Data Curator

Posted to IASSIST on: 2012-02-10

Employer: Simon Fraser University Library

Employer URL: http://www.lib.sfu.ca/

Description

Simon Fraser University Library is seeking a highly flexible,   collaborative and innovative individual, committed to providing the   best possible service to faculty and students, to undertake a range of   project-based and operational activities that will advance the SFU   Library’s strategic objectives for expanded research data curation and   management services.

Reporting to the Associate University Librarian for Library Technology   Services and Special Collections, this is a unique opportunity that   combines a major research data project funded by the University   Priority Fund (UPF) with the implementation of several key objectives   for research data services in the Library’s Strategic Plan for   2011-2016.  The Data Curator will play an important leadership role on   the UPF-funded project while also working closely with the Library’s   Research Data Librarian to plan and implement the Library’s vision for   expanded services and support for research data.  An important part of   the latter activity will require participation in succession and   related transition planning for  Research Data  Services.   This is a   continuing position at the SFU Library.

The Data Curator will play a leading role in providing guidance and   support in long-term management of research data, including issues of   data preservation and access, intellectual property rights, and   security of sensitive data. The position will be based in Research   Data Services with close working relationships with Library Systems ,   Research Commons, the Library’s Liaison Librarians, and the Library’s   Institutional Repository staff. The position will collaborate with   staff from both inside and outside the library devoted to supporting   research data management throughout the different phases of the data   life cycle. The Data Curator will interact with faculty, students, and   various academic and administration units throughout the university   and will be responsible for the development and administration of   policies, workflows, and infrastructure/repositories regarding the   management of datasets and related resources. This is a new position   in the SFU Library that will incorporate existing and emerging   elements of research data support and services.  It is an opportunity   for the right candidate to help create and establish new services for   long-term curation and management of research data at SFU.

RESPONSIBILITIES UPF Research Data Project ¨     Conduct an environmental scan of SFU research data activities   and identify data curation and management requirements ¨     Undertake several  “proof of concept” or pilots for the   preservation and management of SFU research data in a number of   representative data domains ¨     Work with relevant library units and relevant university units   (e.g. IT  Services, Westgrid, the Office of VP Research, other   research centers) to develop university-wide policies, procedures, and   support for research data production, management , curation; and   discovery for primary and secondary analysis

Research Data Curation and Management ¨     Provide consultation services for faculty/students/staff with   devising and implementing project-specific strategies for long-term   data curation and management ¨     Work closely with colleagues in the Library and across campus   and provide leadership in ensuring SFU compliance with data curation   mandates as well as promoting open access to SFU produced research data ¨     Provide leadership role to promote data curation and management   services amongst faculty and students and staff, and to solicit   feedback from researchers about data management needs ¨     Assist faculty/students/staff with writing data management plans   to include in grant applications and with preparing annual reports, so   as to meet requirements of funding agencies such as NSERC, CIHR,   SSHRC, NEH, and NIH ¨     Identify appropriate venues for data storage and access and act   as intermediary between researchers and appropriate internal and/or   external repositories and archives ¨     Assist with development of mechanisms for searching and   accessing data collections ¨     Work with relevant library units to develop procedures and best   practices for helping researchers with database creation and metadata   creation ¨     Assess requirements and plan for future facilities, collections,   services and staff ¨     Mentor staff and coordinate training and development;   collaborate with liaison librarians in regular communication and   review of services to departments and faculties ¨     Collaborate with other Library departments on library-wide   developments of new initiatives and reviews of existing services

Required

¨     Graduate degree in library/information science/archival studies   from an ALA accredited program or equivalent ¨     Minimum 3 years library professional experience including   provision of research data services ¨     Experience with project management methodologies and subsequent   operationalization in a library or research project/team ¨     Demonstrated knowledge of intellectual property issues, related   academic/research policies and procedures related to data curation and   management such as preservation, retrieval, and managing access to   sensitive data ¨     Demonstrated knowledge of research infrastructure, tools (e.g.   DSpace, Fedora, or other repository software), standards and   facilities for preservation, data formats and migration, discovery and   access. ¨     Demonstrated awareness of both national and international trends   and developments with research data curation and management ¨     Knowledge of relevant metadata standards (e.g. DC, DDI, FGDC, ISO, SMDX) ¨     Demonstrated success at collaborating ¨     Demonstrated success in achieving innovative change ¨     Excellent communication skills, both oral and written ¨     Superior interpersonal and intercultural skills ¨     Familiarity with current trends in post-secondary education and   academic library services ¨     Able to meet the requirements of a confirmed appointment   librarian position

Preferred:

¨     Second advanced degree with a research component ¨     Familiarity with research data analysis tools (statistics, data mining) ¨     Familiarity with major data resources from government and other agencies ¨     Familiarity with domain specific metadata standards

Archived on: 2012-03-10