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The new World Data System International Programme Office, based in Oak Ridge Tennessee is looking for an Executive Director

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Executive Director, International Program Office, World Data System
Full-time, Exempt, Market Range 15

Executive Director (ED) leads the International Programme Office (IPO) of the World Data System (WDS) situated at Oak Ridge Institute @ University of Tennessee (ORI@UT) University of Tennessee Oak Ridge Innovation Institute (UT-ORII) . WDS is an Interdisciplinary Body of the International Science Council (ISC). The IPO serves 128 international member organizations. The ED reports to the Principle Investigator (PI) of the sponsored project and maintains effective cooperation on administrative and technical matters with the major stakeholders, such as, ORI@UT UT-ORII, ORNL, and UT.

The ED will be a full-time employee of the University of Tennessee and shall direct all activities of the IPO. The ED will oversee staff members of the IPO, manage the operations and budget of the IPO, identify potential funding opportunities, and actively seek and secure additional external funding.

Job Functions/Responsibilities:

The ED will facilitate the development, implementation, and coordination of WDS and its projects in collaboration with the PI of the sponsored project and the WDS-SC. The ED is responsible for carrying out the WDS strategy as defined by the WDS Scientific Committee (WDS-SC), WDS management includes ensuring regular WDS-SC telecons and meetings (see item 3) and annual members forums, ensuring smooth workflows, serving on the CoreTrustSeal board, and engagement with WDS member repositories. Joint projects with partners will include establishing international education and workforce development program elements, designing and co-leading the program for the biennial International Data Week, conducting benchmark studies of the infrastructures and tools used by WDS repositories to inform best practices and guidelines (in coordination with the Director of the WDS International Technology Office), and creating and managing the Global Research Identifier Database. Responsibility includes budget oversight and compliance with UT rules and regulations. The ED will supervise the Office staff to support these activities.

The ED will represent WDS internationally as an expert delegate to the scientific data management and policy community to promote WDS activities and programs, recruit new WDS members, secure supplemental funding for WDS operations and projects, build Communities of Excellence for scientific data services, and establish partnerships with, and collaboration among, relevant international and national programs, such as entities of the United Nations system, the Belmont Forum, and the Group on Earth Observations, as well as the international policy community, funding agencies, Bredesen Center, NIST, ORNL data centers and user facilities, and other US federal agencies.

ED prepares and organizes telecons and semi-annual face-to-face or virtual meetings of the WDS-SC, directs the agenda and plans annual meetings of the WDS-SC, and prepares yearly reports to the WDS-SC and ORI@UT UT-ORII on the status and health of the WDS-IPO. ED will also liaise with WDS members and coordinate activities across the international member organizations. The ED will supervise the Office staff to support these activities.

REQUIREMENTS:
Education: Master’s Degree

Experience: Five years scientific data management experience
Several years of direct experience working in an international research organization and in an interdisciplinary setting.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

  • Knowledge of the international research data landscape, including but not limited to, data policy and management; scientific cyberinfrastructure; international level data policy and governance; standards for data services of sustainability, trust, and quality; key stakeholders and initiatives in data management (e.g., CODATA, RDA, CoreTrustSeal)
  • Management experience related to small teams, project execution, and financial/ budget control, including, but not limited to, meeting design; program development and implementation; grant writing and award management; staff supervision and development
  • Excellent communication skills and experience in liaison, building collaborative networks, and promotion of projects and initiatives, including but not limited to, identifying and connecting with appropriate agencies and individuals as potential partners; collaborating and engaging with external partners, including US and international governmental and non-governmental agencies; interacting with diverse and geographically dispersed stakeholders; membership recruitment

Preferred:
Education:  Doctoral Degree

Experience: Several years of direct experience working in an academic institution.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

  • Substantial skill in the use of information and communication technologies and web-based collaborative tools
  • The ability to o translate appropriate scientific information and data into recommendations and best practices o analyze situations, programs, and problems o conduct and support research studies