In the physical world, architects are trained professionals who design buildings and structures. They use their imagination and technical skills to create blueprints for construction.
In the world of IT, architects have a similar role, but their designs are for virtual resources. They specialize in the electronic aspects of data processing and come in various types such as domain, solutions, enterprise, and security architects.
In this article, we will focus on the data warehouse architect. We will cover their job description, responsibilities, necessary skills, salary range, and the companies currently offering such positions.
What is Data Warehouse?
A data warehouse is a large, centralized repository of data that is used for storing, managing, and analyzing data from multiple sources.
It provides a single source of truth for organizations to make informed decisions based on historical and current data.
Data warehouses are designed to support business intelligence and decision-making activities by enabling the efficient querying and analysis of data.
They are optimized for querying and analysis, rather than transaction processing, and are used to store historical data that can be analyzed to support decision-making processes.
Who is Data Warehouse Architect
A Data Warehouse Architect is a professional who designs and manages a data warehouse system, a centralized repository for storing and analyzing large amounts of data.
They are responsible for defining the data architecture, integrating data from multiple sources, and ensuring data is stored in a secure, reliable, and scalable manner.
The Data Warehouse Architect also works closely with stakeholders to understand their business requirements and ensure the data warehouse system meets those needs.
They should have a strong technical background in data warehousing, data modeling, and business intelligence, and be able to communicate technical information to both technical and non-technical team members.
Data Warehouse Responsibilities
The main responsibilities of a data warehouse are:
- Collecting and storing large amounts of data from various sources.
- Providing a centralized repository for data analysis and reporting.
- Enabling fast and efficient querying and retrieval of data.
- Supporting the integration and transformation of data from disparate sources.
- Ensuring data consistency, accuracy, and completeness.
- Providing a secure and controlled access to the data.
Data Warehouse Architect Skills Required
As you can see by the exhaustive (and exhausting!) list of responsibilities and roles, data warehouse architects have quite a lot on their plate. So naturally, the aspiring data warehouse architect needs the right skills to accomplish these tasks and meet all expectations.
Here is a list of hard and soft skills every data warehouse architect should ideally master:
1. Education
Typically, an aspiring data warehouse architect should possess at least a Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, or Electronics Engineering, along with a few years of relevant experience as a database administrator, solutions architect, software developer, or similar role.
Having hands-on experience in data warehouse architecture, such as through learning or mentoring, is an added advantage.
Although this is not a mandatory requirement, getting data warehouse architect certification improves your knowledge and competence in the field and could be a difference-maker to a prospective employer.
2. Understanding of Programming Languages
A data warehouse architect should have knowledge of programming languages such as:
- SQL – to extract, transform and load data into the warehouse and perform data manipulation and analysis.
- Python – to develop custom scripts for data cleaning, transformation and analysis.
- Java or C++ – to develop custom-built applications and integrations with the data warehouse.
- R – for statistical analysis and data visualization.
Knowing these programming languages can help a data warehouse architect to design and implement efficient and effective data warehouse solutions.
3. Understanding of Project Management
Project Management and Source Control tools are crucial for data warehouse architects to effectively manage the development and deployment of data warehousing projects.
- Git: A version control system used to track changes in source code and manage collaboration among team members.
- TFS (Team Foundation Server): A project management tool that provides version control, agile planning and reporting, and continuous integration and deployment.
- JIRA: A project management tool that provides tracking and reporting of software development tasks, bugs, and features.
By understanding and utilizing these tools, data warehouse architects can ensure the proper coordination, tracking and management of projects, and maintain the integrity of source code during the development and maintenance of data warehousing systems.
4. Familiar with Automation Process
DevOps is a set of best practices for software development and IT operations aimed at improving the speed, quality, and reliability of software delivery.
As a data warehouse architect, it’s important to have familiarity with DevOps practices and tools for automation of various processes in the software development lifecycle, such as:
- Building: Automating the process of compiling and assembling code into executable applications and libraries.
- Configuration: Automating the process of setting up the environment and infrastructure necessary for the application to run.
- Deployment: Automating the process of releasing and updating software to production.
- Documentation: Automating the process of generating and updating documentation and other project artifacts.
- Testing: Automating the process of testing software to identify and fix bugs and other issues.
- Monitoring: Automating the process of monitoring the performance, availability, and usage of software systems.
By understanding and implementing DevOps best practices and automation tools, data warehouse architects can ensure that data warehousing projects are delivered quickly, efficiently, and with high quality.
5. Communication Skill
Applicants must have very good written and spoken communication skills. In addition, they should have active listening abilities to help make strategic decisions and advise senior management on subjects that will impact the organization, such as specialized technical issues.
6. Strong Team Building Skills
Data warehouse architects need solid team-building skills. These skills help provide direction for complicated projects, mentor any junior team members, and effectively communicate the organization’s chosen technologies and frameworks across all development teams.
Data Warehouse Architect Salaries
The compensation for a data warehouse architect, given the extensive list of responsibilities, is commensurate with the job expectations. Let’s take a look at the salary range for a beginner and experienced data warehouse architect in the US, India, and the UK.
In the US, experienced data warehouse architects can earn an average salary of USD 125,083, according to Glassdoor. On the other hand, an entry-level position has an average yearly salary of USD 58,742, as reported by Ziprecruiter.
In India, an experienced data warehouse architect can earn a yearly average of ₹1,424,782, according to Indeed. For beginners, the average salary is ₹1,128,742, according to Salaryexpert.
In the UK, data warehouse architects with experience can earn an annual average salary of £74,341, according to Glassdoor. Entry-level architects start at £55,927 per year, according to Uk.talent.