Data Management Scientist

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

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

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 Rate: $32.03/hour

Time Appointment: 100% Time Appointment

Position Type: Civil-Service & Non-Faculty Labor Represented Staff

Please visit the Office of Human Resources website for more information regarding benefit eligibility.

The University offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes:

• Competitive wages, paid holidays, and generous time off
• Continuous learning opportunities through professional training and degree-seeking programs supported by the Regents Tuition Benefit Program
• Low-cost medical, dental, and pharmacy plans
• Healthcare and dependent care flexible spending accounts
• University HSA contributions
• Disability and employer-paid life insurance
• Employee wellbeing program
• Excellent retirement plans with employer contribution
• Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) opportunity
• Financial counseling services
• Employee Assistance Program with eight sessions of counseling at no cost
• Employee Transit Pass with free or reduced rates in the Twin Cities metro area

A complete application is required for consideration. The required application materials are listed below and need to be submitted as a single PDF and in the following order:
Cover Letter: Cover letter (2 pages max) that describes your qualifications and how this position aligns with your career path. Additionally, in your cover letter, please indicate your in-person work ability. Finally, in your cover letter, please fully disclose any and all usage of AI to support the development of your application materials, including for spelling and grammatical checks.
References: Contact information for at least 2 references (i.e., name, title, organization; URL to biographical sketch or similar; address, phone number, and email address; and relationship to the candidate). References will not be contacted until final candidates have been identified, and you will be notified before contacting references.
CV
Work Product Example: One example of a product, such as a GitHub repository link or comparable data documentation or product, relevant to this job position.

Questions or barriers to submitting an application? Email ione@umn.edu. We recognize that applying takes effort, and we look forward to reading and reviewing your materials.

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

Any offer of employment is contingent upon the successful completion of a background check. Our presumption is that prospective employees are eligible to work here. Criminal convictions do not automatically disqualify finalists from employment.

The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities (UMTC)

The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities (UMTC), is among the largest public research universities in the country, offering undergraduate, graduate, and professional students a multitude of opportunities for study and research. Located at the heart of one of the nation's most vibrant, diverse metropolitan communities, students on the campuses in Minneapolis and St. Paul benefit from extensive partnerships with world-renowned health centers, international corporations, government agencies, and arts, nonprofit, and public service organizations.

At the University of Minnesota, we are proud to be recognized by the Star Tribune as a Top Workplace for 2021, as well as by Forbes as Best Employers for Women and one of America's Best Employers (2015, 2018, 2019, 2023), Best Employer for Diversity (2019, 2020), Best Employer for New Grads (2018, 2019), and Best Employer by State (2019, 2022).