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 bilingual, dynamic information professional who has strong communication skills and is eager to work with a national team. The ideal candidate will bring prior experience in data curation or data stewardship, and experience working with researchers in an academic library setting, or practical professional experience working with and managing research data. Knowledge of curation concepts and their application in one or more disciplines, challenges related to data curation such as rights management and privacy, and knowledge of the research process and evolving models of scholarly communication is also beneficial.
POSITION SUMMARY
The successful candidate will represent the Alliance in its partnership with the University of Toronto Libraries (UTL) by providing support to Borealis, the Canadian Dataverse Repository, a bilingual, multidisciplinary data repository service managed by UTL in partnership with academic libraries and used by over 65 institutions across Canada to publish and share research data.
This position will support ongoing activities of the Alliance’s Dataverse North Expert Group (DVN) and work closely with the national Borealis community, the Alliance’s Curation Expert Group and data curation team, and other stakeholders to coordinate activities, increase community engagement in curation, and advance efforts to support a national network of data curators.
The position will also work as part of a larger team that provides ongoing curation support for new dataset submissions to the Federated Research Data Repository (FRDR), a general-purpose repository for Canadian research data in a wide range of disciplines. The successful candidate should have a strong commitment to user services and support and demonstrate flexibility and the persistence necessary to work with new file types, including learning/using new technologies and installing/using new software as needed to successfully complete tasks. The individual in this position will serve as an advocate for the benefits of data management and must feel comfortable providing guidance and promoting current recommended practices in data management.
As a member of the Alliance’s data curation team, the Curation Officer, Community Engagement will report to the Curation Coordinator.
MAJOR DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES
- Work with the University of Toronto Libraries (UTL) representative, the Alliance’s Research Data Management team, and the Curation Expert Group to design, coordinate and deliver open and engaging activities, such as webinars, training, community calls, or workshops in areas related to data curation, active data management and disciplinary data topics, to help foster a curation community of practice and grow curation capacity in Canada.
- Engage in work with the Curation Coordinator, the Curation Expert Group, Borealis administrators, and other stakeholders to assess suitable curation models or strategies for Borealis and other institutional repositories.
- In collaboration with the DVN chair and UTL, establish a web presence for Borealis administrators and community members (a landing page with links to community information and documents) and work towards developing and implementing an open community listserv focused on Dataverse in Canada.
- Provide logistical and administrative support to the Dataverse North Expert Group (DVN), including scheduling meetings, maintaining member lists and managing access to shared documents.
- As a member of the Alliance’s curation team, curate datasets and accompanying documentation, metadata, and code to add value and ensure new deposits in FRDR are as independently understandable as possible.
- Provide ongoing support to FRDR depositors and end users, and work with the larger FRDR team to develop effective services and resources to meet researcher needs.
REQUIREMENTS
- Experience with and understanding of research and data life cycles and a working knowledge of data management best practices.
- 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, one-on-one, in small groups, and in larger teaching contexts.
- Excellent organizational, time management, collaborative and problem-solving skills.
- Ability to interact with co-workers, project participants, staff of other organizations and government with courtesy, discretion and tact.
- Ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing in French and English.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Masters-level degree in information management, library and information studies, computer science or related field; or advanced degree in a subject discipline with a research data emphasis; or strong applied research experience (research manager, research associate, data manager); or equivalent.
- Demonstrated experience working with researchers to curate research data, preferably in a range of disciplines.
- Professional experience in an academic, special, or research library, or equivalent relevant experience.
- Competency in a particular field or domain.
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
Please apply here : Curation Officer, Community Engagement
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.