The University of Maryland is seeking two skilled data managers to support activities at the National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI). The two will work with the U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System Regional Associations (IOOS RAs) and Data Assembly Centers
Description:
The data managers will establish an open archival information-system-reference model based on best practices. The objective is to ensure data collected by the RAs, and other partners, will be archived and made discoverable/accessible for current as well as future use by NOAA and the nation. Additionally, the data managers will assist in creating and developing environmental and climate monitoring products originating from the IOOS RAs and platform/variable-based data assembly centers.
Position 1. Scientific data manager. The person in this project will lead the research and development of procedures to archive IOOS assets at NCEI. This person will evaluate, establish, and reinvigorate archiving pipelines from the IOOS Enterprise, aligning with RA certification reviews. The person will train and ensure that RA Data Management and Cyberinfrastructure (DMAC) staff know and understand the process for all existing and new pipelines. Work will be done to identify areas for improvement throughout all elements of the pipelines, including those at NCEI, the IOOS Office/networks, and all IOOS RAs/platforms.
This collaborative approach will ensure that best practices are followed, clear documentation of timelines and expectations for NCEI’s archival requirements is developed, and effective communication is maintained with staff across all elements of the pipelines. These efforts are aimed at developing user-friendly products for easy access by the community.
The project will identify and ensure that the metadata of IOOS RA data is complete so that data are community discoverable by searching on all relevant keywords using both the IOOS Data Portal and other NCEI-managed services (e.g., NOAA Data Catalog and/or OneStop portals). Where possible, it will create linkages or investigate approaches to develop linkages between partners in the development chain.
- Serve as subject matter expert and the primary NCEI contact for Regional Associations, Data Assembly Centers other IOOS data partners looking to archive data at NCEI. Ensure RA DMAC staff are aware of and understand the process for each existing and new pipeline.
- Lead NCEI’s data stewardship activities for IOOS data in coordination with NCEI’s Data Stewardship Division. This involves guiding data providers through the submission process, ingesting datasets for long-term archive, maintaining accurate ISO metadata documentation and other data records within the archive, resolving discrepancies or issues that may arise during ingest, and ensuring public data discovery, access and customer service to data users.
- Provide routine reporting to the IOOS Program Office on relevant archive pipelines as well as troubleshoot and resolve any delays in archiving via these pipelines
- Stay abreast of best practices and technological advances that may need to be accommodated.
- Participate in IOOS Data Management and Cyberinfrastructure activities including the annual DMAC meeting.
- Interface between the IOOS community and NCEI developers to determine best practices, formats, submission, discovery, and delivery capabilities.
- Assist in developing and testing automated data management, analysis, and visualization pipelines using modern data science tools.
- Work in collaboration with NCEI science product teams and web team to design and implement interactive product interfaces and websites utilizing IOOS data resources.
- Serve as a representative of NCEI within the IOOS DMAC community.
Required skills:
- Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in the earth sciences, oceanography, or related field
- Skills in environmental and geospatial data management, analysis, and visualization using modern data science tools,in Python or R
- Experience collecting, processing and/or managing environmental data
- Experience designing and implementing data and metadata requirements, ensuring interoperability, and adhering to established standards and best practices.
- Strong organizational, communications and networking skills are essential to work with internal NCEI, U.S. IOOS Office and IOOS data partners.
- Familiarity with geospatial metadata and data standards, e.g. ISO and NetCDF.
- Familiarity with integrating environmental monitoring data into data management systems for data discovery, access, and long-term stewardship as well as for incorporation into web application
- Experience with collaborative GitHub or GitLab workflows
- Basic familiarity with cloud computing concepts, especially Amazon Web Services (AWS) terminology.
- A strong desire to learn and apply new skills and technologies, in particular those related to data management, data science, and cloud services.
- Ability to represent NCEI as a technical resource for data management in the ocean observations community.
- Ability to work effectively with diverse teams and foster a collaborative work environment
- Skills in coordinating, organizing, and facilitating in-person, hybrid, or fully virtual meetings
- Aptitude for prioritizing tasks and managing time effectively to meet deadlines and program milestones
- Excellent oral and written communication skills are essential
- Skilled in preparing technical and administrative reports and giving oral and written presentations to a broad range of audiences
Position 2: Technical data manager
The technical data manager will be the lead for ensuring archived IOOS assets are appropriately archived and available to NCEI products; Evaluate, establish, reinvigorate, and maintain archiving pipelines from the IOOS Enterprise, in alignment with RA certification reviews; Work to identify areas for improvement throughout all elements of the pipelines, including those at NCEI; the IOOS Office/networks; and all IOOS RAs/platforms The person will play a key role in defining future archival requirements, particularly those associated with the move to the cloud. They will do this by actively participating in project-based cloud migration meetings and activities.
- Coordinate with the Scientific Data Manager on development and/or enhancements to IOOS archive processes.
- Coordinate with Data Stewardship Division and NESDIS Common Cloud Framework staff to migrate IOOS archive and access automations to the cloud environment.
- Coordinate with current and future IOOS Data Management and Cyberinfrastructure projects that involve cloud adoption for data management and data dissemination to align those efforts with NCEI archiving processes and pathways that are also migrating to the cloud, with an overarching goal to streamline the archive of cloud-based IOOS data repositories or DACs at NCEI.
- Ensure NCEI data management practices are adhered to, including data documentation practices.
- Perform the evolution, testing, deployment and monitoring of software systems supporting ingest, archival, publication, discovery, and ongoing management of IOOS scientific data both on premises and in the cloud
- Develop scripts to extend or improve the automation of operational processes for archiving IOOS data.
- Perform migrations of scientific data across data management systems for IOOS data pipelines.
- Troubleshoot and resolve system integrity and system performance issues when applicable to IOOS data pipelines.
- Develop and maintain related software, process and application documentation for applications forecasted to be translated and moved to cloud platforms and software stacks in coordination with IOOS DMAC efforts in cloud data management.
- Communicate data system architecture and data management best practices with other groups and projects in the center, including software development project teams.
- Attend and present at relevant meetings and teleconferences with team members and external collaborators
Required Skills:
- Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Environmental Science, Software Engineering, Computer Science, or related discipline and/or equivalent technical experience.
- Experience using scripting languages to automate data tasks, such as Python, Perl, R, JavaScript, Bash, Groovy or similar
- Experience with common data model format netCDF data files and associated tools
- Experience with using Jupyter notebooks, XML, JSON files, Zarr files
- Proficiency with Linux/Unix and Windows operating systems
- Familiarity with Jira, Confluence, Google Workspace, XML editors (i.e. Oxygen, Altova XML Spy), GitLab, and GitHub
- Experience with data servers such as THREDDS and ERDDAP a plus
- Experience in developing scientific software applications (front-end development, web apps) for use with oceanographic data
- Familiarity with cloud computing concepts (especially Amazon Web Services (AWS) terminology), cloud data management systems and continuous integration/continuous delivery (CI/CD) workflow environments a plus
- Exposure to data science and data management
- Familiarity with Agile Methodologies and Scrum a plus
- Understanding of geospatial metadata standards for search and discovery (FGDC, ISO), the FAIR principles, data standards and other open data practices.
To Apply: Interested candidates should send a CV with at least 3 professional references and a cover letter explaining how your qualifications meet the posted requirements to Debra Baker drb@umd.edu
