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Metadata Production Specialist, Roper Center, Storrs CT

Posted May 22, 2013

Metadata Production Specialist

The Roper Center is the largest Public Opinion Data archive in existence and an internationally trusted digital repository.   Since its founding in the 1940s, the Center has maintained two key objectives:  (1) to preserve the voice of the public in the form of public opinion polling data and maintain these data in the most current formats possible, and (2) to disseminate the data in detailed and complete form via intuitive access tools.

The Center’s data curation and processing team is currently enhancing curation methods and appropriate metadata structures for born digital materials, while streamlining workflows in order to accommodate archiving a broader and more diverse collection of materials.  The Metadata Production Specialist is a new position within the archive team and will work to streamline work processing, integrating best practices to assure quality assurance.  This position will play a leading role in supporting long-term management of research data throughout the data lifecycle, including issues of digital preservation and access, intellectual property rights, and security of sensitive data.

 

Responsibilities

  • Manages and coordinates various workflows for dataset and summary data release in accordance with expanding digital curation and online accessibility requirements
  • Analyzes processing streams to develop more efficient production workflows
  • Oversees the production of and builds metadata content for databases served by online retrieval systems for data discovery to external clients, including the preparation of materials for iPOLL, a question level database
  • Produces documentation to clearly describe methods of data collection and reporting 
  • Assists in research, review, testing and evaluation of support products or enhancements.
  • Assists in the development of archival tools and services to support data curation.    
  • Develops scripts, writes, and maintains programs as required for workflow processing.
  • Advises users on the availability of data and provides user support of Center collections
  • Coordinates regular ongoing data acquisitions with data providers
  • Communicates with data producers to secure all necessary metadata pertaining to archived survey materials.
  • Participates in the development and adoption of archival standards for the Center’s collections
  • Performs other related duties as required.

 

Qualifications

  • BA/BS in related field and (including but, not limited to Information Science, Social Science, Computer Science) and 1-3 years experience. Candidates with a relevant MA/MS will be given preference.
  • Demonstrated metadata development skills, strong data skills, analytical reasoning and logical problem solving along with, a working knowledge of issues and challenges related to data management/curation, including format migration, preservation, metadata, data retrieval and research data use.
  • Able to manage time and multiple projects in a complex, changing environment with a positive, flexible, creative and innovative attitude.
  • Demonstrated ability to work individually and collaboratively in a team environment.
  • Familiarity with one or more current scientific data and metadata conventions.
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills and strong editing skills.
  • The ability to acquire new technological skills and resolve problems in a resourceful and timely manner. Demonstrated ability to meet deadlines within a production environment.
  • Excellent organizational skills, accuracy and attentiveness to detail.
  • Experience training/consulting with users on computing problems, or programming in a large data processing environment.
  • A demonstrated ability to oversee student and/or professional staff.

 

Other Desirable Qualifications/Skills

  • Candidates with a relevant MA/MS will be given strong preference.
  • Programming experience.
  • Familiarity with long-term management of research data throughout the data lifecycle and with common metadata standards, e.g., DDI; understanding of ontology and semantic relationships highly preferred.
  • Knowledge of common development tools & languages, e.g. Java, SQL, XML/XSLT, PHP, Perl.
  • Coursework or extensive experience in data management and curation.

 

To Apply
Interested applicants must apply by using Husky Hire. Please, upload a current resume, letter of application, and the names, telephone numbers and e-mail addresses of three professional references. The University of Connecticut is an EEO/AA employer.

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