Report / BI builder × model
Anyone who builds reports must understand and help shape the semantic model — otherwise shadow logic and KPI drift follow.
Data Architect
Focus
Data Architect
Owns the full interface surface: grain, data contracts, and interface stability across domains and marts. Works with steward and platform — without becoming the bottleneck for every ticket.
Decision boundaries
Owns
- Grain and model consistency across domains
- Data contracts and cross-domain interface stability
- Control of breaking changes at interfaces
- Input on stack and mart decisions
- Anti-pattern prevention (bottleneck, paper architecture)
Does not
- Business purpose and access (owner)
- Day-to-day catalog and DQ work (steward)
- Product prioritization (product owner)
- Runtime ops and backup alone (custodian)
Typical tasks
- Set grain and entity boundaries Architecture review
- Govern data contracts and breaking changes Contract / interface board
- Check mart and stack fit with platform Stack / fit review
- Coach stewardship on modeling questions Office hours / design crit
- Check KPI contracts for grain consistency Metric contract review
Works with
Bridge patterns
See all bridge profiles on the Roles hub
Steward × architect
Domain definitions plus grain/contract questions in one person — works when scope is small and the domain is clear.
Spans
Architect owns the interfaces
Not a new hat: the data architect is accountable for the full interface surface — contracts, breaking changes, and stability across domains.
Spans
Custodian × architect
Platform fit: architecture boundaries and runtime reality in one person — useful for stack and operations decisions.
Spans
Recommended learning paths
Recommended tools
Stories
Glossary
Short definition for shared language — not the starting point for this role.