Job Description


Title: Assistant Director, Data Stewardship
Position Type: Full-Time (Two-Year Term)
Location: Washington, DC

What we do and offer our team

AGU is a global community of 118,000 Earth and space scientists, advocates and experts. As the Assistant Director, Data Stewardship, you will be part of a dynamic association that publishes peer-reviewed journals and scientific books and convenes the largest Earth and space science meeting in the world. Through our initiatives, such as mentoring, professional development and awards, AGU upholds and fosters an inclusive and diverse scientific community.

AGU offers our employees great benefits, including flexible work schedules, retirement savings options, as well as health, dental, life and disability insurance. AGU also provides exciting opportunities for professional development and tuition support.

AGU’s Workplace Values

We believe in accountability and ownership of work, by taking responsibility for decisions and results. We believe in member and customer service, and that they come first through providing high quality service.

We believe in excellence and giving it our all, through striving to be outstanding. We believe in integrity by doing the right thing, we achieve this by being honest and fair.

Our teams believe that with teamwork together we achieve more, we achieve this through collaboration. We believe in respect, that you earn it and give it, by open communication and collaboration.

What the Assistant Director, Data Stewardship does

AGU’s data and software policies associated with publications have evolved over the last few years to now require that data and software supporting the research in the paper are preserved in an appropriate repository, described in the availability statement and cited in the references. AGU’s editors and publication team are implementing the new policy with good results.

The Assistant Director, Data Stewardship position is part of the AGU’s Data Leadership program supporting AGU publications, editors, reviewers, authors, and the broader Earth and space science community with support to ensure that data and software supporting AGU publications, specifically those funded by the National Science Foundation EAR grants are preserved in an appropriate repository, included in the availability statement, and cited in the references of the papers.

The incumbent in this role will help to further develop best practices and to serve as a resource to the editors, reviewers, authors, and AGU publications team to support the full implementation of AGU’s data and software publication policies and the broader culture change around data and software sharing.
This is a two-year term position.

* Supports AGU authors in identifying repositories that are aligned with the FAIR guiding principles for data and software before, or at the time of, manuscript submission and ideally identified in the Data Management Plan for the research.
* Ensures that researchers include an availability statement and cite their data and software properly, in references for AGU journals.
* Ensures that AGU Journals tag the data and software citations properly and sends these to Crossref, CHORUS, and other downstream services.
* Develops best practices for the broad journal community, shares those practices, conducts outreach through AGU Data FAIR, Data Help Desk, AGU’s communication channels, and our partners.
* Supports AGU data and software sharing efforts for the purpose of making data and software open and FAIR as a common practice.
* Works with researchers to improve their awareness and understanding of research data management skills that better prepare them to make their data open and FAIR.
* Works with AGU publications staff, providing training and support to those working with editors, reviewers, and authors across all the journals.
* Reviews submitted papers (with priority to NSF-EAR funded research), assesses the viability of the author’s data and software products, determines if any data or software has been used but not included in the availability statements, and recommends improvements to data and software availability statements and citations.
* Supports authors by facilitating their understanding of what is required for their data and software to prepared for publication.
* Supports AGU’s Data FAIR and the Data Help Desk.
* Coordinates with the COPDESS community (https://COPDESS.org) and partners such as ESIP (https://esipfed.org), CHORUS (https://www.chorusaccess.org), Dryad (https://datadryad.org), and others.
* Develops and shares leading practices with the broad community around open and FAIR data and software.
* Supports content management on AGU and partner websites to make information easily available.
* Keeps abreast of new trends and needs through interaction with industry professionals; travels for outreach activities as needed.
* Other duties as assigned.

What the Assistant Director, Data Stewardship brings to the team
* Post-graduate study in the natural sciences or related field; Ph.D. is strongly preferred.
* Minimum of five years of experience with scientific data best practices to include: creation, analysis, management, curation, and preservation.
* Minimum of five years of experience with scholarly publishing process, knowledge of and experience with Earth, space, or environmental science related journals preferred.
* Broad awareness of data practices in the sciences and leading efforts to improve them.
* Breadth of knowledge in industry best practices and related data management technologies.
* Excellent oral and written communication skills.
* Ability to present content in webinars, videos, and other channels using tools such as PowerPoint.
* Ability to coordinate and manage video meetings, webinars, and other online and in person outreach activities.
* Must be capable of dealing calmly and professionally with numerous different personalities from diverse cultures at various levels within and outside of the organization.
* Excellent analytical skills, mathematical and organizational skills required.
* Strong attention to detail.
* Ability to execute responsibilities with minimal supervision required.
* Must be able to perform responsibilities with composure under the stress of deadlines; requirements for accuracy and quality and/or fast pace required.
* Ability to understand the complexity of the factors needed to produce successful meeting programs.
* Ability to travel.

To Apply:

For consideration, please submit your cover letter and resume to
https://rew12.ultipro.com/AME1056/jobboard/NewCandidateExt.aspx?__JobID=407

The successful candidate for this position will be subject to a pre-employment background check.

AGU proudly offers a casual work environment, excellent compensation, generous work-life opportunities, and an outstanding benefits package.

AGU is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. Minorities, women, veterans and individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply.