Position Description

Harvard Medical School (HMS) IT Research Computing group is a critical part of the HMS research mission that collaborates with researchers on their computational needs, advises them on solutions, and works with IT to implement new ones as needed. The Research Data Management (RDM) team is part of the Research Computing group that assists researchers to better manage, organize, and share data throughout the research lifecycle.

Reporting to the Assistant Director, RDM (AD RDM), the RDM Consultant independently leads research data management consultations with HMS researchers, faculty, and other stakeholders. The RDM Consultant supports HMS researchers to understand, classify, manage, and organize research data throughout its lifecycle. They will engage with the RDM team to build, monitor, and maintain the integrity of data management workflows as well as solutions with the goal of enabling research productivity/mitigating risk. This role serves as a Research Data Management subject matter expert, who develops and conducts training for researchers.

This role contributes to the development of HMS research data management services, including the management, curation, and dissemination of data management tools (e.g., storage usage reporting, file system scanning, data visualization, etc.).

Key Responsibilities:
 

Data Management Consultation and Support:

• Meets independently and participates in regular engagements with faculty, staff, and researchers to better understand, manage, classify, and organize research data throughout the data lifecycle to improve data organization across the institution.
• Collaborates with the AD RDM to plan, build, and enhance data lifecycle workflows to support researchers throughout HMS and across the research lifecycle.
• Serves as a subject matter expert on research data management, providing consultation and instructive services to labs on the creation and implementation of data storage plans, collaborating with other HMS IT groups to establish well-defined data management workflows that support FAIR data principles (i.e., Findability, Accessibility, Interoperability, and Reuse of digital assets).

Operational Support and Process Improvement:

• Partners with the AD RDM to identify process improvements, ascertain researcher storage and data management needs, and generate best practices documentation.
• Collaborates with the RDM team to align applicable inquiries and storage requests with lab and research core data management plans, as well as storage needs.
• Accountable to track storage usage metrics across HMS filesystems, including monitoring trends in tool usage, storage usage, and storage requests to promote efficient current and future use of IT resources.
• Maintains and continuously develops expertise in research data management to provide faculty, students, and staff with specialized professional support while building trust and rapport across these communities.
• Compiles and provides background on storage usage metrics and researcher stakeholder perspective required for leadership discussions and capital planning efforts.
• Under the direction of the AD RDM, takes on new challenges, projects, and duties as necessary to support the HMS research mission, including implementing RDM policies.

Tool Development and Maintenance:

• Participates fully in identifying requirements, developing, testing, managing, and advocating for research data management tools for HMS researchers, leadership, IT, and other key stakeholders.
• Works within HMS IT to build and support RDM-related tools as well as collaborates with external vendors (e.g., data management tools).

Lead and Organize RDM Trainings:

• Develops, maintains, schedules, and presents in-person and virtual training materials on RDM practices, resources, and data storage offerings to various stakeholders.

Staff Support:

• Provides mentorship, guidance, and training to junior RDM team staff.

Basic Qualifications

• Minimum of five years’ post-secondary education or relevant work experience

Working Conditions

• Occasionally required to work outside of normal business hours, and may be contacted during off hours

Additional Qualifications and Skills

• Bachelor’s or Master’s Degree in library/information science or related field preferred.
• Prior experience with an ability to interact with scientists, computer professionals, and project managers.
• Demonstrated knowledge of the research data lifecycle.
• Strong commitment to customer service; ability to work in a demanding, fast-paced environment. Ability to work independently and be self-motivated, proactive, and willing to take on new challenges.
• Strong organizational skills, communication skills (written, oral and presentation); notetaking skills; a concern for accuracy, details, and quality.
• Ability to create working partnerships with multiple researchers and lab managers.
• Tolerance of ambiguity and uncertainty in a constantly evolving field.
• Adaptability and ability to prioritize work and to be flexible in job tasks.
• Ability to take direction from supervisors/managers.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively in a collaborative and/or team environment.
• Experience with developing and conducting training, teaching, and/or workshop presentations.
• Strong technical skills with a willingness to learn new technologies.
• Comfort keeping up with emerging trends, best practices, and new knowledge in data management, the research data lifecycle, and information technology.

Additional Information

The health of our workforce is a priority for Harvard University. With that in mind, we strongly encourage all employees to be up-to-date on CDC-recommended vaccines.
Please note that we are currently conducting a majority of interviews and onboarding remotely and virtually. We appreciate your understanding.
The Harvard Medical School is not able to provide visa sponsorship for this position.
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Commitment to Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging

We are committed to cultivating an inclusive workplace culture of faculty, staff, and students with diverse backgrounds, styles, abilities, and motivations. We appreciate and leverage the capabilities, insights, and ideas of all individuals. Harvard Medical School Mission and Community Values 
   https://hms.harvard.edu/about-hms/campus-culture/mission-community-values-diversity-statement

EEO Statement

We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, gender identity, sexual orientation, pregnancy and pregnancy-related conditions, or any other characteristic protected by law.