One way I keep my finger on the pulse of API governance is studying the job postings out there in any given moment. I learn a lot from what companies are asking for via their job posts, while also understanding which companies and industries are finding themselves at the point in their API journey where API governance is needed.
I am unpacking give API governance job posts for First Citizen Bank, Wells Fargo, [VLink[(https://www.linkedin.com/jobs/view/api-governance-at-vlink-inc-3987566021/), Humana, and Bloomberg. That represents 2 Banks, an IT Management, Financial, and Healthcare company so far. Interesting. Lots to learn across these postings beyond just the usage of AI to write your job descriptions.
Honestly I struggle with the separation of skills, responsibilities, and requirements across these posts. There is a lot of streams being crossed and redundancy of concepts, just using slightly different words. The obsession for standardization (not listed) in me is pushing me towards crafting a standardize API governance job description from what I am seeing–something that will take me time to do properly, but to prime the pump, here is what companies are looking for when it comes to API governance at the enterprise level.
- Align with Industry Regulations
- Align With Industry Standards
- Awareness of Latest API Technologies
- Awareness of Latest API Trends
- Balance Control Over APIs
- Balance API Strategy with Company
- Centralize API Governance
- Collaborate with Cross-Functional Teams
- Collaborate with Developers
- Collaborate with Partners
- Collaborate with Product Managers
- Collaborate with Stakeholders
- Collaborate with Vendors
- Communicate with Leadership
- Communicate With Stakeholders
- Conduct Regular Assessments
- Conduct Regular Audits
- Conduct Regular Reviews
- Continuously Improve
- Define API Capabilities
- Define API Consumption Standards
- Define API Deployment Standards
- Define API Design Standards
- Define API Development Standards
- Define API Governance Policies
- Define API Governance Procedures
- Define API Governance Strategies
- Define API Guidelines
- Define Operational Standards
- Define Retirement Standards
- Define Versioning Standards
- Drive Scale
- Drive Sophistication
- Drive Velocity
- Educate Teams
- Ensure API Compliance
- Ensure Consistency
- Ensure Optimal Functionality
- Ensure Secure APIs
- Ensure User Experience
- Evangelize API Patterns
- Evangelize APIs
- Excellent Communication Skills
- Experience Detailed Oriented
- Experience with Amazon Web Services
- Experience with Analytical Thinking
- Experience with API Management
- Experience with Business Systems Data
- Experience with Google Cloud
- Experience with Microsoft Azure
- Federate API Governance
- Feedback Mechanisms
- Feedback Metrics
- Govern Synchronous and Asynchronous API
- Have Technical background
- Identify API Risk
- Identity API Vulnerabilities
- Implement API Governance Policies
- Implement API Governance Procedures
- Implement API Governance Strategies
- Implement Security Measures
- Lead API Modernization
- Lead Complex Initiatives
- Maintain API Catalog
- Maintain API Registry
- Maintain API Repositories
- Manage API Onboarding
- Manage API Lifecycle
- Measure API Performance
- Measure API Risk
- Monitor API Performance
- Monitor API Usage
- Participate in Conferences
- Provide API Support
- Provide Strategic Product Recommendations
- Provide Technical Expertise
- Solve Abstract Problems
- Track API Performance
- Track API Usage
- Train Team Members
- Troubleshoot APIs
- Understand API Design
- Understand OpenAPI
First, that is a lot of shit y’all are asking for. Granted, this list comes from across all five job postings, but I felt like the list is pretty long while reading each one of them. There is a lot of define, implement, execute, measure, enforce, educate across almost every stage of the API lifecycle. There is a lot of expectation that governance is responsible for the change, and not adequate verbage about what compliance, security, product, marketing, communications, sales, and leadership teams are bringing to the table–it is more about setting polices and performing broadcast governance.
Sadly, this list represents the current state of where governance is needed–everywhere. This isn’t API governance, this is enterprise governance. With the role that APIs play in all parts of the enterprise, internally and externally these days, the technology, business, policies, and people of all of this listed above is enterprise governance. I am going to weigh this list against my current definition of API governance and I am preparing a template API governance job posting that I will submit to the API Commons for anyone to use–providing an openly licensed API governance job posting that accurately represents the current state of APIs, but also meets enterprise where they are today.
