[Web4lib] Cornell Position Available- Research Data Specialist

[Elaine Westbrooks]

** Please excuse duplicate postings **

Research Data Specialist, Cornell University Libraries, Ithaca, New York

Position Description:
Cornell University Libraries (CUL) seeks an energetic and productive 
staff member to join the Metadata Services Department 
<<http://metadata.library.cornell.edu/>http://metadata.library.cornell.edu/>. 
Under the supervision of the Head of Metadata Services, the Research 
Data Specialist will play a key role in shaping Cornell University 
Library's involvement in e-science, digital data curation, and 
supporting cyberscholarship for all disciplines. He or she will have 
the aptitude to stay abreast of scientific research trends, data 
documentation tools, and standards important for data exchange, 
reuse, and interoperability. Utilizing and applying various 
information technology tools for metadata manipulation and script 
execution is a key responsibility for this position. The Research 
Data Specialist will work at the intersection of digital data, 
technology, and metadata for the libraries.  He or she will be 
responsible for consultation, assessment, and support services to 
facilitate all aspects of digital data curation.  To be successful, 
close collaboration will be essential in working with library staff 
devoted to digital libraries, information technologies, public 
services, as well as the data working group and constituents of the 
Cornell life sciences initiative. The successful candidate will 
perform outreach and facilitate communication between the Libraries 
and research groups on all Cornell campuses.

Required Qualifications: MLS or Masters degree in science.  One year 
of research laboratory experience. Ability to work well in a 
collaborative team-based environment.  Strong communication (oral and 
writing), interpersonal, and presentation skills. Aptitude for and 
consistency in detailed work.  Ability to analyze and to solve 
problems creatively and flexibly in a complex and rapidly changing 
environment. Strong service orientation and interest in information 
users' values and needs. Self-motivated and ability to multi-task. 
Expect to hire at the rank of Assistant Librarian or Sr. Assistant 
Librarian.  Assistant Librarian rank is entry level for academic 
librarians with less than 5 years of professional experience.

Desired Qualifications: Knowledge of computational tools and 
techniques for data management and manipulation.  Aptitude for 
learning digital collection management, electronic resource 
management, and metadata standards and formats. Familiarity with at 
least one of the following metadata standards: Ecological Metadata 
Language (EML), Data Documentation Initiative (DDI), and FGDC 
Biological Data Profile.  Familiarity with commonly used repository 
platforms (e.g. Fedora, DSpace, ePrints).  Ability to use various 
tools for metadata manipulation and scripting.  Experience with 
relational database design, XML/XSLT, Java, Perl, Python, or 
PHP.  Familiarity with Semantic Web specifications and experience in 
XML DTD and W3C schema creation.  Ability to write and obtain grants 
and to manage grant-funded projects.  Prior work experience in an 
academic or special library.

Background:  Cornell University is an Ivy League comprehensive 
research university located in Ithaca in the scenic Finger Lakes 
region of upstate New York.  The town and university offer a unique 
cosmopolitan and international atmosphere in a beautiful natural 
setting of waterfalls, gorges, and lakes.  The university comprises 
14 schools with 2600 faculty members and 20,000 students enrolled in 
undergraduate, graduate and professional schools.  The Cornell 
University Library is a vigorous professional organization of 468 
staff with a strong track record in innovation and service 
quality.  It consists of 20 libraries, including a nearby 
high-density storage facility with a capacity of 6.8 million 
volumes.  It contains nearly 8 million printed volumes, 62,000 
current serials, 378,000 networked electronic resources, and rich 
materials in other formats.  Ranking 9th among 113 North American 
academic library members of the Association of Research Libraries, 
the Library was a recipient of the Association of College and 
Research Libraries' Excellence in Academic Libraries Award in 2002.

Benefits: Comprehensive benefits package including 22 vacation days, 
11 paid holidays, health insurance, life insurance, and university 
retirement contributions (TIAA-CREF and other options).  Professional 
travel funding available.

Application Procedure:  Applications requested by February 29, 2008. 
To apply for this position go to http://www.ohr.cornell.edu/jobs/, 
search under the job category of Librarians, and select posting 
number 08045.    Follow the instructions for online submission. 
Please include a cover letter, resume, and the names, phone numbers, 
and addresses for three references.  Review of applications will 
begin immediately and will continue until the position is 
filled.  Salary will be competitive and commensurate with 
experience.  Visa sponsorship is not available for this position.

Cornell University is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity 
Employer strongly committed to diversity.  We value qualified 
candidates who can bring to our community a variety of backgrounds 
and experiences.

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Elaine L. Westbrooks, Head of Metadata Services
107B Olin Library
Cornell University
Ithaca, NY 14853
607.255.3973
elw25 at cornell.edu