Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Data Clerk

🎯 Role Definition

The Data Clerk is an operational role focused on accurate and timely data capture, database and records maintenance, and routine data-quality activities that support business processes. This role requires exceptional attention to detail, familiarity with common data systems (Excel, CRM, ERP, database front-ends), and the ability to follow established procedures for data entry, validation, scanning, and reconciliation. The Data Clerk contributes to operational efficiency by ensuring that source documents are captured correctly, records are organized and accessible, discrepancies are investigated and resolved, and management receives clean, auditable data.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Administrative Assistant with data entry responsibilities
Receptionist or Office Clerk performing records tasks
Seasonal or temporary data entry roles supporting audits or projects

Advancement To:

Data Coordinator
Junior Data Analyst
Records Manager / Document Control Specialist
Operations Specialist focused on process improvement

Lateral Moves:

Customer Service Representative with CRM focus
Inventory Clerk or Logistics Support Specialist

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Accurately enter high volumes of customer, transactional, inventory, or clinical data into the company database or enterprise systems while maintaining a target error rate and meeting daily throughput KPIs.
Verify source documents, perform multi-field cross-checks and reconcile incoming records against existing system entries to identify, document, and correct discrepancies before final submission.
Perform routine validation rules and quality-control checks, flagging anomalies for supervisor review and creating audit trails that support traceability and regulatory compliance.
Scan, index, and categorize physical and electronic documents using OCR and document management systems, ensuring metadata is complete and searchable for downstream users.
Maintain and update master data tables, reference lists, and lookup fields to reflect name, address, product, pricing, and classification changes, following version control and approval workflows.
Execute bulk uploads and batch processing tasks (CSV, Excel imports), mapping fields correctly and validating post-load counts and data integrity to prevent system errors.
Reconcile daily transaction logs, posting summaries, and exception reports, and prepare supporting documentation for finance, billing, or audit teams as required.
Support mailroom and records retention programs by processing incoming paper correspondence, capturing required data fields, and routing scanned copies to the appropriate business owners.
Monitor incoming data feeds from external partners and vendors, validate feed consistency, report feed issues, and coordinate corrective actions with IT or vendor support teams.
Create and maintain organized physical and electronic filing systems per company retention schedules, ensuring secure storage and controlled access to sensitive records.
Prepare regular operational reports that summarize data-entry volumes, error rates, exception backlogs, and productivity metrics for supervisors and process improvement initiatives.
Use standard macros, templates, and formulas in spreadsheets to speed data transformation while documenting any automated steps to ensure reproducibility and auditability.
Follow established data privacy, confidentiality, and security protocols when handling personally identifiable information (PII) or protected health information (PHI), including secure shredding and encrypted transfers.
Respond to internal and external data inquiries by retrieving records, performing lookup queries, and delivering accurate information within SLA windows while documenting request outcomes.
Maintain knowledge base entries, SOPs, and process notes describing common data-entry scenarios, error resolutions, and system tips to reduce onboarding time for future hires.
Assist in onboarding and training of temporary or junior staff by demonstrating correct data-entry techniques, quality-check procedures, and the use of system tools and templates.
Participate in scheduled system and process audits, providing supporting documentation, samples, and explanations for entries queried by auditing teams.
Coordinate with business users to clarify ambiguous records, obtain missing source information, and reclassify transactions when business rules or master data point to an alternative handling.
Track and escalate recurring data quality issues to team leads and suggest process or system changes to mitigate root causes, including basic recommendations for validation rules or dropdown restrictions.
Manage basic user access tasks for data-entry platforms (with appropriate approvals), such as requesting role-level changes, reporting access errors, and ensuring proper segregation of duties.
Execute periodic cleanse projects, such as address standardization, duplicate record merges, and inactive record purges, following documented procedures and obtaining authorized approvals.
Support ad-hoc extraction requests by running standard queries, exporting datasets, and delivering sanitized reports formatted for analysts or external partners.
Maintain equipment used for data capture—scanners, barcode readers, printers—and report malfunctions promptly to facilities or IT to prevent workflow interruption.
Ensure compliance with company SLA targets for turnaround time, accuracy, and customer response by monitoring personal and team metrics and prioritizing backlog items appropriately.

Secondary Functions

Support ad-hoc data requests and exploratory data analysis.
Contribute to the organization's data strategy and roadmap.
Collaborate with business units to translate data needs into engineering requirements.
Participate in sprint planning and agile ceremonies within the data engineering team.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

High-volume data entry proficiency with proven speed and accuracy, typically 50–100+ entries per hour depending on complexity.
Advanced Microsoft Excel skills (VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP, INDEX/MATCH, pivot tables, conditional formatting, basic macros).
Familiarity with common CRM/ERP platforms (Salesforce, Microsoft Dynamics, SAP or similar) and ability to navigate object records and related modules.
Experience with document management systems and OCR workflows (Kofax, Abbyy, SharePoint, DocuWare).
Basic SQL querying skills for simple data extraction and validation (SELECT, WHERE, JOIN).
Knowledge of CSV/Excel import/export best practices and batch upload mapping.
Understanding of data quality concepts: validation rules, referential integrity, duplicate detection, and reconciliation methodologies.
Use of barcode scanners, label printers, and mobile capture devices in data intake workflows.
Familiarity with data privacy and security standards (PII handling, GDPR basics, HIPAA awareness where applicable).
Experience with report creation and scheduled exports using built-in reporting tools or BI front-ends.
Comfortable using ticketing and workflow tools (Jira, ServiceNow, Zendesk) to manage requests and issues.

Soft Skills

Exceptional attention to detail and high personal accuracy threshold.
Strong verbal and written communication skills for clarifying records and documenting exceptions.
Time management and prioritization skills to meet strict SLAs in a high-throughput environment.
Problem-solving orientation with the ability to investigate root causes and propose corrective actions.
Team player mindset with the willingness to assist peers and adapt to changing business priorities.
Discretion and integrity when handling confidential or sensitive data.
Patience and persistence when working through repetitive tasks while maintaining quality.
Flexibility to support intermittent overtime, seasonal surges, or shifting priorities.
Continuous improvement mindset — proactively suggests process refinements and automation opportunities.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

High school diploma or GED required.

Preferred Education:

Associate degree, technical diploma, or vocational certificate in office administration, information management, or a related field preferred.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Information Management
Business Administration
Computer Science / Information Technology
Library & Information Science
Health Information Management (when role supports clinical records)

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 0–3 years of data entry or administrative experience; entry-level candidates with strong accuracy and computer skills are often considered.

Preferred: 1–3 years of hands-on experience in a data-entry, records, or operations role with demonstrated proficiency in Excel and at least one CRM or document management system. Experience in regulated environments (finance, healthcare, logistics) is a plus.