Scientific Data Manager I

Duke University:

 

Duke University was created in 1924 through an indenture of trust by James Buchanan Duke. Today, Duke is regarded as one of America’s leading research universities. Located in Durham, North Carolina, Duke is positioned in the heart of the Research Triangle, which is ranked annually as one of the best places in the country to work and live. Duke has more than 15,000 students who study and conduct research in its 10 undergraduate, graduate and professional schools. With about 40,000 employees, Duke is the third largest private employer in North Carolina, and it now has international programs in more than 150 countries.

 

The Moffitt/Caspi research group at Duke University seeks a talented Scientific Data Manager I to facilitate research on mental health and aging.  The individual in this position will manage data used in research conducted by Professors Terrie Moffitt and Avshalom Caspi (www.moffittcaspi.com; Departments of Psychology and Neuroscience, Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, and Duke university Population Research Institute).  The team’s work centers on two cohort studies (the NIH-funded Dunedin Longitudinal Study and the UK-MRC-funded Environmental Risk Longitudinal Twin Study), and also includes management and analysis of data from studies of human development and aging around the world. The team is small, fun, lively and productive. The team publishes cutting-edge work with high impact. 

 

OVERVIEW

 

The position primarily involves managing large longitudinal datasets: designing and maintaining electronic data directories; maintaining data integrity and documentation; and updating relevant data and scripting repositories.  The work involves working with the principal investigators; collaborating with members of the research team and researchers outside Duke University (Ph.D. students, postdoctoral fellows, statisticians, bioinformaticians) on dataset management and descriptive analyses; and co-authoring papers for publication.

 

The individual should be comfortable with the quantitative side of research and working directly with the data, but also needs to understand the context and purpose of what the lab does and the clientele it serves.  The desired candidate should be able to manage large datasets and also go beyond the numbers to think about how these data and studies are driving and informing policy and having an impact on the lives of those involved and beyond.

 

MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES

 

Research:

The individual in this position will work with researchers on the Duke-based team, and with collaborators at other institutions, on a variety of research projects. This includes helping the individuals identify data available to answer research questions; preparing data files (including constructing new variables); providing online rapid-response support services to co-investigators located at other institutions domestically and internationally; reviewing statistical analyses performed by other researchers on the team for accuracy; and maintaining a log of all data analysis scripts and code created by team members.  

            - Consult with students and postdocs to orient them to the labs studies.

            - Outreach to data users to help them use data appropriately.

            - Select appropriate varibles for each project.

            - Prepare data files for the PIs, trainees, and collaborators, along with documentation.

            - Create new variables as necessary using existing data.

            - Maintain scrupulous documentation of methods used in variable creation.

            - Run basic descriptive statistical analyses, prepare tables and figures.

            - Communicate with team members in biostatistics and bioinformatics to solve problems.

            - Collaborate on manuscript preparation and co-author scientific papers

            - Assist in proposal preparation for future research funding.

 

Data Management:

Data management activities will focus primarily, over the next couple of years, on the 50-year Dunedin Longitudinal Study. Data management activities are divided between two functions:

 

Working with existing data:

 

Devlope, monitor and anslyze data systems, evaluate their performance, discover ways to enhance them.

 

Data directory design and maintenance: Create & maintain web-based electronic data directory that contains documentation for data collection instruments; documentation of all available data; and descriptive statistics. The Dunedin project has over 50 years of data from psychological tests, psychiatric assessments, health interviews, and comprehensive medical examinations; a biobank; as well as brain imaging data and genetic data. The study involves millions of measurements for 1,000 individuals who have been followed intensively since their birth, for 52 years. A primary job of the Scientific Data Manager I is to redesign the electronic data dictionary of all these data into a more efficient system that enhances the experience of data users. This directory must be continually updated as new variables are created.

 

Recovering and restructuring archival data: The Dunedin Study data are now over 50 years old. It is sometimes necessary to go back to archival data to reconstruct variables or develop new ones. The Scientific Data Manager I will need to match what is available with what is needed, and create new variables to fit current needs. Each new variable must be carefully checked for accuracy, validity, and consistency with prior variables.

 

Working with new data:

 

- During data collection periods, monitor quality control of data collection.

- Provide feedback to data-collection staff at the research site.

- Construct new variables from the raw data, check for accuracy, document and store.

- Develop and maintain data security and backup procedures.

 

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS AND SKILLS

 

• BA/BS or MA/MS. in Data Science, Statistics or a related computational field
• Expertise with modern databases and information system technologies
• Experience with Electronic Data Capture (EDC) systems
• Experience effectively handling large and complex datasets, including cleaning data, database management, quality control, derivation of variables, and appropriate handling of confidential information and secure data storage
• Experience working with, authoring and reviewing Standard Operating Procedures, Working Instructions and User Guides
• Expertise with R and with other statistical packages (e.g., SAS or Stata)
• Expertise in MS Office (Excel, Access, Word)
• Experience with web-design
• Exquisite attention to detail
• Ability to work independently
• Ability to multi-task and juggle competing demands
• Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to communicate effectively and clearly with both technical and non-technical teams, from undergraduates to senior researchers.
• Ability to communicate with researchers across the USA and across the world and with third party companies; must be able to write polite, clear, and grammatically correct memoranda.
• Good team player who enjoys collaborating with team members and coaching students
• Knowledge of research design
• Past record of successful multidisciplinary collaboration
• Experience with REDCap
• Experience with the implementation of CRFs and eCRFs (Case Report Forms)
• Knowledge of Good Clinical Practice (GCP), data protection regulation, and other regulatory requirements
• Experience conducting human subject research under US NIH ethics rules

 

Minimum Qualifications

Education

Completion of an Associate degree in basic science, public health, clinical research or other related scientific field.

Experience

Two years of data management or research experience. A Bachelordegree may substitute for 2 years required experience.

 

 

Duke is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer committed to providing employment opportunity without regard to an individual's age, color, disability, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or veteran status.

 

Duke aspires to create a community built on collaboration, innovation, creativity, and belonging. Our collective success depends on the robust exchange of ideas—an exchange that is best when the rich diversity of our perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences flourishes. To achieve this exchange, it is essential that all members of the community feel secure and welcome, that the contributions of all individuals are respected, and that all voices are heard. All members of our community have a responsibility to uphold these values.

 

Essential Physical Job Functions: Certain jobs at Duke University and Duke University Health System may include essentialjob functions that require specific physical and/or mental abilities. Additional information and provision for requests for reasonable accommodation will be provided by each hiring department.