Research Software / Scientific Computing Consultant

The Research Data Management (RDM) department of Amsterdam UMC is developing a Research Software Support service, in addition to our Data Stewardship support. The goal of this service is to help researchers build software that is more FAIR, accurate, robust, faster, and easier to maintain - so that they can perform their research more efficiently and with greater impact.

We are looking for two consultants in one:

• Research Software Consultant (RSC): you develop and deliver training on important topics such as version control via Git, cybersecurity and reproducibility. Your workshops help researchers take their software development to the next level.
• Scientific Computing Consultant (SCC): you help researchers use advanced computing platforms such as myDRE, our internal High Performance Computing (HPC) cluster, and SURF facilities. You help researchers implement their software on the platform that best suits their needs and contribute to the further development of our facilities.

This position combines both roles in a 50/50 distribution.

We are looking for someone with both technical and communication skills.

The most important qualities we are looking for are that you:

• have completed an applied science degree (i.e., HBO) or higher (i.e., master’s or PhD);
• are familiar with one or more programming languages popular in science, like Python and R;
• have an affinity with quantitative scientific research;
• have experience with teaching, training, coaching, mentoring, or tutoring;
• have excellent written and oral proficiency in Dutch and/or English;
• are good at finding out the needs of our researchers.

In addition, it is an advantage if you have knowledge of:

• computing platforms such as Microsoft Azure, myDRE, or the computing facilities of SURF;
• programming in Linux or UNIX environments;
• software version control via Git and GitHub/GitLab;
• guidelines and best practices for developing research software;
• data stewardship and the FAIR principles;
• requirements that (privacy) legislation imposes on biomedical research and software.

As an employee at the Research Data Management (RDM) department, you will be part of our great team of 28 consultants and developers, specialized in research software development, High Performance Computing (HPC), data stewardship, and AI. We advise and support research data and software, which includes aspects such as collection, development, management, documentation and reusability. In addition, we manage various software applications and compute infrastructures, provide education, organize communities and drive innovation.

Outside of our department, you will work together with various other departments, including our data steward network, fellow research support departments, ICT, and our researchers. We have close ties with our partner Universities UvA and VU, the other UMCs via Health-RI and the DReaMS network, and a nascent community of research software trainers via Research Software Training NL.