CRESCENT Specialist

NATURE AND PURPOSE

The Cascadia Region Earthquake Hazards Center (CRESCENT) is a National Science Foundation (NSF) funded research center that coordinates research, educational, and community engagement activities surrounding earthquake science and hazards in the Pacific Northwest. CRESCENT is operated out of the University of Oregon and involves a broad consortium of universities including the University of California, Davis and groups external to the university.

This specialist position within CRESCENT at the University of California, Davis is focused on creating cyberinfrastructure to support an interdisciplinary science program centered on data curation, management, and use. The CRESCENT community includes scientists, education and outreach specialists, engineers, and other stakeholders with varying interests, and all parties will utilize the cyberinfrastructure in some capacity. The research associate must be a highly skilled technical expert, able to conduct independent research and support researchers and organizations wishing to use CRESCENT products. The goal of this support is to expand research, increase competitiveness for grant proposals though collaboration, and increase the impact of research publications.

The position works as a member of a cyberinfrastructure team in close coordination with CRESCENT’s science planning committee, working group leads, and CRESCENT staff. The position also requires the ability to work independently, take initiative, and think strategically. They must be able to effectively manipulate complex data systems, communicate findings and trends to decision-makers, and provide methodological and analytical leadership. We are currently engaged in work bringing STEM learning to underrepresented groups, so qualified candidates with experience and interests in outreach and engagement with underserved communities are encouraged to apply. The incumbent will need demonstrable ability to coordinate the programmatic or institutional requirement of sponsors and a broad range of external collaborators.
The position of Specialist has a narrow focus in a specialized area and provides technical or specialized expertise in the planning and execution of a research project. The Specialist stays apprised of emerging issues and problems and maintains technical competence in the designated area(s) of specialization. Within this defined area and when appropriate, the Specialist is expected to provide leadership, facilitate teamwork and develop collaborative relationships with colleagues and to supply input into the planning of research and educational programs. Normally, Specialists do not have Principal Investigator (PI) status but may obtain permission by exception and/or collaborate with a PI in preparing research proposals for extramural funding. The Specialist is evaluated for merit and promotion using three basic criteria outlined below.

This recruitment is aiming to hire at the Associate Specialist level, but may hire at the entry-level full rank.

MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES AND DESIGNATED AREAS OF EXPERTISE

I. RESEARCH IN SPECIALIZED AREAS (30% EFFORT)

Work duties will include software development, data analysis, cyberinfrastructure development, and preparation of reports from this research for publications and research proposals. Evaluation of performance in research activities or in outreach activities as deemed applicable to the individual project in specialized areas, as documented by any of the following:
• Publications that acknowledge the Specialist's significant and meaningful contribution to the work.
• Publications on which the Specialist is an author.
• Other evidence (e.g., letters from collaborators or principal investigators) that work done by the Specialist contributed to publishable research.
• Active dissemination of information (beyond the boundaries of the campus) through conference present informal instruction, presentations, or other means stemming from the Specialist's research accomplishments.
• Other evidence of recognized expertise may include formal documentation of intellectual effort and participation in publishable research activities, first authorship on publications/patents, presentation of research at regional/national meetings, invitations to review grant proposals and/or journal articles, invitations to participate in research projects, and/or service on advisory panels.

II. PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCE AND ACTIVITY (50% EFFORT)

The position will require collaboration with CRESCENT scientists to develop, update, and maintain cyberinfrastructure tools that facilitate data curation, manipulation, and analysis. As part of these efforts we expect the specialist to:
• Work both independently and collaboratively in a team environment.

• Have strong organizational and analytical skills with exceptional attention to detail
• Have the ability to manage multiple priorities with overlapping deadlines while maintaining a high level of professionalism
• Have experience with web development (required)
• Have experience with cloud computing (required)
• Have experience with data visualization (required)
• Have experience working with geospatial data (required)
• Experience with CI/CD pipelines is preferred
• Experience with HPC is preferred
• Experience with developing and documenting open-source software is preferred

III. UNIVERSITY AND PUBLIC SERVICE (20% EFFORT)

As part of CRESCENT’s training and outreach efforts, the specialist will also be expected to:
• Assist with developing and implementing topical workshops and technical short courses in coordination with CRESCENT scientists
• Assist with development and implementation of training program consisting of short workshops and classes in topics in data science and other computational Earth Science skills, in coordination with outreach and education program manager. Workshop topics include data integration, data analysis, numerical modeling of geophysical data, and machine learning.
• Incorporate distance learning methodologies, webinars, online materials, or other cutting-edge educational solutions where needed, to provide a high quality of service for learners.