Northwestern University Libraries seeks a Data Management Librarian to provide support, instruction, and assistance with research data management for faculty, students and staff of the Northwestern community. The Research Data Management Librarian assists researchers with data management planning, finding relevant datasets, data organization, curating and sharing their research data, and complying with relevant data management requirements and policies. This individual must have a strong commitment to making data as open as possible This support consists of teaching workshops, conducting individualized consultations, and providing services that advance research at Northwestern University.
The Data Management Librarian works within the Digital Scholarship department and collaborates with staff in the Libraries, Northwestern Information Technology, the Galter Health Sciences Library, the Office for Research, and Northwestern Schools and colleges to support data management initiatives across the Northwestern campuses including outreach efforts to researchers.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead and oversee the development and delivery of data management services, ensuring delivery of support to researchers and recommend improvements to services based on Northwestern research requirements. Oversee and maintain related documentation, including internal and user-facing guides and service information.
- Understand data management plan and public access compliance with federal funding requirements, specifically requirements outlined by the National Institute of the Health (NIH) and National Science Foundation (NSF).
- Understand appropriate discipline-specific repositories for the curation of data sets to assure compliance with federal mandates.
- Provide training, consultation, and outreach related to research data management policies and best practices to the Northwestern research community. Specifically, guidance and discussion on the best practices surrounding data management plans (DMPs), finding data for reuse (both open and licensed), data documentation and organization, sharing research data openly to increase collaboration and reproducibility of research results.
- Seek out opportunities to make data accessible to low-code and less-technical audiences.
- Meet with researchers to identify their data management needs; provide recommendations and assistance to meet those needs. Communicate unmet needs to Libraries leadership and Libraries partners.
- Facilitate use and promotion of existing resources for data storage, movement, organization, analysis and management such as Research Data Storage Service (RDSS), DMPTool, SharePoint, and Dryad data repository and other related technologies.
- Integrate good practices from library sciences (including library analytics, digital collections) and related fields to help guide the standardization of datasets, models and documentation.
- Provide guidance and instruction on choosing and using appropriate data management tools and platforms and data management policies and initiatives as they pertain to the Northwestern research community.
- Work as part of a collaborative effort across departments to design, update, and implement data management services. Clearly communicate project status and updates project team as appropriate.
- Act as the as the primary contact for subject specialists within the Libraries and research community on questions of data management; contribute to data repository development and related work in the Research Services workgroup; and work collaboratively with service units in the libraries, other University units, and schools.
- Identify and develop relationships with the Northwestern research community and peers at other institutions to facilitate collaborations, understand new research trends, and improve existing support. Represent Northwestern in consortia and national initiatives related to data management, Big Ten Academic Alliance (BTAA) and others.
Competencies
- Ability to understand a user’s goals and translate those goals and objectives into actionable plans.
- Knowledge of best practices, policies, procedures, and standards relating to database management with commitment to ongoing enhancements.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including demonstrated ability to write documentation and communicate to non-technical audiences.
- Demonstrated knowledge in data management and data lifecycle practices for academic research.
- Ability to manage and prioritize a wide variety of projects and tasks.
- Leadership and management skills necessary to:
- Demonstrate commitment to lifelong learning and building an organization where staff members continually expand their own capabilities.
- Solicit, respond appropriately, and act on feedback from others.
- Use vision, understanding, clarity, flexibility, and agility to actively design and manage for the future.
- Work well with a diverse set of individuals and different work styles.
- Communicate effectively and demonstrate strong interpersonal skills.
- Work within a team science model.
- Collaborate across the library, with other university departments, and with other research libraries, partners and organizations.
- Understand the value of library content and services to the user community, while also ensuring alignment of work with university goals and policies.
Minimum Qualifications
- Successful completion of a Master’s degree in library science or related field such as Data Science or Information Science.
- 2 or more years’ experience providing or supporting a service and working directly with customers.
- Demonstrate learning aptitude of emerging technologies that apply to library services and operations.
- Demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility.
- Active membership in professional organizations at national and/or international levels.
To Apply
Applicants should submit a cover letter, resume, and the names of three references. Please apply for this position on the NUHR Recruitment Website. In your application, note which pronouns you use. This position is in a bargaining unit represented by the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), Local 73. The minimum starting salary for this position is $70,000 annually. Offers will be based on candidate experience and education, as well as equity within Northwestern University. First consideration will be given to applicants who apply by October 11th, 2024.
To view the job posting and/or apply for the job, click here.
Library Environment
Northwestern University is a selective private university with campuses in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois and in Doha, Qatar. One of the leading private research libraries in the United States, Northwestern University Library serves the educational and information needs of the NU community as well as scholars around the world. Its collection contains more than 7 million volumes, a full array of digital resources, and collections of distinction in Africana, transportation, and 20th-century and contemporary music. Northwestern is a member of the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) and the Big Ten Academic Alliance (BTAA). See more information about University Libraries at: http://www.library.northwestern.edu/
The Northwestern campus sits on the traditional homelands of the people of the Council of Three Fires, the Ojibwe, Potawatomi, and Odawa as well as the Menominee, Miami and Ho- Chunk nations. We acknowledge and honor the original people of the land upon which Northwestern University stands, and the Native people who remain on this land today.
Northwestern University is an Equal Opportunity, Affirmative Action Employer of all protected classes, including veterans and individuals with disabilities. Women, racial and ethnic minorities, individuals with disabilities, and veterans are encouraged to apply. EEO is the Law.
Librarian Faculty Position
Title: Research Data Management Librarian
Reports to: Head of Digital Scholarship & Research Data Management
Work Group: Digital Scholarship & Research Data Management