Main Responsibilities and Required Skills for Data Steward

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A data steward is a professional who is responsible for managing, maintaining, and governing an organization's data assets. They develop and monitor data management policies and procedures, develop data governance processes, and validate data quality and integrity. In this blog post we describe the primary responsibilities and the most in-demand hard and soft skills for Data Stewards.

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Main Responsibilities of Data Steward

The following list describes the typical responsibilities of a Data Steward:

Address

Address, troubleshoot and escalate bottleneck situations.

Adhere to

Adhere to highest standards of ethics and integrity.

Align

  • Align action plan with agreed priorities and expectations based on business demand.

  • Align on action plans with clear accountability (RACI).

Analyze

Analyze data quality for specific teams and across the organization, reporting on findings.

Apply

Apply newly-verified data elements to database records in a software system.

Assess

Assess general data quality and identifies data issues.

Assist

  • Assist and accelerate data transformation within the strategic data projects.

  • Assist the team and other stakeholders with complex data issues.

Build

  • Build and foster effective external relationships and influence strategic direction.

  • Build cross functional relations internally and externally to drive data centricity.

Collaborate with

  • Collaborate with Data Owners to identify Key Data Elements using a SIPOC approach.

  • Collaborate with internal and external partners in data provisioning and governance strategies.

  • Collaborate with the Master Data Expert for implementation.

Collect

Collect, document and maintain technical, business and compliance metadata.

Communicate

Communicate with confidence and negotiates skillfully with internal and external groups.

Complete

  • Complete metadata and data quality tasks.

  • Complete the matching of Merit and SAP product master data.

Conduct

Conduct internal and external research projects.

Contribute to

  • Contribute to foster a data-driven culture into the Group.

  • Contribute to the Data Academy program dedicated to training, best practices and tips and tricks.

  • Contribute to the development of overall Data Management roadmap.

Control

Control and management of data access requests.

Coordinate

Coordinate with internal partners to design and implement client hierarchies.

Create

  • Create a climate in which team members strive to excel.

  • Create common vocabularies and cross-reference rules to map features across multiple data sources.

  • Create data quality transformations that repair defects in data.

  • Create processes along with access controls to monitor adherence.

  • Create project initiatives including onboarding new applications within Access Manager.

  • Create reporting around data governance progress for key stakeholders and management.

  • Create strategic capability roadmaps and execution plans.

Define

  • Define, build and maintain Master Data Management (MDM) approach.

  • Define data policy in alignment with business and QA.

  • Define Data Standards and business rules to ensure adherence.

  • Define strategic technical solutions with business and technology partners.

  • Define success in terms of the whole team.

Deliver

Deliver thought leadership for responses and compliance with same.

Detect

Detect redundant client data in CRM and data provider data.

Determine

Determine data criticality in the context of identified business processes.

Develop

  • Develop a deep understanding of the Enterprise Data Governance program and policies.

  • Develop and follow governance processes and work-flows to ensure data integrity, quality and recency.

  • Develop and manage business relationships with leaders across the organization.

  • Develop business requirements by researching / analyzing and documenting business data requirements.

  • Develop capacity forecasts based on utilization of the database environment, including storage.

  • Develop, facilitate and deliver training on implemented processes and procedures.

  • Develop front-end dashboards that meet financial reporting or analytic requirements of actuaries.

  • Develop global / enterprise focused data definitions, business rules and standards for Master Data.

  • Develop manual data extraction methods from key operational sources.

  • Develop, monitor and enforce data management policies, procedures, and standards.

  • Develop standardized reporting and performs customized analyses to inform business decisions.

  • Develop strategies to ensure continued data quality.

Drive

  • Drive for optimization / excellence.

  • Drive innovative approaches in making process more effective , efficient and engaging.

  • Drive Master Data initiatives and projects.

  • Drive master data initiatives and projects with functional business.

  • Drive business to deliver data stewardship / customer facing reporting services across the region.

  • Drive the development and evolution of data quality monitoring and reporting capabilities.

Educate

Educate users on master data processes and business rules.

Encourage

Encourage participation and involvement by all team members.

Engage

  • Engage in continuous personal growth and knowledge gathering.

  • Engage with business stakeholders to ensure ongoing evolution and maintenance of data quality rules.

Ensure

  • Ensure accuracy and quality of data.

