ABOUT THE ALLIANCE
The Digital Research Alliance of Canada (the Alliance) provides national-level research data management (RDM) support through its RDM team alongside advanced research computing (ARC) and research software (RS). The RDM team collaborates and partners with stakeholders from across the research ecosystem to develop and coordinate expertise, platforms, services, technology, and training in support of research data management, with the goal of facilitating adoption of data stewardship best practices by researchers and institutions.
The Alliance is seeking a dynamic, information professional who has strong communication and collaborative skills and is eager to work on a pan-Canadian basis. The ideal candidate will bring prior experience in data curation, data stewardship and/or data repository management, a demonstrated interest in academic research, including scholarly publishing and research data management, and a clear understanding of how data sharing, data curation and preservation support the research process.
POSITION SUMMARY
The Curation Services Lead will oversee a team of Curation Officers, provide oversight for researcher consultations and service requests at FRDR, and collaborate with the Preservation Lead to ensure curation activities support short and long-term access to published datasets. They will also work with the FRDR Product Lead to explore and implement new technologies that enable scholars to interact more effectively with digital materials and will contribute to national efforts to develop and deliver critical repository services for Canadian researchers.
In addition, the Curation Services Lead will participate in the Alliance’s Curation Expert Group (CEG), which aspires to build, connect, and work with communities to promote the value of curation, and to identify, evaluate, and promote good practices in preparing data and metadata for research, dissemination, and preservation in Canada. With support from CEG and the Curation Officer, Community Engagement, the Curation Services Lead will also contribute to efforts to grow curation capacity and foster and support a network of curation practitioners in Canada.
The successful candidate will use their knowledge of scholarly publishing and repository services to prioritize and address the many tasks associated with supporting researchers throughout the project lifecycle, with a focus on data publication and reuse. As a member of the Alliance’s RDM team, the Curation Services Lead will report to the Director of Research Data Management.
MAJOR DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES
- Assume a functional role in the management of curation services at the Federated Research Data Repository, for example, by supervising a team of Curation Officers, overseeing the support desk, and directly engaging with researchers, depositors and repository end-users;
- Create and maintain a knowledge base of typical curator recommendations. Maintain curation workflows, email templates, good practice guidance, and encourage actions that have worked in the past;
- Participate in curation-related discussions and development within and beyond Canada with groups such as the Curation Expert Group, and with support from the Curation Officers, the Curation Expert Group, and other stakeholders, contribute to national efforts to network curation practitioners and strengthen curation practice and data stewardship in Canada;
- Collaborate with the FRDR Product Lead to analyze stakeholder needs and assess current features and offerings at other repository services, plan for the evolution and growth of FRDR, and seek opportunities for improvement and differentiation;
- Work the Director of RDM to develop budget recommendations for the curation service team based on service growth and stakeholder needs;
- In collaboration with FRDR Product Lead and Preservation Coordinator, take steps to improve the trustworthiness of the repository service, such as developing processes and policies that advance the TRUST Principles for digital repositories, and establishing practices that support short- and long-term accessibility of digital objects published by the repository service;
- Collaborate with FRDR Product Lead, the Alliance’s Data Governance & Ethics Lead, and partner organizations in the Controlled Access Management initiative to establish curation practices and workflows for sensitive data deposits in FRDR;
- Develop a set of Key Performance Indicators for FRDR curation services and promote the value of the service to funders, administrators, researchers and other stakeholders in the DRI ecosystem;
- Collaborate with Advanced Research Computing (ARC) to develop good practice guidance for active research data management on Canada’s national ARC platform.
REQUIREMENTS
- Knowledge of data management and data archiving practices, including awareness of international best practices and trends in the area of research data outputs and output curation;
- Understanding of the open data ecosystem, including funder and publisher requirements around open data, and an awareness of current issues and trends in scholarly communications, such as open access, reproducibility, and licensing;
- Working knowledge of statistical software and other software and tools used to visualize and work with data, such as R, Matlab, Python, NetCDF, and Image J, and a high proficiency in MS Office and GSuite;
- Familiarity with the research life cycle and research methodology (quantitative and/or qualitative), generally or in a particular domain;
- Aptitude for complex, analytical work with an attention to detail, and the ability to manage multiple priorities and competing deadlines;
- Highly developed oral and written skills, particularly the ability to explain complex concepts to a wide variety of users;
- Excellent organizational, time management, collaborative and problem-solving skills;
- Ability to interact with association members, project participants, co-workers, staff of other organizations or government with courtesy, discretion and tact;
- Previous work experience in digital repository systems housing a variety of data types;
- Familiarity with best practices, standards, and trends in the application of technology in digital repositories;
- Demonstrated ability to think and act strategically, and exercise diplomacy, creativity, and self-motivation;
- A willingness to engage in continuing education and skills development to maintain expertise in the current state-of-the-art.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
- MLIS from an ALA-accredited institution or equivalent, or Masters-level degree in information systems or related field, or equivalent;
- Minimum of 5 years increasingly responsible, substantive positions developing, planning, and successfully implementing repository services;
- Professional experience in an academic, special or research library, or equivalent relevant experience is highly desirable;
- Familiarity with Canada’s Advanced Research Computing infrastructure and tools for working with big data;
- Ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing in French and English.
BENEFITS / WORK PERKS
In addition to a competitive salary and a rewarding career where you can truly make a difference in the Canadian research community, we offer a comprehensive benefits package that meets the various needs of our diverse team and that spans across Canada, including:
- Comprehensive Benefits Plan, including:
- Health
- Dental
- Long-Term Disability
- Life Insurance
- Flexible Spending Account
- Wellness Spending Account
- Mental Health Supports
- Defined Benefit Pension Plan
- Paid Vacation
- Remote Work – Flex Hours
The Alliance recognizes that challenges remain in achieving the full participation of equity-seeking groups (including women, Indigenous Peoples, persons with disabilities, members of visible minority/racialized groups, and members of LGBTQ2+) in research careers and is committed to identifying and eliminating barriers that may exist within its own hiring process, programs, and practices.