Assistant Director for Data Stewardship and Computing - Prairie Research Institute - 1031855-6689

at University of Illinois in Urbana, Illinois, United States

Job Description

• Strategic Leadership - Provide strategic vision and leadership for data stewardship and computing, and information technology management initiatives. Collaborate with the Executive Director and senior leadership to identify and pursue strategic opportunities and initiatives. Develop and promote policies and standards for data management, integration, and sharing in collaboration with discipline experts across the Institute. Coordinate the development and implementation of data, compute and information technology systems, ensuring alignment with the Institute's goals and objectives. Develop a support team to help educate and assist Institute researchers with modern data, compute and information technology management practices and workflows. Develop collaborations across the Institute, related units in the university, and with external partners. Represent the Institute at meetings, conferences, and other events as needed.
• Team Leadership - Lead, develop, and manage a multidisciplinary team of data scientists, IT professionals, and research staff that can advance data stewardship, and computing and IT practices. Develop programming for education, advisement, and technical support of data management systems and IT practices to Institute researchers. Foster a collaborative and inclusive team environment, promoting professional development and continuous learning. Ensure the team meets project goals, deadlines, and deliverables.
• IT Operations & Infrastructure - Oversee and direct the daily operations of PRI's IT services including server administration, desktop support, application development, and network management. Ensure 24/7 reliability of core systems and services, including support for field locations. Guide system upgrades, software development, and emerging infrastructure projects to support scientific and business operations. Lead planning and budgeting for computing services and infrastructure.
• Proposal Development and Funding - Lead the development of proposals, and collaborate with principal investigators, to funding agencies to secure resources for data stewardship projects. Identify funding opportunities and collaborate with principal investigators and researchers to develop competitive proposals to support the development of data, compute and IT systems and approaches. Manage budgets and resources for funded projects, ensuring effective use of funds and compliance with funding agency requirements.
• Integration and Interoperability - Oversee the development and maintenance of data, compute and IT systems that support the integration and interoperability across PRI. Ensure systems are designed to support the Institute's research needs, are scalable and sustainable, and utilize emerging technologies. Work with funding agencies, partners, and stakeholders to ensure the PRI systems are flexible to meet emerging needs and differing use cases. Promote the use of advanced technologies, including high performance computing, cloud systems, and machine learning and artificial intelligence, to enhance data analysis and visualization capabilities. Keeping abreast of developments in relevant technologies and seeking their adoption as needed. Perform other duties as needed to further PRI's mission and goals.

• Possess the ability to formulate and implement a strategic vision for data stewardship, demonstrating strong problem-solving and analytical. They will exhibit excellent interpersonal and communication skills, enabling them to effectively collaborate with, educate, and advise both technical and non-technical stakeholders. Proficiency in relevant software and technologies including knowledge of metadata standards across fields related to PRI research, ensuring the candidate can lead the development and maintenance of advanced data systems. Leadership and team management skills, fostering a collaborative and inclusive environment that promotes professional development and continuous learning. Proposal development and securing funding experience from external agencies. Deep understanding of data stewardship principles and best practices, coupled with experience in data integration and interoperability within a research environment, and have a publication and software development portfolio that reflects this knowledge. Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal.