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The DCC is hiring - research data specialist maternity cover
We have a new job opening for a research data specialist at the DCC, initially as a fixed-term post for one year to provide maternity cover.. Whether or not you're currently looking for a job, I would urge you to take a look at this role to see if it is of interest. If it's not for you, pass the news to friends and colleagues who may be interested. Given the fixed-term nature of the role we are open to applications from those who would rather take this on as a secondment. Let us know when you apply if that is of interest to you.
The formal details, and the link for applications, are now available from Edinburgh's online recruitment system. Here I'll describe in less formal language what we're looking for and what you can expect should your application be successful.
The work
The research data specialist role in the DCC is one that is designed to allow people with a wide range of backgrounds, skills and pre-existing knowledge to engage in any of the DCC's areas of activity, which include:
- national and international projects such as PSDI, Skills4EOSC and FAIR-Impact;
- consultancy for research-performing organisations, policy-makers and others;
- the development and delivery of training;
- events such as IDCC, RDMF and the RDA Plenaries;
- the delivery of services such as DMPonline;
- the production of publications, as listed on our guidance pages
All relate in some way to open research, FAIR data, research data management and reuse, and/or the curation of digital materials in general.
In the first instance, you'll be spending your time on a mix of consultancy, training, the PSDI project and events depending on your skills. As new Horizon Europe projects commence during 2026 we would expect to involve you in one or more of them. How your time is spent will depend in part on your knowledge and areas of interest, and in part on what work we have in the pipeline. Consultancy and training in particular present very varied demands depending on the client we're dealing with and the particular requirements they have. What we can guarantee is that the work is varied, as are the people you'll deal with. There's lots of scope to develop your knowledge and skills working with us.
About you
The formal job specification, like many do, lists a big range of essential and desirable skills. It is a product of a formal process of characterising roles that doesn't always produce a clear description that potentially good candidates can identify with. I'll try instead to describe more informally what really matters to us.
Your previous experience could come from a wide variety of settings. It might have been in research, or supporting research, or working in some other environment where creating, reusing and/or understanding data is important. It might be in the public or private sector, in an internally-facing role or an externally-facing one. Your qualifications and experience could be in the sciences, arts, humanities, engineering, medicine or any other relevant area (although right now if it is in the physical sciences you will be of particular interest to us.) You will need to have experience of data management and reuse in some setting, and to have some understanding of the broader principles of open research and the FAIR data principles. You are unlikely to be an expert in everything we do - none of us are. But you will be keen to develop and broaden your expertise while working with us and be able to demonstrate the aptitude to do so. You won't lack opportunities to do this whilst working with us.
You will need to be flexible, as the balance of our work changes from year to year. This is not a role for someone with a narrow research interest who wants to pursue that to the exclusion of all else.
Finally, although you'll sometimes have to work independently, you need to be collaborative. That applies to work within the DCC team and with the many organisations and individuals we work with around the world. Should you be selected for interview, we'll almost certainly be asking you for examples of this and about your experiences, positive and negative.
The context
The DCC is a consortium with staff currently based at the Universities of Edinburgh and Glasgow. Your employer will be the University of Edinburgh but for most practical purposes we operate as a single team across the two organisations. Almost all our work is collaborative, with partners around the world, and we have a diverse team that reflects that international outlook. Ideally you will already have experience of working in this way, but that isn't essential. What is essential is that you can demonstrate enthusiasm for, and understanding of, what such collaborative working implies. You can expect the role to require a significant element of international travel. Even without the travel, the international nature of the work means you'll need to be able to work flexibly to accommodate meetings and events taking place in time zones very different from the UK's.
The team is open and welcoming and your employer is flexible and actively seeks creativity and diversity in its staff. If you would like to talk informally before applying you are welcome to contact me (Kevin Ashley) or our Associate Director at Glasgow (Joy Davidson.) Other DCC staff, past and present, can also reassure you about our working environment.
The post is full-time and initially for one year. It is on Edinburgh's scale 7, meaning that your salary will be in the range £41,064 - £48,822 a year with a generous leave allowance, employer pension contribution and other benefits. Applications close soon, on September 21st at 17:00 UK time. We are planning to interview shortlisted candidates the following week. You will need to be based within commuting distance of Edinburgh; expect to work on-site in our offices 1 or 2 days a week. Due to recent changes in UK regulations you will need an existing right to work in the UK to be considered for this post.
Don't delay; apply today.
[Updated 2025-09-10]