FIVE HOT JOBS IN IT IN 2020 (THAT MIGHT NOT EVEN EXIST YET)
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Planning ahead? We looked into the crystal ball to see what some of the key emerging roles might be over the next five years, based on current trends. 

1.    Cloud Integration Architect

As enterprises buy more cloud solutions, maintain on-premise solutions and embrace hybrid scenarios, the issue of cloud integration is going to come to the fore. A cloud integration architect will be involved in the purchase process, advising both IT and line business functions, and will manage the integration of new and existing solutions.

Candidates for this role will probably have a traditional IT background – and a love of problem-solving.

“Anything regarding integration between systems will be a hot job – cloud to cloud, cloud to on-premise, both SAP and non-SAP. These systems need to communicate robustly, securely and in real time, so anyone with those integration skills – including Java, HTML, mobility and user interface – will be in demand,” says Leanne O’Connor, managing director, Systems and People.

2. Chief Data and Analytics Officer (also Analytics Practice Leader, Head of People Analytics, Information Insight Enabler)

There is already strong growth in the data space, and by the end of the decade, data and analytics is expected to be so highly valued by enterprises that it will be elevated to the C-suite.

The CDAO will drive and operations around data capture and synthesis, working with IT and the business to compile, filter, analyse and protect data.

Another potential role leveraging big data and analytics capabilities, according to executive search firm CTPartners, will be Head of People Analytics – using data and analytic tools to serve as an advisor to the CEO on an enterprise’s human capital.

With more and more business users having access to sophisticated business intelligence and analytics tools, we may also see the rise of the Information Insight Enabler – effectively a coach to work with executives and employees within the business to help them understand data and how to manipulate it to gain the insights they are after. These candidates may have backgrounds in research, statistics and analytics, as well as technology understanding.

Peter Acheson, CEO, Peoplebank, says to source data science specialists, recruiters are already looking beyond IT into other disciplines such as mathematics and other applied sciences into IT, because they have the requisite skill sets.

“We are pulling applied mathematicians, who think they will end up as a lecturer in mathematics, into data scientist roles. We are pulling in zoologists, because the core skill in data science is pattern recognition, and that’s one of the core skills of zoologists,” says Acheson. “In terms of remuneration, they are landing jobs they could never have conceived of in those other disciplines.”

3. Collaboration and Social Media Evangelist/Analyst

For the social media butterflies, there will be opportunities to leverage these sklils at the enterprise level, according to advisory and consulting company, CEB.

With a growing emphasis on collaboration, both internally and among networks of suppliers, customers and partners, a Collaboration and Social Media Evangelist will understand the tools, technologies and human factors to drive greater collaboration and use the power of social connectedness to achieve business outcomes.

Greg Daniel, national practice leader, KPMG SR7, says social media will increase its presence in more traditional business functions, beyond just marketing, but as the resources required to manage vast amounts of data and high levels of engagement grow, so will the importance of Social Media Analyst and Community Engagement Officer roles.

4. User Experience Specialist

As consumer expectations of technology increase in both their personal and professional lives, the role of User Experience Specialist will also increase in demand. They could, in fact, be an enterprise’s first line of defence against ‘shadow IT’, by ensuring that the tools employees are required to use are engaging and effortless, lifting productivity in the process.

This role will involve more than just slapping a pretty interface on a solution – it’s about the whole user experience, and this may require architecture and integration skills, design thinking or innovation capability, as well as expertise in mobile and web technologies and enterprise solutions.

5. Customer Experience Engineer

Arising from the new focus on customer engagement and achieving omnichannel customer experience, the Customer Experience Engineer will need to take a big picture view to orchestrate the various solutions, touchpoints and information pathways. They will also need to be an analytics expert, to be able to capture and interpret customer data, and translate it into process improvement and actionable insights for the business.

Report Credit to Freya Purnell from InsideSAP


BT People (www.btpeople.com.au) Experienced and expert recruitment for your IT/ERP system Business Transformation projects. APSCo Certified