Database Manager chez University of New Mexico

The Database Manager will collaborate with the School of Medicine’s Department of Neurosciences and the Health Sciences Library & Informatics Center to identify researcher and laboratory needs for data and database management and curation and will work in partnership to develop solutions that will meet these needs. The Department of Neurosciences works with numerous types of human and animal data, including, EEG, MRI, electrophysiology, microscopy, and OMICs datasets.

The Database Manager will consult with researchers and laboratory teams to develop customized solutions for research data management, curation, and sharing, using tools such as SQL, Python, and GitHub to create and maintain databases, reproducible data pipelines, and more. They will work to create, develop, implement, and maintain centralized, accessible stores for data and code to ensure that files are accessible to all lab members who need access. They will lead the creation of data dictionaries using standardized terminology and ensure version control. As part of an NIH-funded coalition designed to create institutional culture change around research rigor and transparency, including data and code sharing, this position will report through the Health Sciences Library & Informatics Center’s Research Data Specialist.  

Duties include:

• Consults with and advises Department of Neurosciences researchers on the structuring and development of data requirements.
• Designs, develops, and tests data processing pipelines and databases for the Department of Neurosciences and trains labs on how to use them.
• Addresses a variety of data integration issues including migration of data between disparate sources and conversion to neurosciences-specific data standards, such as those established by Neurodata without Borders.
• Ensures best practices for data curation and sharing through standard neurosciences data repositories (e.g., DANDI) are developed and maintained.
• Collaborates with library and IT staff and other stakeholders to clarify objectives, determine feasibility, and ensure data and code shareability, including data dictionaries.
• Ensures that any new data system meets functional end user requirements, compliance and interface specifications, and that proper documentation is maintained. Defines functional data requirements and documents all processes.
• Maintains currency of knowledge with respect to the relevant state-of-the-art technology, equipment and/or systems, including neurosciences data standards and institutional and federal standards such as HIPAA, FERPA, and NIST 800-171.
• Will supervise and/or lead staff and/or student employees, as assigned.
• May evaluate and recommend the testing and evaluation of new procedures, software, and hardware to allow for continuous adaptation to meet ongoing needs.
• Performs miscellaneous job-related duties as assigned.

See the Position Description for additional information.

• Employees who provide services or work in patient care or clinical areas are required to be in compliance with the University's influenza vaccination requirement.

Bachelor's degree in a relevant field; at least 3 years of experience directly related to the duties and responsibilities specified.

Completed degree(s) from an accredited institution that are above the minimum education requirement may be substituted for experience on a year for year basis.

• Master’s degree in computer science, data science, or relevant field.
• Experience working in a research or academic setting.
• Enthusiasm for working with individual researchers and research groups to create lasting change in research data management, curation, and sharing.
• Excellent communication skills to collaborate across technical and non-technical teams.
• Experience handling and processing large, complex datasets.
• Experience creating SQL and/or other types of relational databases for small-scale and large-scale data.
• Familiarity with Python, R, GitHub, Galaxy, and/or other tools for creating reproducible data pipelines.
• Experience supervising staff and/or students.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, including demonstrated ability to develop creative solutions and critically evaluate advanced methods.

Only applications submitted through the official UNMJobs site will be accepted. If you are viewing this job advertisement on a 3rd party site, please visit UNMJobs to submit an application.

• Resume

• Cover letter addressing why you are interested in this position, and how your skills/experience would make you successful in this role.

• Contact information for three Professional References.

Finalists for this position should be prepared to provide official educational transcripts if selected for hire. For further information, please contact David Lucero at (505) 272-0634, [email protected].

Positions posted with a Staff Type of Regular or Term are eligible for the Veteran Preference Program. See the Veteran Preference Program webpage for additional details.

The University of New Mexico is committed to hiring and retaining a diverse workforce. We are an Equal Opportunity Employer, making decisions without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, veteran status, disability, or any other protected class.

The University of New Mexico requires all regular staff positions successfully pass a pre-employment background check. This may include, but is not limited to, a criminal history background check, New Mexico Department of Health fingerprint screening, New Mexico Children, Youth, and Families Department fingerprint screening, verification of education credentials, and/or verification of prior employment. For more information about background checks, visit https://policy.unm.edu/university-policies/3000/3280.html. Refer to https://policy.unm.edu/university-policies/3000/3200.html for a definition of Regular Staff.