Knowledge Warehouse Data Manager


Position Overview

The Knowledge Warehouse Curator is responsible for data and knowledge management and support services throughout ERC EARTH in collaboration with colleagues in academic partners and member firms to facilitate the research activities, the translation to commercialization, and the dissemination of knowledge emerging from EARTH activities. The Knowledge Warehouse Curator reports to the EARTH Innovation Ecosystem Lead and works closely with the Chief Innovation Officer, the Industrial Liaison Officer, entrepreneurship and technology transfer personnel at partner institutions and with EARTH researchers.

An ideal candidate for this position is someone eager to make a difference in academia by building and strengthening the information sharing ecosystem and mentoring research faculty and students.

About Engineering Research Center:
Heating, ventilation, air-conditioning, and refrigeration (HVACR) are essential to the quality of life for all humans. HVACR systems are widespread throughout society, enabling transportation and preservation of fresh foods, storage of medicines, and cooling of buildings. However, most refrigerants used today are hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), which have high global-warming potential (GWP), with 2000-4000 times the impact of CO2. Combined with high leak rates and high energy consumption, HFCs account for 7.8% of total greenhouse-gas emissions.
To address this challenge, a new NSF Engineering Research Center (ERC): Environmentally Applied Refrigerant Technology Hub (EARTH) will create a “sustainable refrigerant lifecycle” to address technical, environmental, and societal challenges facing the HVACR industry. EARTH is a multi-institution, multi-disciplinary team from the University of Kansas, University of Notre Dame, University of Hawai'i, University of Maryland, University of South Dakota, and Lehigh University.

Job Description

60% Design, implement, and manage the EARTH Knowledge Warehouse repository.
  • Serve as a central resource and concierge within EARTH, managing and nurturing the information sharing databases and systems, maintaining familiarity and contacts with relevant personnel across all academic partners.
  • Collaborate closely with academic partner tech transfer offices, libraries, and EARTH researchers to curate, archive, and make accessible resulting publications, data, tools, analytic capabilities, IP, and related business and market information.
  • Develop strategies, services, tools, and processes to gather, promote, and disseminate HVACR research data and market information for both general public use and firewalled proprietary sharing across ERC EARTH academic partners, laboratories, and member companies.
  • Work with ERC EARTH personnel, academic partner offices, related entrepreneurs, and member firms to identify and access HVACR-related market assessments and competitive analyses, business and policy trends, and regulations.
20% Provide Education and Training
  • Develop mechanisms (online, in person) to provide instruction for ERC Earth faculty, students, staff, and corporate representatives in use of the Knowledge Warehouse.
  • Collaborate with EARTH Leadership and academic partner technology transfer offices to develop training for ERC EARTH faculty and students on research data management, confidential information, and intellectual property best practices.
20% Monitor Usage and Implement System Improvements
  • Monitor usage and undertake user surveys to inform continuous improvement and ensure the Knowledge Warehouse remains a high value resource.

Position Requirements

This position works primarily on-site at KU but remote work may be considered per mutual agreement between the EARTH director and selected candidate.

Required Qualifications

  1. B.S. degree in knowledge management, library/information science, informatics, computer science, or related fields.
  2. 5+ years of professional experience with knowledge management and developing, curating, preserving, and managing digital resources.
  3. Advanced knowledge and skills in research data management, as evidenced by employment history.
  4. Knowledge of related standards and best practices, such as digital capture, scanning, metadata creation, description, access, storage and preservation, software tools, and intellectual property policies and laws, as evidenced by application materials.
  5. Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively, as evidenced by employment history.
  6. Excellent interpersonal and written communication skills, as evidenced by application materials.

Preferred Qualifications

  1. Master’s degree in knowledge management, library/information science, informatics, computer science, or related fields.
  2. Experience with cataloging utilities, integrated library systems, and data repositories, as evidenced by employment history.
  3. Experience with front-end web development, e.g., HTML, CSS, JavaScript, as evidenced by application materials.
  4. Knowledge of metadata standards, ontologies, and common data elements, as evidenced by application materials.
  5. Experience analyzing, manipulating, or repurposing data with programming languages, as evidenced by employment history.
  6. Effective presentation and instruction skills, as demonstrated by application materials.
  7. Working familiarity with academic research in engineering, sciences, and business, as demonstrated by employment history.

Additional Candidate Instructions

In addition to the online application, the following documents are required to be considered for this position:
  • Cover letter addressing how you meet the required and preferred qualifications
  • Resume
  • Contact information for three professional references
Application review begins Friday, November 15th, 2024. For consideration, please apply no later than Thursday, November 14th, 2024.

Contact Information to Applicants

Heather Abernathy, habernathy@ku.edu, 785-864-4512

Advertised Salary Range

$60,000 - $80,000

Work Schedule

M-F 8-5

Application Review Begins

Friday November 15, 2024

Anticipated Start Date

Monday December 16, 2024

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Posting Information

  • Posting ID:  29315BR
  • Department:  Wonderful Inst fr Sustnbl Engr
  • Primary Campus:  University of Kansas Lawrence Campus
  • Assignment:  On-Site
  • Reg/Temp:  Regular
  • Employee Class:  U-Unclassified Professional Staff
  • Review Begins:  15-Nov-2024

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