Social Sciences Data Specialist

The Research and Instruction Department coordinates library support for learning, teaching, and research within the School of Arts & Sciences and the School of Engineering. Research and Instruction Librarians provide research assistance services for faculty, students, and staff, offered within the library and virtually; partner with faculty to incorporate curriculum-based research and information literacy activities into courses; design library instruction workshops for students and faculty; and develop new models and programs to support research and the educational mission of the University.

Reporting to the Head of Research and Instruction, the Social Sciences Data Specialist leads the development and provision of library services in the discovery and use of locally and externally available datasets by researchers across departments and programs in the Social Sciences.

Working with a broad range of researchers, the successful candidate builds relationships with faculty and students, increases the visibility of available data resources and services, seeks to understand research practices, and meets curricular needs in the use of data-related library resources and services by providing individual research support consultations, group instruction sessions, and other programming as required.

The successful candidate will collaborate with colleagues in the Research and Instruction Department and the GIS Center to support the data needs of students and faculty in Anthropology, Child Development, Community Health, Economics, Education, International Relations, Occupational Therapy, Political Science, Psychology, Sociology, and Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning, with the opportunity to become the primary liaison to the departments of Economics and Sociology.

In addition, the Social Sciences Data Specialist provides assistance to researchers in the Social Sciences writing grant-required data management plans; participates in the first-year library instruction program and citation tools workshop program; and serves on library-wide teams and committees. She/he also provides leadership and expertise in developing library services related to the discovery, use, and management of locally and externally available datasets in the social sciences; primary research and instruction librarian for the academic departments of Anthropology and Sociology; assists in supporting other social sciences departments and interdisciplinary programs; supports the use of GIS in the social sciences; provides assistance to researchers in the social sciences writing grant-required data management plans; assists with first-year library instruction and citation tools workshops; provides general research assistance services both virtually and on the reference desk; and serves on library-wide teams.

Basic Requirements:

• Bachelor's with an advanced degree OR equivalent coursework in social sciences
• Experience building relationships in an academic setting, and/or working with/supporting students and faculty in academic departments via outreach, research assistance, or teaching
• Demonstrated Knowledge of Quantitative software packages utilize in the social sciences such as Stata, SPSS or SAS

Preferred Qualifications:

• Masters of Library Science from an ALA-accredited institution
• Experience with library research tools relevant to the Social Sciences
• Knowledge of major qualitative software packages used in the Social Sciences such as NVivo and ATLAS.ti
• Knowledge surrounding the application of Geographical Information Systems and related software
• Knowledge of the scholarly communications process (publishing, copyright, repositories)    

Special Work Schedule Requirements:
May be required to work one evening per week at the Reference Desk; may require occasional evening and early morning library instruction classes.

Tufts University is an AA/EO employer and actively seeks candidates from diverse backgrounds.

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