data Architect do?

Let’s start with a quick look at the field in which these professionals operate. Data Engineering is all about generating data and storing it in databases and data warehouses for historical record-keeping and further processing; the data is supplemented and made available to other parties. Two professional roles are involved in this process:
The first of which is the Data Engineer, who explores the data and develops an appropriate software solution. This role primarily focuses on ETL and Data Warehousing.

With sufficient professional and business intelligence experience behind them, data engineers can progress to the next rung of the career ladder, climbing to the position of Data Architect.
Data Architects design, deploy, and manage big data and cloud infrastructures, and know how to impart this information to others. They assess potential (internal and external) data sources and devise plans to integrate, centralize, secure, and maintain this data, working closely with users, System Designers, and Developers within a project team.

What does a System Architect do?

Even further up the career progression ladder and with a birds-eye view of the entire system is the System Architect, who assumes responsibility for planning, developing, and providing new data and IT infrastructures for companies. These professionals work in conjunction with Managed Cloud and Colocation services to analyze existing IT architectures and provide technical advice. They also design and implement system architectures and processes, including to DevOps criteria, for complex web and big data projects.

With a comprehensive skillset and generally more than ten years’ experience to match, System Architects work on advanced and complex technical projects or business issues, utilizing cutting-edge technology and drawing on their expert sector knowledge. Keeping tabs on industry trends and the latest system architecture technologies is a key element of the role.

Data and System Architects are in demand

With the right qualifications, both types of architects are in high demand in industry. As professional experience and skill level are inextricably linked, forward-thinking companies are now starting to train their own data architects and system architects via in-house academy models. The unbelievable Machine Company offers academy-based training at its Berlin, Frankfurt, and Vienna offices, and currently has several open vacancies to fill.

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