Research Data Engineer

Position Duty Summary
The successful candidate will be responsible for maintaining and improving data workflows for the HBCD release process. They will coordinate effort with data managers, data stewards and operations staff. They will iterate on feedback from affiliated working groups.
General Skills and Attributes
* Exhibits a professional, "can-do" attitude with the ability to work independently and take initiative
* Engages in active listening, prioritizing understanding and thoughtful collaboration
* Maintains strong organizational skills and a sustained curiosity that supports continuous learning and improvement
* Strong communication and documentation skills

Position Responsibilities
Data Engineering
* Run, maintain, and optimize the data pipelines used to produce the HBCD releases as well as aspects of the release process for ABCD and other studies.
* Build containers containing scientific software to process the data, execute these containers efficiently in an HPC environment, and manage data movement across distributed storage platforms.
* Work closely with subject matter experts, data managers and stewards, and operations staff to achieve these and other objectives. Develop new data pipelines in coordination with subject matter experts
* Monitor and report state of the data with regards to upcoming releases.
* Coordinate efforts with operations staff, data managers and stewards.

Process Automation and Leadership
* Investigate agentic approaches to process management.
* Provide consultation to other teams for their data processing needs.
* Contribute effort to other MIDB projects' data processing needs.

Data Quality
* Work with subject matter experts and external partners to resolve data errors, including rebuilding containers and pipelines to incorporate changes in the underlying software.

Other tasks as assigned.

Required Qualifications
* BA/BS in Computer Science, Data Science, Neuroscience, or Bioinformatics plus at least four years of experience, or master's degree in Computer Science, Data Science, Neuroscience, or Bioinformatics plus at least two years of experience.
* Experience and a high level of comfort with Linux and the command line
* Experience with various computing modalities
- Containers (i.e. Docker, Kubernetes, Apptainer/Singularity, etc)
- High Performance Computing (HPC)
- Cloud Computing (AWS, Azure, OpenStack, etc)
* Programming experience in one or more of:
- Python
- R
- Shell Scripting
* Experience with data in one of the following capacities:
- Analysis
- ETL
- Reporting
* Experience with Git

Preferred Qualifications
* Experience with tools for managing data workflows and related tools (Apache Airflow, Datalad, SQL, etc)
* Familiarity with object stores (AWS S3, Ceph, etc)
* Experience working with academic PIs and research projects
* Experience working with NIfTI and DICOM medical imaging data
* Familiarity with neuroimaging analysis tools such as FreeSurfer, FSL, workbench, etc
* Familiarity with machine learning and deep learning, along with annotation workflows

About MSI
The Minnesota Supercomputing Institute (MSI) is a core research facility of the University of Minnesota (UofM), part of Research Computing within the Research and Innovation Office. MSI provides advanced research computing infrastructure and expertise to the University's research and scholarly community, and the State of Minnesota, in order to advance and accelerate research and foster innovation and discoveries through advanced computing technologies, scientific computing and informatics, application development, and services. The Institute currently supports over 800 different groups with over 4500 active users spanning the sciences, engineering, life sciences, medicine, and social sciences.

About MIDB
The Masonic Institute for the Developing Brain (MIDB) brings together expertise from communities and the University of Minnesota to advance brain health from the earliest stages of development across the lifespan.

About the Position
This role will be part of the MIDB Informatics Hub, a research collaboration between MSI and MIDB that is focused on the analysis and presentation of neurological imaging data, as well as other MIDB research initiatives. MSI brings computing resources, systems expertise, applications support, and consulting services to MIDB. MSI and MIDB have partnered to coordinate, process and distribute the vast amount of data related to two research studies, the Healthy Brain and Child Development (HBCD, https://hbcdstudy.org/), and Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study (ABCD, https://abcdstudy.org/).

Pay Range: $108,308.50 - $123,683.00; depending on education/qualifications/experience

Time Appointment: 100% Time Appointment

Position Type: Faculty and P&A Staff

Work Profile: The Research and Innovation Office (RIO) and MSI/MIDB endorses a "work with flexibility" approach that offers a welcoming and flexible work environment where everyone is inspired to do their best. Work location options include working fully remote, partially remote, or entirely in the office and are based on the work of the position. Some on-site work may be necessary for certain positions, even those designated as fully remote.

This position has been designated as eligible for flexible work profiles 1 or 2. Profile 1, Office Lab-Based is expected to work primarily on-site in the office. Only occasionally and inconsistently working remotely. Profile 2, Regularly Remote is expected to work in the office at least 3 days per week, typically working remotely 1-2 days per week. The office location is on the Twin Cities campus. MSI/MIDB management retains the right to modify flexible work arrangement agreements on a temporary or permanent basis for any reason at any time.

Please visit the Office of Human Resources website for more information regarding benefit eligibility.

The University offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes:

• Competitive wages, paid holidays, and generous time off
• Continuous learning opportunities through professional training and degree-seeking programs supported by the Regents Tuition Benefit Program
• Low-cost medical, dental, and pharmacy plans
• Healthcare and dependent care flexible spending accounts
• University HSA contributions
• Disability and employer-paid life insurance
• Employee wellbeing program
• Excellent retirement plans with employer contribution
• Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) opportunity
• Financial counseling services
• Employee Assistance Program with eight sessions of counseling at no cost
• Employee Transit Pass with free or reduced rates in the Twin Cities metro area

Applications must be submitted online. To be considered for this position, please click the Apply button and follow the instructions. You will be given the opportunity to complete an online application for the position and attach a cover letter and resume.

Additional documents may be attached after application by accessing your "My Job Applications" page and uploading documents in the "My Cover Letters and Attachments" section.

Visa sponsorship, including H-1B, may be considered for qualified candidates whose visa circumstances do not require payment of the $100,000 H-1B fee.

To request an accommodation during the application process, please e-mail employ@umn.edu or call (612) 624-8647.

The University recognizes and values the importance of diversity and inclusion in enriching the employment experience of its employees and in supporting the academic mission. The University is committed to attracting and retaining employees with varying identities and backgrounds.

The University of Minnesota provides equal access to and opportunity in its programs, facilities, and employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, gender, age, marital status, disability, public assistance status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression. To learn more about diversity at the U: http://diversity.umn.edu

Any offer of employment is contingent upon the successful completion of a background check. Our presumption is that prospective employees are eligible to work here. Criminal convictions do not automatically disqualify finalists from employment.

The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities (UMTC)

The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities (UMTC), is among the largest public research universities in the country, offering undergraduate, graduate, and professional students a multitude of opportunities for study and research. Located at the heart of one of the nation's most vibrant, diverse metropolitan communities, students on the campuses in Minneapolis and St. Paul benefit from extensive partnerships with world-renowned health centers, international corporations, government agencies, and arts, nonprofit, and public service organizations.

At the University of Minnesota, we are proud to be recognized by the Star Tribune as a Top Workplace for 2021, as well as by Forbes as Best Employers for Women and one of America's Best Employers (2015, 2018, 2019, 2023), Best Employer for Diversity (2019, 2020), Best Employer for New Grads (2018, 2019), and Best Employer by State (2019, 2022).