Job Summary:

This Data Scientist position will be housed within the Center for Climatic Research (CCR) at the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and will support the development, maintenance, and user engagement and training for several components of the software ecosystem for the Neotoma Paleoecology Database. Neotoma is an international data resource for paleoecological and other geoscientific data that is widely used by the global change community. Software components include the neotoma2 R package, the DataBUS system in Python and SQL that supports large-volume uploads of data, and a to-be-created embargo management system. User engagement activities include regular monitoring of Slack and email for user-reported issues, engagement with users of the Neotoma system, development of in-person and online training resources, leader of training workshops for English- and Spanish-speaking users of these services. This position will join a small team of scientists and developers and must be ready to support a diverse and international scientific user community.

The Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies is serious about elevating underrepresented voices, promoting antiracism, and modeling inclusive excellence at UW-Madison. As the most interdisciplinary academic unit on campus, we believe the diverse perspectives and experiences of our community are key to innovation and shared success.

Responsibilities:

Contributes to a research agenda set by a lead researcher by preparing data sets, analyzing them using data science techniques, and presenting the results. Works as part of a team under general supervision.

• 20% Prepares data sets for analysis including cleaning/quality assurance, transformations, restructuring, and integration of multiple data sources
• 5% Implements appropriate data science techniques under the guidance of other data scientists, statisticians, and/or other researchers to find data patterns and answer research questions chosen by the lead researcher including data visualization, statistical analysis, machine learning, and data mining
• 20% Organizes and automates project steps for data preparation and analysis
• 20% Composes and assembles reproducible workflows and reports to clearly articulate patterns to researchers and/or administrators
• 15% Documents approaches to address research questions
• 10% User support and handling, tracking, and reporting on user-generated issues and support requests
• 10% Preparation of bilingual (Spanish-English) training materials for workshops

Institutional Statement on Diversity:

Diversity is a source of strength, creativity, and innovation for UW-Madison. We value the contributions of each person and respect the profound ways their identity, culture, background, experience, status, abilities, and opinion enrich the university community. We commit ourselves to the pursuit of excellence in teaching, research, outreach, and diversity as inextricably linked goals.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison fulfills its public mission by creating a welcoming and inclusive community for people from every background - people who as students, faculty, and staff serve Wisconsin and the world.

For more information on diversity and inclusion on campus, please visit: Diversity and Inclusion

Education:

Preferred
Master's Degree in Data Science or similar field

Qualifications:

Expert in R and Python
Expertise in working with PostgreSQL Databases
Expertise in code versioning and management systems such as GitHub or BitBucket
Familiarity with geoscientific concepts and common geoinformatics approaches
Fluency in English and Spanish
Good team skills
Ability to work independently and with intermittent direct supervision

Work Type:

Part Time: 50% - 75%

It is anticipated this position will be remote and requires work be performed at an offsite, non-campus work location.

Appointment Type, Duration:

Ongoing/Renewable

Salary:

Negotiable
ANNUAL (12 months)
Employees in this position may be eligible for a generous benefit package, including paid time off, competitive insurances and savings accounts, and retirement benefits. Benefits information can be found at (https://hr.wisc.edu/benefits/).

Additional Information:

This position is supported by external funding and the duration and effort level of this appointment is subject to availability of external funds.

University sponsorship is not available for this position, including transfers of sponsorship. The selected applicant will be responsible for ensuring their continuous eligibility to work in the United States (i.e. a citizen or national of the United States, a lawful permanent resident, a foreign national authorized to work in the United States without the need of an employer sponsorship) on or before the effective date of appointment. This position is an ongoing position that will require continuous work eligibility. UW-Madison is not an E-Verify employer, and therefore, is not eligible to employ F1 STEM OPT Extension participants. If you are selected for this position, you must provide proof of work authorization and eligibility to work.

How to Apply:

To begin the application process, click the "apply now" button. Please submit a cover letter referring to your related work experience and a resume detailing your educational and professional background.

Contact:

Lili Gagliano
lili.gagliano@wisc.edu
608-890-4747
Relay Access (WTRS): 7-1-1. See RELAY_SERVICE for further information.

Official Title:

Data Scientist I(RE020)

Department(s):

A40-GAYLORD NELSON INST ENV ST/ENV ST/CTR FOR CLIM RES

Employment Class:

Academic Staff-Renewable

Job Number:

306443-AS

 

The University of Wisconsin-Madison is an Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Employer.

Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to, including but not limited to, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, pregnancy, disability, or status as a protected veteran and other bases as defined by federal regulations and UW System policies. We promote excellence through diversity and encourage all qualified individuals to apply. For more information regarding applicant and employee rights and to view federal and state required postings, click here

If you need to request an accommodation because of a disability, you can find information about how to make a request at the following website: https://employeedisabilities.wisc.edu/disability-accommodation-information-for-applicants/

Employment may require a criminal background check. It may also require you and your references to answer questions regarding sexual violence and sexual harassment.

The University of Wisconsin System will not reveal the identities of applicants who request confidentiality in writing, except that the identity of the successful candidate will be released. See Wis. Stat. sec. 19.36(7).

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