I was surprised to hear that a couple of former colleagues had lost their roles in a recent restructure. Surprised not because restructures are unusual, but because of their depth of experience, knowledge, and skill. I have no doubt those qualities will see them quickly find new roles.
One of my most common commissions is to review the organisation and capability of IT or Digital teams. It is something I also did annually in my corporate roles, largely because the nature of technology, and the demands placed upon it, change constantly.
After Covid-19, we saw a huge surge in demand for data and technology roles. More recently, AI and automation have started to reverse that demand in some areas. Combined with ongoing budget pressure, many organisations are now reassessing the size, shape, and composition of their tech teams.
So which roles are “in”, and which are under review?
Some base principles still hold.
Customer and user focus – technology should work for the people who rely on it. Systems that technically function but frustrate users ultimately fail.
Quiet competence – delivering outcomes, resolving problems, and operating calmly and clearly under pressure.
T-shaped capability – people with deep expertise in a discipline, combined with the social skills to influence, collaborate, and challenge.
In response to regulatory demands and the emergence of AI, some organisations have created bespoke roles such as “data analyst” or “prompt engineer”. This is often reactive and sub-optimal. A stronger strategy is either to invest in gold-standard engineering or development skills, or to embed analytical and AI capability directly within business areas such as customer services or asset management, where insight is most valuable.
Security and compliance specialists are also becoming more prevalent as organisations seek to manage risk. The challenge, particularly for smaller providers, is affordability. There is a temptation to overload narrow data governance roles in pursuit of value for money. In many cases, a better approach is to broaden capability into architecture, system design, and compartmentalisation: focusing on least-privilege access while still enabling appropriate data flows. For organisations using AWS or other cloud platforms, cost optimisation also requires commercially savvy engineering skills, not just technical ones.
From these examples, a pattern emerges: engineering capability tends to trump analysis, which in turn trumps coordination. Skill depth usually wins.
If budgets are tight, which roles can you do without? That is an almost impossible question. Tomorrow’s expert is often today’s junior analyst. The real issue is how to maintain overall capability while remaining affordable.
My suggestion is a balanced portfolio approach:
A mix of internal capability and external resource, such as contractors—don’t try to do everything yourself.
Strong procurement and trusted partnerships with suppliers and consultants for major programmes.
Ongoing training and development, even at the risk of people outgrowing the organisation.
Consistent use of established frameworks such as ITIL, ISO standards, or project management methods, so everyone speaks the same language.
Restructures are rarely comfortable, but thoughtful design of roles and skills can help organisations stay resilient in an increasingly constrained and fast-moving environment.
