Data Scientist III, Cancer Genomics Research Laboratory (CGR)

About the role

The Cancer Genomics Research Laboratory (CGR) is seeking a Data Scientist III to join their team. CGR is located at the NCI-Shady Grove campus in Rockville, MD and is operated by Leidos Biomedical Research, Inc. The successful candidate will play a crucial role in the continued development and refinement of data curation procedures and controls for the management and curation of CGR-generated datasets as per the FAIR Principles.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with CGR project managers, bioinformaticians, laboratory staff, DCEG investigators and data science experts to continue, refine, and develop data management procedures and controls for the management and curation of CGR-generated datasets as per the FAIR Principles.
• Develop and refine best practices and lists of metadata needed for the archival and long-term curation of CGR/DCEG data.
• Evaluate all datasets in CGR to effectively apply established curation procedures and allow for standardization, harmonization, and general usability of these data.
• Evolve and continue development of a repository of CGR sample metadata to facilitate accessibility and reuse of data.
• Collaborate with established data storage groups within NCI, FNLCR, and NIH to facilitate the archival and curation of datasets while ensuring proper storage and accessibility of the data is maintained.
• Collaborate closely with DCEG PIs and CGR staff to facilitate and develop a culture in support of the FAIR principles to provide greater data accessibility and usability.
• Coordinate as needed with staff at CGR and DCEG to support posting of publication-associated data to repositories in line with NIH Data Management and Sharing policies.

Qualifications

• Possession of Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college/university according to the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) or four (4) years relevant experience in lieu of degree. Foreign degrees must be evaluated for U.S. equivalency.
• Minimum of five (5) years of progressively responsible experience.
• Team-oriented with excellent written and verbal communication skills, organizational skills, and strong attention to detail; ability to interface with many collaborators across multiple roles including project managers, PIs, and bioinformaticians.
• Demonstrated ability in working with and understanding of genetic and epidemiological datasets and how they are used.
• Proficiency in programming languages, such as Python, R, bash and SQL.
• Demonstrated experience with a variety of systems (e.g. HPC, GPU, Cloud), platforms, and environments (e.g. native, Conda, containerization) to help facilitate data assessment and understanding of user data access.
• Demonstrated experience with version control and code management systems such as Git.
• Familiarity with data repositories and/or database systems such as MySQL, PostgreSQL, MS SQL Server, Oracle.
• Ability to learn new topics quickly and apply the concepts to drive progress.
• Independently organize meetings and track project progress over time.
• Strong interpersonal skills for working in large teams with different backgrounds.
• Strong written and presentation skills to summarize complex topics effectively and clearly.
• Show flexibility in understanding the needs of the projects and adapt accordingly.
• Familiarity of FAIR principles and related best practices.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a security clearance.