Marine Data Manager – Cambridge

The UK Polar Data Centre (UK PDC) is the focal point for Arctic and Antarctic environmental data management in the UK. Part of the Natural Environmental Research Council’s (NERC) network of environmental data centres, and based at the British Antarctic Survey (BAS), it coordinates the management of polar data from UK-funded research and supports researchers in complying with national and international data legislation and policy. The UK PDC has a vacancy for a Marine Data Manager based at the British Antarctic Survey offices on the outskirts of Cambridge.

The Marine Data Manager will be responsible for the management of biological and oceanographic data collected on board the BAS research vessel RRS James Clark Ross.

The successful candidate will have experience of data management, ideally in a marine related context. You will need a good range of general IT skills such as Unix/Linux experience, programming skills and database design. In addition, you will have experience using a variety of relevant software packages for managing/processing data, Geographic Information Systems or web application development. The role requires excellent attention to detail and strong communication and team working skills. You will be expected to document your progress and engage successfully with a wide range of scientists and other stake-holders.

This is a very diverse role which will allow you to be involved in all aspects of the data life cycle from planning and acquisition through to analysis and dissemination. There are many opportunities to further develop the marine data holdings of the Polar Data Centre and this role would suit someone with creative ideas and the initiative and skills to drive them forward.

This post is primarily based in Cambridge but there may be the opportunity to support data management on a research cruise. Therefore you should be physically capable and medically fit to undertake marine cruises in polar regions of up to two months duration.

We are also recruiting for a Geophysical Data Manager and your application will be considered for both posts unless stated otherwise in your application.

Purpose

To manage scientific data collected by the UK polar community with an emphasis on marine biological and oceanographic datasets. In this sense ’manage’ means a series of steps including planning, acquisition and processing through to reviewing and archiving and onto analysis and dissemination.

Qualification

Degree or higher in a geoscience or data management subject area

Duties

- Manage UK polar marine biology and oceanographic data. Tasks within this duty include data planning, acquisition, processing, archiving, analysis and dissemination. Example cruise datasets include underway data (GPS, sea surface temp, depth etc.), CTD and XBT casts, bio-acoustic data, seawater chemistry, seabird and mammal observations and fish catch analysis. Data can also come from other platforms such as ROVs, ocean gliders, drifters, ARGO floats, moorings and tags attached to marine animals. Develop value added information products to support relevant scientific communities and other stakeholders.
- Act as the lead data manager for Polar Oceans, the Pelagic Ecosystems group within Ecosystems and the secondary data manager for Biodiversity, Evolution and Adaptations. Ensure all relevant projects have an active data management plan and support and advise scientists on data management activities
- Act as the designated data manager for NERC grant-funded projects with a polar marine focus where the PDC is named as either the primary or secondary data centre.
- Respond to internal and external requests for data, information and knowledge that have a polar marine focus.
- Support scientific data acquisition on marine cruises. This will primarily involve marine biology and oceanography but will also encompass aspects of marine geology and geophysics and other datasets as appropriate. The support will encompass the cruise planning stage, on board ship support (when identified as a need) and post cruise activities to ensure all data collected during a cruise are stored securely, discoverable and reusable both in the short and long-term.
- Act as the main liaison officer with the British Oceanographic Data Centre (BODC), the long-term archive for marine data collected by NERC funded researchers. Ensure that technical development is carried out in consultation with BODC data scientists.
- Contribute towards, and in some cases produce, scientific research output and internal reports and documentation including cruise reports, peer-reviewed literature, maps and digital products such as a GIS or a web service.
- Co-operate with and provide data to national and international data assimilation and knowledge exchange projects. Examples include the Southern Ocean Observing System (SOOS) and the Integrating Climate and Ecosystem Dynamics (ICED) project.
- As part of the Polar Data Centre team you will work within functional areas to develop common data management approaches across the scientific disciplines studied at BAS. These areas include data science, database and software development, web applications and data policy. It will be expected that you will possess skills to lead in some of these areas.
- Engage in public outreach activities where showcasing polar scientific data.
- To undertake other duties as requested by the Director of BAS.

On-line application forms and further information are available on our website at www.bas.ac.uk/jobs

These are also available from the Human Resources Section, British Antarctic Survey, High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge, CB3 0ET. Tel: (01223) 221508.

Please quote reference: BAS 125/16
Closing date for receipt of application forms is 3rd January 2017
Interviews are scheduled to be held on w/c 16th January 2017
Proposed start date: Jan/Feb 2017

We welcome applications from all sections of the community. People from ethnic minorities are currently under-represented and their applications are particularly welcome.