Research Data Management Specialist

Research Data Management Specialist

• 562104
• Canberra / ACT, ACT, Australia, 2601
• Fixed Term
• Closing at: May 3 2026 - 23:55 AEST

Position Description

Classification: ANU Officer 8 (Specialist) 

Salary package: $121,359 - $129,772 per annum plus 17% superannuation 

Term: Full Time, Fixed term (up to 12 months)

The Position

We are seeking a talented and passionate Research Data Management Specialist to join our collaborative team. You will work closely with genomics data owners, NCI’s cloud services engineers, and data collections specialists to:

• Design robust, well-defined data models and schemas 
• Build stable, ontology-aligned data structures that support secure ingestion, harmonisation, and controlled access 

This is a hands-on opportunity to shape national research infrastructure, directly contributing to a secure, scalable ecosystem that empowers Australian biomedical science. 

Key Responsibilities:

• Drive data modelling for human genomics and related omics datasets 
• Implement and extend Gen3 data models, dictionaries, and submission tools 
• Ensure data structures align with domain standards, ontologies, and FAIR data principles 
• Support integration with NCI’s high-performance computing and cloud environments 

The Project

As a Research Data Management Specialist, you will play a key role in delivering Australia’s National Genomics Repository, a secure, national‑scale platform that enables discovery, access, and analysis of human genomics and omics data for researchers across Australia and internationally. 

Working within the Australian BioCommons-funded GUARDIANS project, you will help establish the foundational data infrastructure that underpins this vision. The role focuses on designing, implementing, and evolving robust data models and schemas within a modern data commons built on the open‑source Gen3 platform, enabling consistent ingestion, harmonisation, and controlled sharing of biomedical data. 

By developing well‑defined, standards‑aligned data structures, the role helps reduce data silos, manage heterogeneity, and promote reuse across datasets. This work underpins FAIR data principles and supports secure, high‑impact genomics research, while system deployment and operational management of Gen3 are handled by dedicated engineering teams. 

The Person

You are a data professional with a strong interest in designing and stewarding high‑quality research data infrastructures. You enjoy working at the interface of research, data standards, and technology, and are comfortable evolving your skills as platforms and practices mature. 

We recognise that candidates may not meet every criterion and encourage applicants with strong core data skills and domain interest to apply. 

The Organisation

NCI is the leading national provider of high-end computational and data-intensive services, with a national and international reputation for expertise and innovation. It forms an integral part of the Australia Government’s research infrastructure strategy, and is engaged with and embedded in research communities, high-impact research centres, and research institutions nationally. As an organisation, NCI is built on, and sustained by Australia’s national university, its national science agency (CSIRO), its national meteorological agency (the Bureau of Meteorology), and its national geoscience agency (Geoscience Australia). 

This role sits within the NCI Data Management Team, responsible for hosting and stewarding nationally significant data collections. We apply robust, best‑practice data management to ensure datasets are reliable, high quality, provenance‑aware, and HPC‑ready. The team publishes Australian research datasets to the world and replicates major international collections locally to support Australian research communities. 

For further information please contact, Andrew Robinson, E: Andrew.Robinson1@anu.edu.au  

The University actively encourages applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. For more information on employment opportunities, contact our Indigenous Employment Consultant on indigenous.employment@anu.edu.au  

ANU values diversity and inclusion and is committed to providing equal employment opportunities to people of all backgrounds and identities. For more information about staff equity at ANU, click here. For enquiries about the application process, or if you require reasonable adjustment to apply for this role, please contact the hiring manager on the above listed details. 

Application information

To apply for this role please make sure that you upload the following documents:

• A statement addressing the selection criteria. 
• A current curriculum vitae (CV) which includes the names and contact details of at least three referees (preferably including a current or previous supervisor). If your CV does not include referees you can complete these online when prompted in the application form. 
• Other documents, if required. 

Please note: The successful candidate must have rights to live and work in this country and will be required to undergo a background check during the recruitment process. An offer of employment is conditional on satisfactory results.