About the position
The Scientific Curator at The Jackson Laboratory plays a pivotal role in the management and curation of biomedical data across various research platforms, including JAX BioConnect. This position requires collaboration with research faculty and staff scientists to import a diverse range of biomedical data, ensuring that it is accessible, displayed, and analyzed effectively. The incumbent will work independently to transform and curate scientific data from both internal and external sources, preparing it for database loading and assisting in the documentation of experimental methods and results. A significant aspect of this role involves data annotation and curation for The Cube Initiative, which includes gathering, analyzing, evaluating, and integrating information using biomedical ontologies. The Scientific Curator is responsible for promoting the adoption of institutional metadata standards, aiding laboratories and scientific services in data and metadata submission, and ensuring proper tracking of relevant scientific datasets. This position also entails collaboration with external partners to manage the integration of outside data with in-house datasets. Additionally, the Scientific Curator will communicate with JAX technical teams, including Computational Sciences and Research IT, to address research complexities and enhance software support for research initiatives. The role requires the organization and annotation of biomedical data samples, importation of relevant datasets, and the assessment of data quality to meet project targets. The incumbent will also document procedures, standards, and metrics, while identifying opportunities for process improvement. Overall, this position is crucial for the success of Jackson Laboratory's strategic scientific initiatives, requiring frequent interaction with data science teams, faculty, senior managers, IT personnel, and collaborators.
Responsibilities
- Import a wide array of biomedical data into JAX BioConnect and other research platforms.
- Transform and curate scientific data from various internal and external sources.
- Assist in capturing and documenting experimental methods and results.
- Perform and manage the organization and annotation of samples and biomedical data.
- Import relevant datasets from external sources.
- Assess, identify, and address data quality or consistency issues.
- Ensure appropriate metadata standards are applied for annotation of samples and datasets.
- Identify opportunities for process improvement through data management activities.
- Document procedures, standards, and metrics related to data curation.
- Perform other duties as assigned.
Requirements
- Doctorate Degree in a relevant field.
- 1-2 years of life sciences research background with hands-on experience in biological data management.
- Project management skills demonstrated through leadership and participation in projects.
- Ability to handle multiple tasks/projects simultaneously and complete them on time.
- Proficiency in computer hardware and software applications relevant to JAX operations, including JAXStrain database, Sharepoint, Microsoft Excel, Word, and PowerPoint.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
- Experience working in cross-functional teams and maintaining effective relationships with scientists.
Nice-to-haves
- Experience with genomics, bioinformatics, next-generation sequencing, microscopy, and imaging.
- A positive attitude and self-starter mentality.
- Ability to work creatively and collaboratively as part of a team.
