Data Management Scientist

About the Job

This temporary Research Scientist 4 position is hosted by the Institute on the Environment (IonE), Knowledge Initiatives team at the University of Minnesota. The role supports interdisciplinary, team‑based science and partner‑ and community‑engaged sustainability projects.

The primary focus is two complementary efforts:

• Midwest Climate Adaptation Science Center (MW CASC) Synthesis Research Data Archiving & Protocol Development – Develop standardized, sustainable, and compliant data management protocols for MWCASC‑affiliated postdoctoral research projects. Focus on shared‑drive architecture, documentation standards, project tracking, onboarding/offboarding workflows, and alignment with USGS Fundamental Science Practices and FAIR data principles.
• High‑resolution Global Gridded Crop Data Time series – Identify, acquire, organize, and manage heterogeneous international datasets related to crop distribution, harvested area, yield, seasonality, and agricultural inputs. Perform hands‑on data collection and structuring to support a high‑resolution, georeferenced crop database.

This project has a firm end date of 05/31/2026
, requiring a researcher with cross‑institutional data management experience, international dataset development skills, and synthesis research methods.

Overall, the temporary Research Scientist is expected to manage multiple data‑focused tasks efficiently, balance protocol development with hands‑on data curation, and work collaboratively with researchers, postdoctoral fellows, and center partners. Work products should be practical, well‑documented, and suitable for long‑term use both internally and in public‑facing research contexts.

Research outcomes and data products are developed in collaboration with non‑academic partners and federal agencies, requiring clear communication, careful documentation, and attention to compliance and accessibility.

Work is performed in St. Paul, MN. The position is primarily in‑person with occasional remote work, and the person will engage via web‑conferencing and in‑person with the team, attend important IonE events, and develop working relationships with other IonE staff. This temporary civil service position is expected to continue until 05/31/2026. Extensions beyond this end date are dependent on performance, and project and funding availability in alignment with this position description.

Regular collaboration with project teams and ability to work efficiently and independently. Documentation of administrative, research workflows, and project management processes; regular project progress summaries; and other project related items. The person will develop work plans and manage up to project leads.

• Weekly report back on the progress of each project on Basecamp.
• Organize, document, and share work in Basecamp, Google suite collaborative products, and fully adopt team file organization structure and work best practices.
• Adopt IonE research software, data, and metadata best practices related to archiving, documentation, and accessibility.

45% MWCASC Data Management & Protocol Development

• Develop standardized, award‑compliant, shared‑drive folder structures, naming conventions, and documentation templates to support the full data lifecycle.
• Create and document internal README templates, project trackers/catalogs, and data management plan (DMP) templates tailored to MWCASC research.
• Develop data archiving and project onboarding/offboarding protocols for postdoctoral researchers.
• Provide guidance on compliance with USGS Fundamental Science Practices, FAIR data principles, and other best practices.
• Support preparation of data products for long‑term repositories (e.g., Science Base or equivalent).
• Develop and deliver data management training materials for key audiences.

45% High‑resolution Crop Data Time series Project

• Identify, acquire, and evaluate international and national data sources related to crop distribution, yield, and agricultural inputs.
• Organize and populate georeferenced crop datasets by country and crop type.
• Ensure data quality, consistency, documentation, and reproducibility.
• Manage transitions between…