Apply for Job Job ID371702 LocationTwin Cities Job FamilyResearch Full/Part TimeFull-Time Regular/TemporaryRegular Job Code8354IS Employee ClassCivil Service Add to Favorite Jobs Email this Job About the Job The Institute on the Environment (IonE), Knowledge Initiatives team, at the University of Minnesota, invites a temporary Research Scientist 4, Interdisciplinary Sustainability Data Management Scientist to advance interdisciplinary, team-based science, and partner- and community-engaged science projects aimed at supporting sustainability impacts. The Interdisciplinary Sustainability Data Management Scientist would advance data management practices and data development across multiple research projects. The Knowledge Initiatives (KI) team leads the portfolio of interdisciplinary sustainability research and scholarly activity within IonE. This position is primarily focused on two complementary efforts: Midwest Climate Adaptation Science Center (MW CASC) Synthesis Research Data Archiving & Protocol Development This work focuses on developing standardized, sustainable, and compliant data management protocols for MWCASC-affiliated postdoctoral research projects. The role emphasizes shared-drive architecture, documentation standards, project tracking, onboarding/offboarding workflows, and alignment with USGS Fundamental Science Practices and FAIR data principles. High-resolution Global Gridded Crop Data Timeseries This project involves identifying, acquiring, organizing, and managing heterogeneous international datasets related to crop distribution, harvested area, yield, seasonality, and agricultural inputs. The role requires hands-on data collection and structuring to support the development of a high-resolution, georeferenced crop database. This project has a firm end date of 05/31/2026, thus requiring a researcher with direct experience in cross-institutional data management, methods to develop datasets from international sources, and synthesis research methods to advance the funded project research quickly. Overall, the temporary Research Scientist is expected to manage multiple data-focused tasks efficiently, balance protocol development with hands-on data curation, and work collaboratively with researchers, postdoctoral fellows, and center partners. Work products are expected to be practical, well-documented, and suitable for long-term use in both internal and public-facing research contexts. Research outcomes and data products are developed in collaboration with non-academic partners and federal agencies, requiring clear communication, careful documentation, and attention to compliance and accessibility. More Details & Working Conditions: Our offices are located in St. Paul, MN. This is an in-person role with occasional remote work (work profile 2). The person will be expected to engage via web-conferencing and in-person with the team, attend important IonE events, and develop working relationships with other IonE staff. This is a temporary civil service Research Scientist 4 that is expected to continue until 05/31/2026. Extensions beyond this end date are dependent on performance, and project and funding availability in alignment with this position description. Principal Duties and Responsibilities Activities require regular collaboration with project teams and the ability to work efficiently and independently. It also requires documentation of administrative, research workflows, and project management processes, regular project progress summaries, and other project related items. Additionally, the person will need to develop work plans given project goals and manage up project leads, including: weekly report back on the progress of each project on Basecamp organize, document, and share work in Basecamp, Google suite collaborative products, and fully adopt team file organization structure and work best practices adopt IonE research software, data, and metadata best practices related to archiving, documentation, and accessibility. 45% MWCASC Data Management & Protocol Development Develop standardized, award-compliant, shared-drive folder structures, naming conventions, and documentation templates to support the full data lifecycle Create and document internal README templates, project trackers/catalogs, and data management plan (DMP) templates tailored to MWCASC research Develop data archiving and project onboarding/offboarding protocols for postdoctoral researchers Provide guidance on compliance with USGS Fundamental Science Practices, FAIR data principles, and other best practices Support preparation of data products for long-term repositories (e.g., ScienceBase or equivalent) Develop and deliver data management training materials for key audiences 45% High-resolution Crop Data Timeseries Project Identify, acquire, and evaluate international and national data sources related to crop distribution, yield, and agricultural inputs Organize and populate georeferenced crop datasets by country and crop type Ensure data quality, consistency, documentation, and reproducibility Manage transitions between datasets, regions, and crop types while maintaining overall project coherence 10% Other Participation in IonE community activities Project-related professional development Other duties as assigned Qualifications Required Qualifications BA/BS and 5 years of relevant experience or a combination of education and experience equal to 9 years. Demonstrated experience in research data management, data curation, or data stewardship Data products, including data management plans, GitHub repositories, documentation, dataset development, or similar Both self-directed and team-oriented; strong organizational skills and attention to detail Excellent written and verbal communication skills for technical and non-technical audiences Ability to manage multiple tasks and deadlines and proactively manage up and communicate project status supervisor and project team members Preferred Qualifications PhD and/or prior to postdoctoral fellowship experience in a relevant interdisciplinary field of sustainability Experience with federal data compliance requirements (e.g., USGS, NOAA, USDA) Familiarity with FAIR data principles and open science practices Experience developing data management plans, documentation templates, or archiving workflows Experience with MW CASC research and/or interdisciplinary scientific syntheses Experience with international or multilingual data sources Experience in training or supporting researchers in data best practices Data products, including data management plans, GitHub repositories, documentation, dataset development, or similar About the Department The University of Minnesota's Institute on the Environment (IonE) is a nationally recognized interdisciplinary institution that works to advance sustainability through collaborative research, leadership and education programming, and public-interest storytelling and communications. Pay and Benefits Pay Rate: $32.03/hour Time Appointment: 100% Time Appointment Position Type:Civil-Service & Non-Faculty Labor Represented Staff Please visit the Office of... For full info follow application link. The University recognizes and values the importance of diversity and inclusion in enriching the employment experience of its employees and in supporting the academic mission. The University is committed to attracting and retaining employees with varying identities and backgrounds. The University of Minnesota provides equal access to and opportunity in its programs, facilities, and employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, gender, age, marital status, disability, public assistance status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression. To learn more about diversity at the U: http://diversity.umn.edu.