  • Ensure all colleagues and contractors are Pfizer compliant.

  • Ensure data is compliant with defined standards, policies and quality requirements.

  • Ensure global master data integrity and quality across processes and business groups.

  • Ensure high quality standards are applied to the data sets accurately.

  • Ensure quality of master data through documentation, metrics, and ongoing maintenance.

  • Ensure seamless flow & consumption of master data across various systems and functions.

  • Ensure strong ongoing communication of CRUD process status and issues to key sponsors & leaders.

  • Ensure sufficient data quality is maintained so the data can effectively support the business.

  • Ensure that information meets customer needs.

  • Ensure that requests are approved.

Establish

  • Establish and maintain robust data profiling and reconciliation processes to ensure data usage.

  • Establish a strong culture of commitment and ownership within the team.

  • Establish metrics to monitor and identify areas for continuous improvement in the Master Data Hub.

  • Establish reporting to demonstrate effectiveness of program activities.

Execute

  • Execute data management operational and data quality controls throughout the data lifecycle.

  • Execute on remediation activities to close gaps or findings.

  • Execute on TDI Data Strategy and deliverables in alignment with Data Policy, Standards and Strategy.

Facilitate

  • Facilitate the documentation and approval of data quality guidelines and targets.

  • Facilitate the HCP / patient data stewardship for Pfizer commercial organization.

Focus on

Focus on accuracy and quality of work.

Forecast

Forecast and plan resource requirements for projects across Data Stewardship.

Foster

  • Foster a data-oriented culture.

  • Foster collaboration and cultivate innovation.

  • Foster Collaboration and Teamwork.

Gain

Gain trust and support of peers and encourages collaboration.

Help

  • Help develop business cases, manage project to time and cost objectives.

  • Help with data navigation & promotes stewardship.

Hold

Hold team / project members accountable for their work.

Identify

  • Identify and monitor risks effectively to manage risks within the team.

  • Identify data-related risks and monitor effectively to mitigate them.

  • Identify needs for innovation or operational support.

  • Identify and manage risks, raising issues as necessary.

  • Identify and monitor the quality of critical data elements.

  • Identify opportunities for improvement and incorporate it into the data strategy.

  • Identify, publish, monitor, and authorize trusted data sources with support from the Data Owner.

  • Identify the appropriate clinical data sources (internal and external).

Improve

  • Improve data accuracy to optimize business outcomes.

  • Improve quality, consistency, and compliance across BUs and countries.

Influence

Influence the development of said data policy.

Interpret

Interpret requests and determine appropriate course of action.

Investigate

  • Investigate data anomalies and discrepancies.

  • Investigate data quality case management and root cause analysis.

Keep abreast of

Keep abreast of global personal data and privacy legislation (proposed and effective).

Lead

  • Lead a team of Data Stewards, providing guidance and mentoring.

  • Lead data initiatives and analysis, building cross-team relationships.

  • Lead global and regional SFA projects.

  • Lead, motivate and build positive working relationships with internal and external partners.

  • Lead Segment Data Council meetings to manage and resolve data issues.

  • Lead the delivery of robust, standardized customer data for all commercial solutions.

  • Lead with Integrity and Respect.

Leverage

  • Leverage data analytics to identify critical data elements and data quality opportunities.

  • Leverage new technology to improve team and business performance.

  • Leverage relevant quantitative and qualitative information to improve processes.

Listen

Listen and resolve issues quickly or escalate them to others if necessary.

Maintain

  • Maintain and routinely report on KPIs to measure adoption and implementation.

  • Maintain consistency with enterprise data governance strategies.

  • Maintain detailed and up to date process documents for your area of knowledge.

  • Maintain focus of continuous improvement for existing data.

Manage

  • Manage data quality to effectively provide business decision support.

  • Manage data work activities requiring coordination across multiple areas.

  • Manage demand while adhering to service level agreements.

  • Manage his / her budget to ensure service delivery commitment and financial expectations are met.

  • Manage multiple priorities given aggressive timelines.

  • Manage relationships with senior stakeholders (Sr. director and above) across the organization.

  • Manage risk and regulatory compliance effectively, and.

  • Manage the support inbox for questions to the team.

Meet

Meet and maintain daily performance goals for speed and accuracy.

Mentor

Mentor and help direct junior Data Stewards and teammates.

Monitor

  • Monitor and enforce adherence to data management policies and procedures.

