Job description

You work on supporting researchers throughout the lifecycle of research data management from the Open Science perspective. As research data management (RDM) specialist you are the contact point for support and advice to researchers, faculty policy makers and other supporters in the field of RDM. You give workshops, provide online information and provide information about techniques and regulations, e.g. from funders, the Dutch government, the EU, VSNU and Maastricht University. You make the connection between IT and research(ers) and contribute to support systems enabling data registration and storage. In addition, you contribute to innovation projects on the design and renewal of technical facilities. You are proactive, have a relevant network or used to building and maintaining networks effectively, and actively exchange information.

Tasks

• Creating awareness about FAIR and explaining to researchers the benefit of good RDM practices. Acting as data steward for several faculties.

• Assisting in collecting, managing and publishing data in research projects.

• Advising which short and long-term actions are necessary to promote the management of research data at the university and faculty.

• Organise and provide training sessions in RDM and, in special for the humanities research area coding in research. These sessions tailor to the needs of researchers and inspire to participate.

• Organise workshops according to the principles of Library Carpentry or Data Carpentry for researchers and library specialists.

• Operational management and support of the research data information system Dataverse NL, hosted by DANS.

• Engineer the (meta)data-exchange of between RDM systems like iRODS, Dataverse NL and the research information system Pure.

Job competences

• A PhD is preferred, however this can be counterbalanced by demonstrable research experience; relevant experience in supporting researchers at RDM is an advantage.

• Broad knowledge of performing research at a university and a good understanding of the relationship between RDM as a basis for high-quality research.

• Excellent communication skills in word and writing, well-developed interpersonal skills with the ability to communicate clearly and effectively with a wide range of stakeholders and build productive relationships.

• Experience in operating and working with software that supports data management, e.g. Dataverse NL.

• Knowledge of relational databases, SQL and RESTful web APIs.

• Knowledge of and experience in the programming language Python and libraries like NumPy and Pandas.

• Good practices of the Dutch and English language in word and writing.

Fixed-term contract: It is an initial temporary appointment for 2 years.

The vacancy is open for at least 0,80 fte. It has an initial temporary appointment for 2 years. The position profile is a combination of the UFO profile Specialist Scientific Information together with the UFO profile ICT Functional Manager. Your salary amounts to a maximum of € 4.274,- gross per month according to scale 10. On top of this, there is an 8% holiday and an 8.3% year-end allowance. The aim is to start in the position on the 1st of October 2019.

The terms of employment of Maastricht University are set out in the Collective Labour Agreement of Dutch Universities (CAO). Furthermore, local UM provisions also apply. For more information look at the website http://www.maastrichtuniversity.nl > Support > UM employees.

Maastricht University

Maastricht University is renowned for its unique, innovative, problem-based learning system, which is characterized by a small-scale and student-oriented approach. Research at UM is characterized by a multidisciplinary and thematic approach, and is concentrated in research institutes and schools. Maastricht University has around 18,000 students and 4,300 employees. Reflecting the university's strong international profile, a fair amount of both students and staff are from abroad. The university hosts 6 faculties: Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Faculty of Law, School of Business and Economics, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience.

In August 2016, the strategic program 2017-2021 Community at the CORE was launched. On this basis, the University Library has determined the strategic agenda for the coming years. As a solid partner for the broad UM community in facilitating knowledge development and dissemination, the University Library works on the themes content & access, skills & support, digital scholarship & intelligence and engagement & community. The University Library is one of the initiators of FAIR@UM.

The University Library is responsible for acquiring and making available of the (to a large extent digital) scientific information sources (journals, books, data files, videos), the digital and physical learning environment of the UM, information skills training and e-learning advice, research data management (RDM) and other research support. The University Library supports several research related information systems. University, VSNU and (inter-)national funders require good practices for RDM. The University Library fulfils a supporting role in awareness and training, preparation and execution of RDM plans, storage, metadating and thus findability and accessibility of research data. In this field, FAIR principles are leading.

Working at the University Library is open, collegial and customer-oriented. The University Library closely works with individual faculties and the ICT service centre in order to reach an integrated approach at UM level. At this moment, the I-strategy for Maastricht University is set. This leads to new investments in research data management support, both in infrastructure and in capacity. Maastricht University aim to create a shared services team to support researchers in research data management.