American University of Kuwait (AUK) -
Company: American University of Kuwait (AUK) –
WebSite: Makkah, Saudi Arabia
Job Description:**Job Summary:**
The Data Repository Lead is responsible for the strategic development, implementation, and ongoing management of KAUST’s institutional data repository and associated services, a critical component of the University’s research data management (RDM) infrastructure. This role ensures the reliable stewardship and enhanced discoverability of research data through the establishment of comprehensive workflows for data deposit, curation, metadata quality assurance, persistent identifier assignment (e.g., DOIs for datasets, ORCID iDs for contributors), access control mechanisms (including internal research data asset cataloging and embargo procedures), and long-term preservation strategies. The Lead will engage in extensive consultation with researchers across the university to ascertain and prioritize their needs, and will collaborate with IT, Core Labs, Research Compliance, and other university stakeholders to integrate systems and automate pipelines that facilitate compliance with funder/publisher mandates, ethical and legal obligations, and the FAIR principles. Success in this role will be measured by service reliability, the growth of high-quality data deposits and demonstrable reuse, researcher satisfaction, and adherence to KAUST’s RDM policy, international standards, and community best practices.
**Key Responsibilities:**
* Collaborate closely with the Library Manager to establish strategic direction for KAUST’s institutional data repository, informed by consultations with KAUST researchers and relevant university stakeholders, and aligned with KAUST strategy and policies.
* Develop and implement comprehensive guidelines and procedures for internal research data asset cataloging, the public release of eligible datasets, metadata review processes, data removal protocols, retention policies, and dataset versioning controls.
* Evaluate and implement appropriate systems through collaboration with external vendors and internal partners.
* Integrate the data repository with single sign-on authentication, storage platforms, instrument/Core Lab data pipelines, data management planning tools, publication repositories and current research information systems, persistent identifier services (DataCite and ORCID), and other relevant system APIs to facilitate metadata synchronization and reporting.
* Conduct regular consultations with researchers to determine their specific needs and tailor repository services to meet their requirements.
* Provide training and support to researchers, and collaborate with research data stewards and champions to enhance data management planning and the application of the FAIR principles, thereby maximizing the long-term value of research data assets.
* Ensure that repository services comply with KAUST policies, funder/publisher requirements, and relevant legal and ethical standards.
* Promote data discovery and interoperability by establishing robust links between data, related publications, and research software/code.
* Monitor service performance (uptime/fixity, number and quality of deposits, curation process times, storage utilization) and impact (downloads/citations, user satisfaction) through the use of dashboards and regular reporting.
**Required Competencies:**
* Demonstrated expertise with at least one major institutional data repository or research data platform (Invenio, Figshare, Dataverse or comparable).
* Demonstrated proficiency and familiarity with current issues in research data management, including FAIR principles, metadata standards, persistent identifiers (DOIs, ORCID iDs), long-term preservation, and compliance with legal/ethical/publisher/funder requirements.
* Experience developing and implementing workflows for data deposit, curation, metadata quality control, versioning, access control, and embargo management.
* Strong project management skills with the ability to manage multiple projects concurrently, set and meet deadlines, and adapt to evolving priorities and technologies.
* Demonstrated ability to deliver training, guidance, and outreach, and to promote good research data management practices among faculty, researchers, students, and staff.
* Excellent communication and collaboration skills, with experience working effectively across diverse academic populations and with external vendors/partners.
* A strong user focus and service orientation, with excellent analytical, interpersonal, and problem-solving skills, and the ability to embrace innovation and continuous improvement.
**Preferred Competencies:**
* Experience integrating data repository platforms with research management systems, lab data pipelines, researcher workflows and storage platforms.
* Familiarity with international best practices and emerging trends in research reproducibility, intellectual property laws (including data licensing), and academic research evaluation practices.
* Familiarity with APIs, scripting, or automation for metadata synchronization, reporting, and system interoperability.
* Experience monitoring service performance through dashboards and analytics.
**Required Qualifications:**
* Master’s degree in library science, information science, data science, a data-intensive scientific discipline relevant to research conducted at KAUST, or equivalent education and experience.
**Preferred Qualifications:**
* PhD or equivalent advanced degree in a relevant field.
**Experience:**
* A minimum of 5 years of experience in Research Data Management, Research Data Repositories, or related Research Data Stewardship or Data Management Planning.
Skills: