Research Associate (Office for Research) [NIE]
Research Associate (Office for Research) [NIE]
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Job Description
The National Institute of Education invites suitable applications for the position of a Research Associate (Data Management Specialist) on a 2-year contract at the Office for Research.
Position Overview:
The Office for Research seeks a proactive and detail-oriented Research Data Management (RDM) Specialist to join the Research-Practice-Policy Group (RPPG) and continue the foundational work of building a robust data curation service for the institution. The successful candidate will provide expert hands-on data curation for key research projects playing a vital role in enhancing the quality integrity and reusability of our institutional research data assets. This position moves beyond traditional data archiving requiring an embedded collaborative partnership with research teams to solve complex metadata documentation challenges and promote best practices in RDM throughout the research lifecycle.
Qualifications and Skills:
Required Qualifications
- A Masters degree in Information Science Library Science a social science discipline with a strong data focus or a related field.
- Demonstrated experience (2 years) in research data management data curation data stewardship or a similar role within an academic or research environment.
- Proven experience working with quantitative and/or mixed-methods research data and familiarity with statistical software packages (e.g. SPSS Stata).
- Knowledge of metadata standards (e.g. DDI) and data documentation best practices.
Essential Skills and Competencies
- Technical Proficiency: Expertise in using data documentation tools (experience with Colectica is highly advantageous) and familiarity with data cleaning and anonymization techniques.
- Analytical and Critical Thinking: Excellent problem-solving skills with the ability to diagnose complex issues in datasets and documentation and to work effectively with ambiguity (e.g. tacit knowledge of researchers).
- Interpersonal and Diplomatic Skills: Proven ability to collaborate effectively with academic researchers build trust and navigate competing priorities with professionalism and diplomacy.
- Detail-Orientation and Organization: A meticulous and systematic approach to managing complex information and workflows with the ability to create clear detailed and high-quality documentation and reports.
- Autonomy and Initiative: Ability to work independently manage projects and proactively identify and address challenges.
Key Responsibilities:
- Hands-On Data Curation: Perform in-depth curation of diverse research datasets including cleaning anonymizing and enhancing data quality. Create high-quality comprehensive metadata and documentation packages including detailed machine-readable codebooks using tools such as Colectica Designer.
- Researcher Collaboration and Engagement: Act as a primary point of contact and a collaborative partner for Principal Investigators (PIs) and their research teams. Attend project meetings provide expert consultation and build strong working relationships to understand and support their data management needs.
- Process Development and Implementation: Implement maintain and refine the established Data Curation Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) and the broader RDM Toolkit. Use insights from new curation projects to continuously improve best practices.
- Needs Analysis and Problem-Solving: Systematically analyze project documentation and data to identify complex issues such as inconsistent records ambiguous variable definitions and gaps in contextual information. Proactively propose and implement effective solutions.
- Tool Evaluation and Support: Utilize and manage specialized data documentation software (Colectica Designer). Assess and evaluate other potential IT solutions to enhance the curation workflow as needed.
- Advocacy and Training: Promote the RDM Toolkit and other self-help resources available on the NIE LibGuides. Provide guidance and support to researchers on best practices for data management.
- Reporting and Documentation: Maintain detailed records of curation activities and challenges. Prepare analytical reports on the curation process to contribute to the ongoing development of the RDM service.
- Other duties: Provide support to OfR and the Research-Practice-Policy Group (RPPG) along with any other duties assigned by the reporting officer.
Application
Applicants (external and internal) will apply via Workday. We regret that only shortlisted candidates will be notified.
Closing Date
Closing date for advertisements will be set to 14 calendar days from date of posting.
Hiring Institution: NIERequired Experience:
IC
Employment Type
Full-Time
