BIFoR Data Manager and Analyst

Position Details

Location: University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham UK & Staffordshire

Full time starting salary is normally in the range £34,980 to £44,263, with potential progression once in post to £46,974

Fixed Term contract up to July 2027

Closing date: 17th October 2023

Department overview 

Established in November 2013, the Birmingham Institute of Forest Research (BIFoR) is fast becoming an internationally leading Institute that addresses the profound challenges facing today’s woodland environments. The institute aims to provide fundamental science, social science and cultural research of direct relevance to forested landscapes anywhere in the world. The Institute was initially funded by a £15 million donation and consists of laboratory and analytical facilities on the main Birmingham University campus and a major new Field Facility based Staffordshire. The experimental facility is focused on the effects of increased atmospheric carbon dioxide on the structure and function of mature and semi-natural oak woodland including impacts on growth and disease. Ultimately this research will inform our understanding and lead to improvements the management of woodlands. 

Role Summary

Drawing on a strong IT and data handling background, the BIFoR Data Manager and Analyst will help to shape and support the underlying data storage and archiving services, safeguarding BIFoR’s key research data assets and organising data to provide to academic users following FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Re-useable) best practice. The post holder will work closely with the research team to collate and analyse data to deliver high-end research and will be expected to provide training and guidance to group members in the correct data management methods. The post holder will also work closely with Central IT services at the University to integrate themselves into the large-scale architectures currently employed to manage project data. The post holder will be a focus of expertise and support for research data with a solid understanding of the technical solutions to maximise the use of the data and deliver an efficient service to researchers in this highly competitive environment. The post holder will ensure that the University is compliant with the requirements of regulators.

Main duties

• Provide a central focus of IT research data expertise within the University to advise on and resolve related issues, including, where requested, to external institutions working collaboratively with BIFoR. Identify where existing services within the University would benefit research activity. This will be particularly relevant as it relates to data, data management, data archiving and open data, but also includes support to scientists for use of high performance computing and visualisation services.
• Establish a working partnerships with research groups and researchers across BIFoR and other associated institutes and colleges to provide advice and guidance on all matters related to scientific data storage, management and provision of ready to use data.

Required Knowledge, Skills, Qualifications, Experience 

• Educated to Degree level (or equivalent qualifications) plus relevant practical experience - where no equivalent qualification is held significant practical relevant experience and expertise in a series of progressively more demanding roles will be required.
• Evidence of literacy and numeracy, with the ability to write clearly, and to produce and analyse information and data.
• Demonstrable understanding and experience of core computing knowledge and skills: hardware and software architectures for the management of large databases.

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