Career Center

A cover letter is required for consideration for this position and should be attached as the first page of your resume. The cover letter should address your specific interest in the position and outline experience that directly relate to this position.

In 2016 the University of Michigan Library embarked on an exciting initiative to address the research data management, sharing, and preservation needs of the University through providing a suite of data curation services. Data curation enhances the value of data sets through activities such as augmenting metadata, file format transformation, and digital preservation. The library’s data curators collaborate with researchers at all stages of the data lifecycle to provide support for sharing data in ways that are findable, accessible, interoperable, reusable (FAIR) and ethical. The Library operates its own data repository, Deep Blue Data, as a means of sharing and preserving research data developed at U-M.  

The Michigan Institute for Data Science (MIDAS) is the university-wide unit to support data science and Artificial Intelligence (AI). Central to MIDAS’ mission is to ensure U-M’s leading role in data science and AI research through promoting interdisciplinary research, transforming traditional disciplinary research with cutting-edge data science and AI methods, and providing training for investigators. Reproducibility of research results is necessary to any advancement in science. This and the ethical aspects of data science -- making data representative, unbiased and of high-quality -- is closely related and complementary to the Library’s data curation effort. The Library has also been a key collaborator in the research reproducibility activities organized by MIDAS.  

The Data Curation and Research Reproducibility Specialist is a joint position between the Library’s Deep Blue Repository and Research Data Services unit and MIDAS. This position is centered on understanding the needs of researchers in the reproducibility of their work, building resources to address these needs, curating research data submitted to the Deep Blue Data repository with an emphasis on supporting reproducibility, and developing applicable standards and practical tools to improve data quality.

The Library is committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce and encourages all employees to incorporate their diverse backgrounds, skills, and life experiences into their work. The Library’s Diversity Strategic Plan is at https://www.lib.umich.edu/diversity-equity-inclusion-accessibility/diversity-strategic-plan.

NOTE: Three year term appointment

In partnership with colleagues in the Library, MIDAS, as well as selected academic programs, institutes, departments, and colleges across campus, you will:

• Design local standards of practice for the Library, MIDAS and the U-M community to improve the FAIRness of data, data quality and the reproducibility of data-intensive research. 

• Review data sets submitted to Deep Blue Data, in conjunction with other experts as needed, to assess the condition of the data set and to make recommendations to improve its quality and enable the data to be reproduced or replicated. 

• Serve as an independent reviewer for code, workflows or other components of research to help ensure their reproducibility. 

• Be a data curator in the Data Curation Network (http://datacurationnetwork.org), a consortium of academic libraries offering data curation and repository services.     

• Consult with researchers in support of applying best practices in data curation and reproducible research.

• Offer workshops and serve as a consultant on data reproducibility and curation issues.

• Pursue professional development activities relevant to the position and your individual interests. The Library encourages and supports the professional growth of librarians and staff.

• An advanced degree (Masters or PhD level) in a quantitative discipline. A degree or background in Library Science is helpful, but not required

• Experience engaging in data-intensive research, including managing or analyzing data in at least one main field of academic research, such as healthcare research, engineering research or social science research.

• Experience using at least one programming language to construct data-intensive research workflows, which could include data ingestion / clean-up, modeling, visualization and analysis.

• Experience with collaborative online research platforms, such as GitHub, GitLab, and distributed revision control.

• Familiarity with research reproducibility and relevant tools, standards, and best practices

• Demonstrated knowledge of, or direct experience in, managing, sharing, curating or preserving research data

• Experience identifying the information needs of researchers and in developing effective responses or services to meet those needs

• Understands and values diversity and the importance of inclusion as demonstrated through a commitment to apply and incorporate the differences, complexities, and opportunities that diversity brings to an organization.

• Excellent written and oral communication skills and a demonstrated ability to present and share ideas clearly and effectively to diverse audiences

• A demonstrated understanding of research reproducibility and relevant tools, standards, and best practices

• Direct experience in conducting data-intensive research comparable to a PhD thesis, ideally postgraduate research, in an academic environment.

• Experience in working in an academic research environment

• Experience working with data repositories

• Experience in developing or supporting research based communities

NOTE: Three year term appointment

Appointment is anticipated at the Associate Librarian or Senior Associate Librarian rank. Salary is dependent on the candidate's qualifications and experience. The target salary range for this position is $62,000 to $70,000 for the Associate Librarian rank and $71,000 to $80,000 for the Senior Associate Librarian rank. 

This librarian position will be covered under the terms of the University of Michigan LEO-GLAM bargaining union contract.

Physical Requirements/Work Environment

• At this time, the Library is using a hybrid work model (partially remote, partially in person), but a return to more in-person working may be expected. While access to a personal Internet connection is desirable, U-M Library provides support and resources for remote work needs.

• The Data Curation and Research Reproducibility Specialist is a joint position between the Library’s Deep Blue Repository and Research Data Services unit and MIDAS. The person in this position will have office space available to them in the Library and MIDAS. 

Librarian appointments carry with them expectations regarding professional development, professional engagement, research, and service, in keeping with the library's process for librarian promotion and advancement.

The University of Michigan offers a comprehensive benefits package including generous time off (24 vacation days per year, and 15 sick leave a year), matched retirement contributions with immediate vesting, professional development opportunities and more.  TIAA and Fidelity Investments’ retirement options available.

Job openings are posted for a minimum of ten calendar days.  This job may be removed from posting boards and filled anytime after the minimum posting period has ended.

The University of Michigan is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer.

U-M COVID-19 Vaccination Policy

COVID-19 vaccinations, including one booster when eligible, are required for all University of Michigan students, faculty and staff across all campuses, including Michigan Medicine.  This includes those working remotely and temporary workers.   More information on this new policy is available on the U-M Health Response website or the UM-Dearborn and UM-Flint websites.

About University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

A great university is made so by its faculty and staff, and Michigan is recognized as one of the best universities to work for in the country. The Michigan culture is known for engaging faculty and staff in all facets of the university to create a workplace that is vibrant and stimulating.For two consecutive years, the Chronicle of Higher Education has placed U-M in its "Great Colleges to Work For" survey. In particular, the university earns high marks for strong relations between faculty and administrators, a collaborative system of governance, strong pay and benefits, and a healthy work/life balance.

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