Job Description
Research & Learning - Pennsylvania-Pittsburgh - (24005730)
Research Data Librarian University Library System
University of Pittsburgh
The Research Data Librarian is a Faculty Librarian in the University Library System reporting to the Head of Digital Scholarship Services.
The position provides support and expertise to students, faculty, and researchers engaged in research data management planning, data acquisition, data sharing, and computational research methods. This position emphasizes collaborating with researchers and students primarily in the sciences and social sciences; however, supporting data practices and literacies in a wide variety of disciplines is also expected.
Through consultations, instruction, outreach, and collaborative initiatives, this position supports data practices across many phases of research and learning. The Research Data Librarian draws on a broad knowledge of the research data lifecycle and computational research activities, communicates clearly and effectively with researchers and colleagues, and monitors and creatively responds to emerging research data needs across the University.
The position also maintains a liaison relationship with STEM-related departments as assigned. The liaison role includes proactively building relationships and partnerships with faculty, staff, and students in the assigned departments; staying current with user needs; promoting awareness and use of Library resources and support, including those in other library units and departments (e.g., Science & Engineering Library, Metadata & Discovery, Archives & Special Collections); developing curricular and co-curricular engagement opportunities; and providing academic and research support for students.
As a member of the Digital Scholarship Services team, the Research Data Librarian works alongside colleagues who support related aspects of critical data literacies, open scholarship, and reproducible research practices, including those in the Health Sciences Library System, which is administratively separate from the ULS. In collaboration with other colleagues, the Research Data Librarian contributes to the services, strategies, and relationships that enable robust library support of computational research and data management by faculty, students, and staff at the University of Pittsburgh.
Responsibilities: - Provide instruction and consultation for students, faculty, and researchers on a variety of tools and workflows for data management, analysis, and sharing, including quantitative research methods and version control.
- Perform outreach to educate the campus community about data curation and preservation practices and strategies.
- Advocate for the value of responsible data practices and reproducibility, emphasizing considerations of privacy, ethics, attribution, and documentation when working with data.
- Assist researchers in complying with funder-mandated data management and sharing requirements, including providing guidance on applications such as DMPTool.
- Support the preparation and deposit of datasets in repositories, including D-Scholarship@Pitt, the ULS-hosted institutional repository for the University of Pittsburgh.
- Support user development of data literacies alongside the other members of the Digital Scholarship Services unit, particularly for research that makes use of quantitative data or that has specialized data management needs.
- Liaise with assigned academic departments, developing relationships and supporting the research & learning needs of departmental faculty, students, and staff while actively communicating library resources and services.
- Develop and maintain strong relationships with other University units supporting research data management, including the Health Sciences Library System, Center for Research Computing, Pitt Information Technology, and Office of Research.
Librarians at the University of Pittsburgh are members of the faculty and are expected to demonstrate continuous professional development in addition to performing their specific responsibilities. This expectation includes such activities as participating in and contributing to departmental, library, and campus-wide committees or working groups as well as the profession at a regional, national, and/or international level, maintaining a broad awareness of current and emerging issues that affect their disciplines and areas of expertise, participating in relevant publishing and presentation opportunities, and pursuing knowledge of professional trends and developments that can be applied to evolving research, services, and collections. Approximately 10% of the librarian’s time should be directed toward such activities and will be included as part of the annual evaluation.
Specifically, the incumbent in this position is expected to:
- Keep abreast of and contribute as appropriate to current developments in the profession, especially as they relate to data and STEM-focused librarianship.
- Contribute to the profession through publications, presentations, teaching, and other professional activities.
- Seek out appropriate roles in professional associations, research, and/or publication on the regional, national, and international level.
- Participate actively in ULS and campus-wide working groups and committees, as appropriate.
- The incumbent is also expected to contribute to the University community or the local community through service that utilizes their professional expertise.
Qualifications: A successful candidate for the Research Data Librarian will have the following required qualifications:
- Master’s degree or higher in library or information science or other relevant discipline.
