CIOs Say Data Engineers, AI Architects Hardest Roles to Fill
TechTarget, Wednesday, August 26th, 2026
CIOs report the toughest hiring gaps are in AI infrastructure and enterprise-scale data engineering.
CIOs face mounting difficulty hiring for AI and data specialist roles, especially data engineers and AI architects with enterprise-scale experience.
Seven IT leaders note that the hardest positions demand both deep technical expertise and business acumen - people who can translate business problems into production-ready solutions.
Beyond AI-specific roles, organizations also need transformation leaders who understand technology, how data interconnects, and business strategy, all while keeping existing operations running.