I think there is value in both and it sort of depends on the organization.

With the commoditization of models, we are seeing the rise of MLEs over data scientists. Engineers that understand enough DS to make things work are wildly proficient in this space.

However, not all models have been commoditized, and there is still a need for new math in many places and that’s where the division of labor makes sense. You can’t be an all star engineer and an all star data scientist it’s just too much for one human