- Demonstrated knowledge of data formats, data management and curation principles, data transformation workflows, quantitative research methods, and systems for managing and sharing research data.
- Demonstrated experience with applications for data manipulation and analysis (such as R, Python, SQL, and OpenRefine), version control software, and open science infrastructure.
- Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively on a small team to identify and solve emerging and ambiguous problems.
- Demonstrated experience with instruction in a higher education setting.
- Highly effective oral, written, and interpersonal communication skills.
- A record of professional engagement and contribution.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Academic training or relevant research experience in the sciences or social sciences.
- At least 3 years of professional experience in a relevant setting. Experience may be in a library or another setting related to research or instruction.
- Demonstrated experience practicing and/or supporting reproducible research practices.
- Evidence of strong commitment to user-centered library service and the ability to work flexibly and creatively in a changing and fast-paced environment with a culturally diverse population.
- Proven track record of cultural competence, understanding, and working with diverse racial, ethnic, religious, academic, socioeconomic, disability, sexual orientation, and gender identity communities.
- Engagement with a well-established network of data services professionals within higher education and libraries.
The University of Pittsburgh Founded in 1787, the University of Pittsburgh ( is one of the oldest institutions of higher education in the United States. Today, Pitt is an internationally recognized center of learning and research, strong in the arts and sciences. Pitt serves approximately 33,000 students, including more than 9,200 graduate students, in the sixteen schools at the Pittsburgh campus and the four regional campuses. Pitt is ranked No. 23 on the U.S. News & World Report's 2022 list of Top Public Schools in the nation and in 2021, the Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education College Rankings was again named the Pittsburgh campus as the No. 1 public university in the Northeastern United States. The U.S. Department of the State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs has named Pitt a Fulbright Top Producing Institution for U.S. Students for the 2022-23 academic year. All six of Pitt's global and area studies centers have been chosen to receive both National Resource Center grants and Foreign Language and Area Studies Fellowships by the federal government, and as a proven economic engine, Pitt contributes $5.2 billion to communities throughout Pennsylvania.
The City of Pittsburgh The city of Pittsburgh is in the foothills of the Allegheny Mountains in Southwestern Pennsylvania. Consistently ranked as one of the most livable cities in the United States, Pittsburgh is recognized for its natural beauty and unique blend of cultural, educational, and technological resources. Additional information on the city of Pittsburgh can be found at
Salary: The rank is open, and the salary is commensurate with qualifications and experience, with a starting salary of $60,000. Comprehensive benefits package includes health and wellness plans, retirement savings plans, one-month (20 working days) vacation per year, and tuition assistance.
The successful candidate will meet the criteria for appointment at the rank of Librarian I, II, or III and will be hired on an initial 3-year renewable contract. For further information, please see ULS Guidelines for Faculty Librarians.
Please apply through the University of Pittsburgh’s Talent Center, requisition number 24005730. In addition to creating a Talent Center account, please upload/attach a cover letter, CV, and three professional references with contact information. Any questions regarding the application process should be directed to Sharon McMasters (sam989@pitt.edu).
Visa sponsorship is not offered with this position.
Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled; primary consideration will be given to those received by August 19, 2024. Please submit contact information for 3 professional references
The University of Pittsburgh is committed to championing all aspects of diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility within our community. This commitment is a fundamental value of the University and is crucial in helping us advance our mission, which includes attracting and retaining diverse workforces. We will continue to create and maintain an environment that allows individuals to discover, belong, contribute, and grow, while honoring the experiences, perspectives, and unique identities of all. The University of Pittsburgh is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer and values equality of opportunity, human dignity and diversity. EOE, including disability/vets. Assignment Category: Full-time regular
Bargaining Unit Eligibility: This position may be bargaining unit eligible
Campus: Pittsburgh
Required Attachments: Cover Letter, Curriculum Vitae, Other (see posting for additional details)
Job Tags
Full time, Contract work, Local area, Immediate start,