A Data Migration Specialist is a professional who specializes in the movement of data from one system or platform to another. They play a crucial role in ensuring the successful transfer and integration of data, often working on complex projects that involve large volumes of information. Data Migration Specialists are responsible for analyzing data structures, mapping data fields, validating data integrity, and implementing efficient migration strategies. In this blog post, we describe the primary responsibilities and the most in-demand hard and soft skills for Data Migration Specialists.

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Main Responsibilities of a Data Migration Specialist

The following list describes the typical responsibilities of a Data Migration Specialist:

Analyze

• Analyze data structures

• Analyze, prepare and execute data cleansing services.

• Analyze, specify and document data migration requirements with clients and internal teams.

Articulate

Articulate how they fit with Lever company and MENTS GTM strategy.

Assist with

• Assist others with the selection of approaches, methods and / or services as required.

• Assist support department with escalated client questions.

Attend

Attend Ramp Camp which is Lever's week-long version of onboarding.

Champion

Champion standards and implementation process that you define with the team.

Cleanse

Cleanse and validate data

Collaborate with

• Collaborate with cross-functional teams

• Collaborate with data architects to design data migration solutions

• Collaborate with the Customer Experience team, ensuring quicker and more accurate data management.

Communicate

Communicate progress and challenges to project stakeholders

Complete

• Complete and encourage others to complete administrative tasks in an accurate and timely manner.

• Complete assigned tasks in an organized manner to ensure project deadlines.

Conduct

• Conduct data impact analysis

• Conduct post-migration data validation

• Conduct testing to ensure client requirements are fulfilled.

Contribute to

• Contribute regularly to our customer-facing knowledge base [Help Center].

• Contribute to the release and cutover strategy.

Coordinate with

• Coordinate with stakeholders to gather requirements

• Coordinate with system administrators and database administrators

Create

• Create and maintain Excel / VBA based independent utilities.

• Create complex SQL scripts that can be used to match diverse data sets.

• Create new processes, tools, and templates as needed.

• Create spreadsheets with large numbers of figures without mistakes.

• Create your roadmap for improvements and plans spanning the next six month.

Develop

• Develop and execute test plans

• Develop and test data migration jobs / routines.

• Develop data migration scripts or programs

• Develop data migration strategies

• Develop methods to communicate progress internally and to clients.

• Develop new service opportunities based on customer needs aligned with company strategy.

• Develop templates for Data Migration objects that can be leveraged for multiple rollouts.

Document

Document data migration processes and procedures

Drive

Drive towards better decisions to speed up implementation and improve the way we migrate.

Enhance

Enhance customer satisfaction by providing distinctive service in all interactions.

Ensure

• Ensure adherence to change control process.

• Ensure compliance to all development standards and naming conventions.

• Ensure compliance with data protection regulations

• Ensure data integrity throughout the migration process

• Ensure that changes are validated, tracked and released in a controlled manner.

Establish

Establish a trusted advisor relationship to ensure customer satisfaction.

Evaluate

Evaluate impact and revenue potential.

Execute

Execute data migrations incrementally and provide resulting data to the Data Consultants.

Extract

• Extract data from source systems

• Extract, transform, and load are terms often used by the team.

Gather

• Gather, analyze and process client data during data migrations.

• Gather buy-in, secure resources, test and sell 1 - 2 new service offerings.

Handle

Handle escalated customer complaints and concerns as needed.

Help

Help coach other team members on leveling up their technical expertise and process efficiency.

Identify

• Identify and mitigate data risks

• Identify and test for bugs and bottlenecks in the ETL solution.

• Identify data migration requirements

• Identify process improvement opportunities for efficiency and to ensure scalability.

Implement

• Implement data security measures

• Implement new Mapping and ETL scripts.

Lead

• Lead by example with patience, understanding, and compassion.

• Lead data cleaning and dedupe program to drive accurate and complete data.

Maintain

• Maintain appropriate levels of data security and privacy relating to customer data.

• Maintain data migration documentation and artifacts

Manage

• Manage migration of data from Legacy systems to D365 F& O & CE for all objects assigned to you.

• Manage project timelines and deliverables

Map

Map data fields between source and target systems

Master

Master the product through formal onboarding program and continued learning.

Migrate

• Migrate 100% of all clients to new global rates service (GRS).