  • Monitor data, analyze reports and tracks specific activity to ensure records are synchronized.

Offer

Offer, evaluate and implement recommendations to enhance workflow and increase efficiency.

Oversee

Oversee the implementation of rules for data capture / creation / change / deletion.

Own

Own training for applications and data capabilities.

Perform

  • Perform ad-hoc analysis and financial reporting, as required.

  • Perform Change Control process which includes.

  • Perform data profiling using TD tooling and ad hoc system query languages to validate data analysis.

  • Perform other activities and special projects as directed by work stream Information Steward.

  • Perform system searches for data accuracy to identify duplicate requests.

Profile

Profile data to identify gaps / problems and recommend viable options to resolve.

Propose

Propose policy changes and / or new policies to the Data Governance Council.

Protect

Protect the interests of the organization.

Provide

  • Provide guidance to and / or may lead / co-lead moderately complex projects.

  • Provide insight into how and where teams can use data to help in day-to-day decision-making.

  • Provide quality rating management through data profiling and data lineage.

  • Provide specialized data governance / management advice and support to teams, management, leadership.

  • Provide stewardship of incoming data supporting Global data initiatives.

  • Provide strategy, oversight, and evaluation of Sales Force Automation.

  • Provide thought leadership and align the work of the team to the overall strategy of Data Governance.

Publish

Publish quarterly actuarial financial reporting dashboards using QlikView Management Console.

Recommend

Recommend process improvements to enhance overall data quality.

Research

  • Research and determine firm classifications according to predefined process.

  • Research and validate company info.

  • Research the Internet in the healthcare domain.

Review

Review and analyze reports of master data to ensure timely receipt of updates.

Serve

Serve as the first point of contact for data sets for commercial applications.

Set

Set data standards and guidelines.

Share

Share best practices in data use.

Solicit

Solicit field input via focus groups or other feedback mechanisms, where applicable.

Streamline

Streamline and scale systems across markets and BUs with central support.

Support

  • Support and maintain documentation of data dictionary, process, business rules and standards.

  • Support assessment and audit activities.

  • Support Day-to-Day Data Stewardship Operations.

  • Support manual data insertion processes into internal database environments.

  • Support organization's data governance objectives.

  • Support the Data Owners in collecting, documenting and maintaining data lineage.

  • Support the Data Owner with the validation of data entered in information systems, as needed.

  • Support the implementation of processes to maintain high quality data assets.

  • Support the Master Data Management tool and principles adoption.

Train

  • Train process participants in data definition, data remediation and CRUD processes.

  • Train data stewards and creates effective stewardship processes.

Understand

  • Understand financial instruments and the front-to-back lifecycle process.

  • Understand, remediate and implement changes in various forums on behalf of LOB.

  • Understand the role and responsibilities and continuously works to bring improvement and innovation.

  • Understand the root cause and recommend corrective measures.

  • Understand trends, identify issues and opportunities and recommend action to management.

Use

Use sound decision making capabilities including problem solving approaches, decision frameworks.

Validate

Validate data quality, integrity, accuracy and consistency.

Work with

  • Work efficiently in a team setting.

  • Work in a safe manner collaborating as a team member to achieve all outcomes.

  • Work in a typical bank setting.

  • Work with internal and external clients to define business need for standard CORE offerings.

  • Work with internal team members to determine mapping between client data sets.

  • Work with user groups as necessary to drive improvements to data quality, processes and procedures.

Most In-demand Hard Skills

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

  1. Data Governance

  2. Data Quality

  3. Data Management

  4. SQL

  5. Business

  6. Data Analysis

  7. MS Excel

  8. Cataloging

  9. Approval

  10. Collibra

  11. Data Assets Creation

  12. DGC

  13. Project Management

Most In-demand Soft Skills

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

  1. Written and oral communication skills

  2. Analytical ability

  3. Problem-solving attitude

  4. Attention to detail

  5. Interpersonal skills

  6. Collaborative

  7. Leadership

  8. Decision-making

  9. Flexible

  10. Organizational capacity

  11. Presentation

  12. Work independently with little direction

  13. Conceptual

  14. Creative

  15. Accuracy focus

  16. Facilitate and resolve conflicts

  17. Function in a high volume setting with tight deadlines

  18. Multi-task

  19. Organizational awareness

  20. Team player

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