The Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR) is part of the Institute for Social Research (ISR) at the University of Michigan. The consortium maintains the world’s largest archive of social scientific data with 15,000+ studies relating to education, aging, criminal justice, substance abuse, terrorism, and more. A global leader in data science, ICPSR also supports continuing education in research design, statistics, and data analysis. ICPSR employs 20 research faculty, 100 professional staff, and has an annual operating revenue of more than $15 million.
ICPSR’s Metadata and Preservation unit is seeking an Associate Archivist to develop and enhance metadata and lead digital preservation planning. Are you passionate about accurate, precise, and comprehensive metadata to improve resource discovery? Do you enjoy reviewing and implementing policies and procedures for reliable, long-term access to digital resources? If so, please apply! The application deadline for this position is 4/8/2021, and the posting with a link to the application system can be found here: https://careers.umich.edu/job_detail/195805/assoc_archivist Responsibilities* Metadata Standards Enhancement You will consider ways in which existing ICPSR metadata can be extended and augmented. For instance, in what ways can ICPSR improve on its use of DDI metadata? How can ICPSR make use of additional standards, such as DCAT or schema.org? And how can ICPSR enhance existing preservation metadata? You will advocate for and assist in implementing these enhancements. Metadata Standards Development You will research and implement new metadata standards and policies for new and growing data types at ICPSR (e.g., video, GIS, and social media). Preservation Planning You will lead the creation and implementation of digital preservation policies, procedures, workflows, and strategies, especially to support compliance with ISO 14721 (OAIS Reference Model) and ISO 16363 (Audit and Certification of Trustworthy Digital Repositories). Collaboration In all of your work, you will develop strong working relationships and communication with staff across ICPSR, including with information technology. You will work collaboratively with the Assistant Archivist managing metadata reviews; you will report directly to the Unit Director. Required Qualifications* ALA-accredited Master’s degree. 5 years of experience creating, editing, and transforming metadata in a digital repository setting. Understanding of and experience with ISO 14721 and ISO 16363. Experience curating social science data collections. Experience with descriptive cataloging of social science data collections. Excellent organizational and project management skills. Excellent verbal, written, and interpersonal communication skills in the English language. Strong ability to work well in a team-based environment. Desired Qualifications* Skills in one or more scripting languages for data manipulation (e.g., Python, XSLT). Experience using DDI, MARC, Dublin Core, Schema.org, DCAT, and other metadata standards and schema. Experience reviewing and implementing new metadata standards and policies.