• Migrate client data from various sources to our new global rates management system.

Monitor

Monitor data migration progress and performance

Optimize

Optimize data migration processes for efficiency

Participate in

Participate in peer-reviews of solution designs and related code.

Perform

• Perform data migration audits and reconciliation.

• Perform data quality assessments

• Perform data reconciliation and verification

• Perform migration and testing of static / transaction data from one core system to another.

• Perform regular backups to ensure data preservation.

Plan

Plan and coordinate database and migration changes with internal teams.

Prioritize

Prioritize and complete projects / tasks to meet deadlines.

Profile

Profile data results from legacy data sources.

Propose

Propose a data migration and reconciliation strategy.

Provide

• Provide superb customer service throughout the data migration process.

• Provide timely response to customer inquiries via phone and email.

• Provide training and support to end-users

Receive

Receive direction from department head and Onboarding Managers.

Represent

Represent Services department at offsite meetups with customers and prospects.

Retrieve

Retrieve data from the database or electronic files as requested.

Sort

Sort and organize paperwork after entering data to ensure it is not lost.

Stay updated with

Stay updated with emerging data migration technologies and best practices

Stretch

Stretch – Establish new processes to speed up client migration by 1 month.

Support

• Support and positively promote Foster Moore's overall organisational vision, values and culture.

• Support the quality assurance and user acceptance testing.

Take

Take the initiative to present ways to improve and streamline processes.

Track

• Track and communicate progress to stakeholders.

• Track record retrieving and analyzing data using Excel, Access, and Salesforce data migration tools.

Transform

• Transform and load data into the respective data warehouse for a modernization initiative.

• Transform data to meet target system requirements

Translate

Translate functional requirements into technical specifications for ETL development.

Travel

Travel to industry conferences and visit customers onsite when called upon.

Troubleshoot

Troubleshoot and resolve data migration issues

Use

Use of spreadsheets to organize and filter large data sets.

Utilize

• Utilize SalesForce to manage customer interaction and inquiries.

• Utilize Zoom to provide efficient face-to-face customer service.

Validate

• Validate and analyze data sets to ensure data consistency and internal requirements are met.

• Validate with Sales, Product, Marketing, and CXS.

Verify

Verify data by comparing it to source documents.

Work with

• Work in a team environment and partnered with an Onboarding Manager.

• Work with domain experts to refine service offering details.

Write

Write validation scripts to run over the Staging tables to report any invalid data.

Most In-demand Hard Skills

The following list describes the most required technical skills of a Data Migration Specialist:

1. Proficiency in data extraction and transformation tools

2. Strong SQL querying and scripting skills

3. Knowledge of ETL (Extract, Transform, Load) processes

4. Familiarity with data modeling and database design principles

5. Experience with data migration tools and software

6. Understanding of data mapping and data transformation techniques

7. Proficiency in data cleansing and data validation techniques

8. Knowledge of data integration and consolidation methods

9. Expertise in data profiling and data quality assessment

10. Understanding of data warehousing concepts and practices

11. Familiarity with cloud-based data migration solutions

12. Experience with data migration across different platforms and systems

13. Proficiency in programming languages such as Python or Java

14. Knowledge of data governance and data management principles

15. Understanding of data security and privacy regulations

16. Experience with data migration in large-scale enterprise environments

17. Familiarity with data migration testing methodologies

18. Proficiency in data visualization and reporting tools

19. Knowledge of data archival and data retention strategies

20. Understanding of data synchronization and replication techniques

Most In-demand Soft Skills

The following list describes the most required soft skills of a Data Migration Specialist:

1. Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities

2. Excellent attention to detail

3. Effective communication and interpersonal skills

4. Ability to work collaboratively in cross-functional teams

5. Strong organizational and project management skills

6. Adaptability and flexibility in a dynamic work environment

7. Ability to handle multiple tasks and prioritize effectively

8. Strong documentation and technical writing skills

9. Critical thinking and decision-making skills

10. Continuous learning mindset and willingness to stay updated with industry trends

Conclusion

Data Migration Specialists play a crucial role in ensuring the successful transfer of data between systems. Their technical expertise in data extraction, transformation, and validation, coupled with strong communication and problem-solving skills, make them invaluable assets in data migration projects.