Data Steward (m/f/d) in the field of Earth and Environment

Other

The GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel is a foundation under public law jointly funded by the Federal Republic of Germany (90%) and the State of Schleswig-Holstein (10%). It is one of the leading international institutions in the field of marine research.

Through our research and our commitment to the transfer of knowledge and technology, we make a significant contribution to preserving the function and protection of the ocean for future generations.

The GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel together with the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research GmbH - UFZ in Leipzig is looking for a

for the Helmholtz Metadata Collaboration (HMC). The employer for this position is GEOMAR in Kiel, the place of work is the UFZ in Leipzig.

Working context

Research data is the basis of scientific research and thus of our social progress. The value, transparency and visibility of research data are increased if its long-term reusability is guaranteed.

In the Helmholtz Metadata Collaboration (HMC) platform, new concepts and technologies for the sustainable handling of research data are being developed and implemented with the aim of making the Helmholtz Association's research data permanently available in its entirety, findable, accessible, interoperable and reusable within and across disciplines.

Within HMC we offer:

• A unique environment within the Helmholtz Association in which forward-looking concepts and technologies in the field of data science can be sustainably conceived and implemented.
• A dynamic, creative team, an open-minded culture of innovation and short decision-making processes.
• Life-long learning is a requirement with one of the great challenges in science! Our goal is to make a difference together!
• An exciting, secure job and varied tasks with a corporate culture which encourages to contribute ideas, energy and initiative.

Tasks

For the HMC field Earth and Environment, the following tasks are to be practically implemented at the UFZ in coordination with the participants at other Helmholtz Centres:

• Provision of information on the application-oriented use of metadata standards
• Provision of support and training programmes for metadata (including PIDs, vocabularies, ontologies and standards)
• Piloting technical solutions (including the automation of processes and use of tools) for the community-specific use of metadata
• Further development of metadata standards for community-specific use in sustainable research data management
• Collaboration in metadata-related working groups and participation in events with a national (e.g. Helmholtz Association, NFDI) and international focus (e.g. EOSC, OGC)
• Collaboration as part of the HMC Earth and Environment teams and the participating Helmholtz Centres

We expect:

• A successfully completed degree in Information Science, Computer Science, Data Science, a natural science with technical expertise, or comparable professional experience.
• Basic knowledge of experience with semantic web technologies and metadata standards
• Practical experience in dealing with structured data formats (XML, JSON or others)
• Good knowledge and programming experience in at least one scripting language (e.g. Python, JavaScript or others)
• Good communication skills in English (written & spoken)
• Willingness to travel, e.g. to project meetings or conferences
• Excellent comprehension skills as well as an independent and autonomous way of working
• Excellent communication and cooperation skills.

An advantage would be:

• Experience in dealing with research data
• Experience with knowledge systems (knowledge graphs, RDF databases)
• Experience working in and with scientific communities
• Experience in the use of community-specific metadata
• Experience with natural sciences and adoption of new technologies
• Very good language skills in German

Leipzig is an attractive region with a high quality of life and a wide range of opportunities for balancing family and career. We offer here:

• Good conditions for balancing work and private life: Among other things, we offer the possibility of mobile working and individualised working hours
• Support programmes for professional and personal life situations
• An exciting working environment with the opportunity to provide important impetus for the development of sustainable solutions
• Exciting topics in an international environment
• Work in the field of marine and climate research, a forward-looking area of social importance
• 30 days holiday + additional time off on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve
• Company pension scheme and capital-forming benefits

The position is based at Research Data Management at the UFZ and is limited until 31 December 2029.

If the relevant requirements are met, remuneration will be paid up to pay salary group E 13 (TVöD Bund). The regular weekly working hours correspond to those of a full-time position. This is a full-time position with flexible work hours that can also be split among several candidates.

The UFZ and GEOMAR seek to increase the proportion of female scientists and explicitly encourage qualified females to apply. The UFZ and GEOMAR is an equal opportunity employer and encourages people with disabilities to apply. Qualified disabled applicants will receive preference in the application process. The UFZ and GEOMAR are committed to non-discriminatory selection. Our job advertisements are therefore aimed at all people.

Please send your complete, informative application documents by 09 March 2025 via our application portal at the following link:

Online application

After completion of the selection process, all application documents will be destroyed in accordance with data protection regulations.

Dr Emanuel Söding will be happy to answer your questions about the job advertisement by telephone on 0431 600 4256 or by e-mail at esoeding(at)geomar.de, quoting the keyword ‘Data Steward UFZ’.

Further information on the Helmholtz Metadata Collaboration can be found at www.helmholtz-metadaten.de and on the GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel and the Helmholtz Association at www.geomar.de or www.helmholtz.de and on the UFZ at www.ufz.de

This research center is part of the Helmholtz Association of German Research Centers. With more than 42,000 employees and an annual budget of over € 5 billion, the Helmholtz Association is Germany's largest scientific organisation.