What is a data manager?

Data is now as critical for a business’s success as its people are. It underpins every business operation, so decision-makers need to know that they're getting high-quality data and keeping it secure. 

That’s where data managers come in.

A data manager is the person responsible for the storage, organization, and management of a business’s data ecosystem. Although their responsibilities and tasks overlap with those of other data-related staff members, a data manager focuses on how an organization develops its data systems and how it uses them, ensuring data is accurate, useful, and secure.

In this article, we’re going to take a closer look at the data manager role. We’ll explore what their main responsibilities are and how the role has evolved, and we’ll discuss how the data manager role differs from other data-related roles within a business. We’ll also lay out some of the fundamental skills you need to have to excel as a data manager.

What does a data manager do?

A data manager’s role is vast and varied. As every department in an organization uses data, a data manager will usually have a deep understanding of how the organization is doing, making them insightful and valuable members of the leadership team.

Some of the key roles and responsibilities that a data manager would typically be expected to carry out include:

• ‍Data compliance: Data managers must ensure that an organization utilizes data responsibly and ethically and complies with official standards and legislation.
• Data lifecycle management: Data managers play a role in all stages of the data lifecycle, from creation and interpretation through disposal.
• Data quality and classification: Data managers assess the validity and quality of data that is used for reporting insights or AI machine learning (ML).
• Data migration and integration: Data managers are responsible for ensuring data from all channels is integrated into a single, manageable data system.
• Cross-department coordination: As mentioned, data managers ensure that all business departments utilize data effectively and in collaboration with one another.

As you can see, a data manager’s role goes far beyond just collecting and securing data. There are many things to keep on top of to ensure the data a business relies on is useful and actionable.

How the role of a data manager has evolved

It’s reasonable to think that the data manager role is a relatively new one created for today’s tech-heavy, digital landscape. But actually, it’s been around for some time under various guises.

The record manager was an earlier iteration of the data manager. Before the digital transformation, they were the people responsible for looking after reams of physical information tucked away in endless filing cabinets. Data managers have now assumed many of those duties as well as the responsibilities of IT administrators, key personnel responsible for the upkeep and health of information systems.

As the transition to and focus on data has gathered pace, these information technology professionals are now expected to have an in-depth knowledge of data and how to use it strategically to make informed decisions. Thanks to the rapid evolution from managing paper records to digital data systems, many of these professionals have had to adapt quickly and incorporate data governance into their processes.

If you’d like to hear some great insights on the subject from industry leaders, check out this FILED podcast episode with RIMPA CEO Anne Cornish, where she discusses how records and information management professionals can maintain relevance in a world of frequent data breaches and emerging technologies like large language models (LLMs).

Why organizations need data managers

In 2025, the global enterprise data management market size is estimated to be around $123.2 billion. People around the world generate 402.74 million terabytes of data every day in all its various forms. 

Data forms the backbone of every business department, and for those businesses that engage with information intelligence, it underpins every business strategy decision. Businesses can no longer afford to treat data management as an afterthought. Instead, they must view it as a key operation that’s vital for the business’s growth and stability.

It’s little wonder that a great data manager is worth their weight in gold.

That’s even easier to understand when we consider their daily responsibilities, including:

• Streamlining data collection for efficient strategic use
• Troubleshooting problems related to data
• Validating data to maintain compliance standards
• Creating policies for effective data security across all departments
• Developing workflows for effective data management processes across all departments
• Preparing collected data for secure destruction and disposal

It’s a demanding role that can significantly impact an organization’s ability to be successful. Because data is such a valuable business asset, most organizations need a data expert they can rely on to deliver useful data, maintain it appropriately, and comply with all regulations. After all, a CEO wouldn’t rely on someone without an in-depth knowledge of finance and financial regulations to manage their accounts.

So why should data be treated differently?

Dealing with risk, privacy, and compliance

We’re right in the middle of a profound, global shift in how we think about personal data and privacy rights. Gartner predicted that 75% of the world’s population would have their data covered under modern privacy regulations by the end of 2024. The General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR), the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) are three major examples of regulations enacted to safeguard customers and their data in the last several years. 

With 40% of US consumers reporting that they aren’t convinced businesses will use their data ethically, data managers can play a pivotal role in helping their companies bridge the trust gap.  Organizations that collect or process individuals’ and consumers’ data (i.e. almost every organization) need to have someone whose focus is on data privacy compliance, safeguarding this asset, and ensuring it’s accessed and used according to applicable regulations.

Data managers can also help build consumer trust by ensuring their organizations are fully transparent with customers about how they’re using and protecting their data.

What skills does a data manager need?

As you might expect, a good data manager is expected to have a broad range of knowledge, expertise, and experience. This includes the technical hard skills that are specifically related to data science, as well as soft skill proficiencies that you’d expect to see in a data manager job description.

Hard skills

Managing data is complicated, so it’s not surprising that a data manager will need experience in several technical areas. Some of the skills required include:

• Experience with data management tools: SQL and database querying, data warehousing
• Skills in programming and scripting: Knowledge of programs such as Python
• Knowledge of cloud computer science: Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, etc.
• Understanding of data governance and compliance: GDPR, ISO, CCPA, etc.
• Experience with reporting and analytics: Data profiling, quality assurance

Soft skills

Data managers also need to demonstrate several key soft skills, including:

• Communication: Written and verbal, as well as cross-departmental
• Critical thinking and problem solving: Data analysis, ability to diagnose data issues and prioritize
• Resource management: Time management, multitasking
• Attention to detail: Data integrity and consistency
• Project management: Cross-departmental collaboration, time management

The data manager role vs. other data roles

What should be clear by now is that a data manager will likely have a hand in all business operations that involve data. And while they may have once been a specialist in a smaller data area, their role as a data manager is to essentially oversee all specialties to varying degrees.

That being said, there are still several other specialist data roles that many businesses will choose to utilize. It’s important to distinguish between these specialist roles, as they’ll usually have specific responsibilities within the overarching operation of business data management.

Here is a breakdown of some of the other specialist data career paths that shouldn’t be confused with a data manager.

As you can see, many of these roles have similar responsibilities, but the data manager will ultimately be held accountable for the data storage, usage, and utilization within a business.

The future of the data manager role

These days, the technological landscape is constantly changing. We’re seeing organizations develop new ways of using data every day, and AI is playing a larger part in carrying out a wide range of data-related tasks. It’s an exciting time, and businesses have reason to be optimistic about it.  

There’s no doubt that as data and AI use continue to evolve, the role of data manager will, as well. We can’t overestimate how important data will continue to be for businesses across all sectors in the coming years, so what is unlikely to change is the need for effective data managers. It’s one of the many reasons that the data manager role is a very exciting one. With their skills and expertise, data managers will likely always be influential members of their organizations.

And for those data specialists out there who are already doing this key work under different titles, it might be time to make your case and demonstrate exactly what you’re contributing to your company and why it’s so vital.

At RecordPoint, we have been helping data workers and organizations manage, govern, and utilize their data for over 15 years. We specialize in everything from data compliance and discovery to modern AI governance understanding and more.

Get in touch today to book a demo and see how we can help your business grow.

FAQs

What are the biggest challenges that data managers face?

The data manager role is an important one. It comes with a lot of responsibility and pressure, which can be tough to handle at times. Some of the other main challenges that a data manager will face include making sure that data strategies align with larger business goals, keeping abreast of frequent changes and updates to data regulations, and responding to attempted cyber breaches.

How is data quality maintained by data managers?

Data managers will employ a number of strategies and use several tools to help maintain the quality of their data. They’ll implement various data validation rules within AI algorithms to ensure only ‘good’ data gets through. They’ll also conduct regular data audits and enforce governance policies across the entire business.

What industries hire data managers?

While it sounds like quite a technical role, all businesses that have a digital component will require a data manager in some capacity. Healthcare, finance, eCommerce, and governmental organizations, in particular, are all likely to require highly qualified data managers.

What qualifications are needed to become a data manager?

Most data managers will have completed a bachelor's degree in computer science as well as a master’s degree in something like business administration, with a particular focus or major in an IT-related area. They may also have additional qualifications, such as a Certified Data Management Professional (CDMP) certification.