How to Apply

A cover letter is required for consideration for this position and should be attached as the first page of your resume. Your cover letter should address your specific interest in the position and outline skills and experience that directly relate to this position. (Applications without cover letters will not be considered.)

Job Summary

The Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR), the world's largest archive of social science data, is now accepting applications for Data Curators. Data Curators develop functional understanding of research studies using deposited data and documentation and translate to secondary researchers through the creation of summary descriptions, metadata and other study documents.

We have a diverse staff with varying skills and experiences, and a collegial atmosphere that fosters communication and networking. The Data Curator reports to the Data Curation Supervisor.

Application reviews will start in January 2025.

Responsibilities*

You will prepare social science research data and related materials for permanent archiving and sharing:

Review data for issues related to respondent confidentiality;
Use SPSS, SAS or Stata to review, clean, and recode data;
Compile and edit documentation;
Structure data and documentation files into ICPSR archival products for release and cataloging;
Write study-level metadata descriptions;
Prepare data and documentation for use with online data analysis tools;
Perform quality control reviews and error-checking for data and documentation.

Required Qualifications*

Bachelor's degree in social science or a related field;
Knowledge of social science research methods and survey design;
2+ year(s) of work experience or 2 semesters of educational experience cleaning, recoding, merging or subsetting data, or other data management tasks, and performing descriptive statistical procedures;
2+ year(s) of experience or 2 semesters of educational (for example, coursework or experience using data in an academic research setting) experience with any of the following programs: SAS, SPSS (PSPP), Stata, R, SQL, Excel (for data management, e.g., can perform complex functions, can write advanced macros);
Experience reading and summarizing technical documents;
Experience organizing and prioritizing assignments, and applying oral and written instructions and procedures.

Work Schedule

Monday-Friday, days. We offer flexibility with work hours and work-life balance.

This position is eligible for in-person, hybrid, and/or remote work.

Modes of Work

Positions that are eligible for hybrid or mobile/remote work mode are at the discretion of the hiring department. Work agreements are reviewed annually at a minimum and are subject to change at any time, and for any reason, throughout the course of employment. Learn more about the work modes.

Underfill Statement

This position may be underfilled at a lower classification depending on the qualification of the selected candidate.

Additional Information

The Institute for Social Research (ISR) at the University of Michigan seeks to recruit and retain a diverse workforce as a reflection of our commitment to serve the diverse people of Michigan, to maintain the excellence of the university, and to ground our research in varied disciplines, perspectives, and ways of knowing and learning.

Benefits

In addition to a career filled with purpose and opportunity, The University of Michigan offers a comprehensive benefits package to help you stay well, protect yourself, and your family and plan for a secure future. Benefits include:

Generous time off;
A retirement plan that provides two-for-one matching contributions with immediate vesting;
Many choices for comprehensive health insurance;
Life insurance;
Long-term disability coverage;
Flexible spending accounts for healthcare and dependent care expenses.

Background Screening

The University of Michigan conducts background checks on all job candidates upon acceptance of a contingent offer and may use a third party administrator to conduct background checks. Background checks are performed in compliance with the Fair Credit Reporting Act.

Application Deadline

Institute for Social Research job openings are posted for a minimum of fourteen (14) calendar days. This opening may be removed from posting boards and filled any time after the minimum posting period has ended.

U-M EEO/AA Statement

The University of Michigan is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer.