Data Steward – FAIR Milieugezondheidsdata

VITO; Mol; On-site; EUR 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary package

Training and development opportunities

International research environment

Job summary

VITO is seeking a Data Steward to strengthen our Health research program in Mol, Belgium. You will govern and improve interoperability of environmental health data across Flemish and European initiatives, ensuring GDPR compliance and applying FAIR data principles.

You will collaborate with researchers and partners to manage, integrate and reuse health, exposure and chemical data, contributing to PARC, EIRENE and EHDS goals.

Qualifications

• Holder of a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in a relevant scientific, health or data-oriented discipline.
• Experience with data management, data stewardship or related activities.
• Familiarity with FAIR data principles and their implementation (metadata standards, ontologies, data repositories).
• Ability to apply GDPR and other legal/ethical requirements in research settings.
• Experience with health, exposure, chemical or molecular data resources and semantic technologies.
• Proficient in Python and scientific data processing libraries (e.g., pandas, Polars, NumPy, SciPy).
• Strong communication in Dutch and English (spoken and written).

Responsibilities

• Drive adoption of FAIR data management and governance across national and international projects.
• Develop and implement data management plans, access procedures and data sharing agreements.
• Support researchers and partners in managing, integrating and reusing environmental health and chemical data.
• Ensure GDPR, legal, ethical and security compliance for sensitive research data.
• Develop and improve FAIR data infrastructures, standards and semantic solutions.
• Collaborate with stakeholders in European initiatives (PARC, EIRENE) and provide training on data stewardship.

Skills

Data governance

FAIR data principles

GDPR compliance

Python

Data platforms

Stakeholder collaboration

Bilingual Dutch/English

Education

Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in a relevant field

Tools

Pandas

Polars

NumPy

SciPy

Ontologies

Metadata standards

Job description

As a globally recognized research center, VITO aims to accelerate the transition toward a sustainable world. With our Health research program, we pioneer a preventive approach to health care and support societal transitions. One of the pillars of our approach is the prevention of diseases caused by environmental pollution.

Our research relies heavily on data from population studies, including human biomonitoring, environmental exposure and health research. By combining chemical measurements in humans and the environment, exposure models, health data and lifestyle factors (such as diet, stress and green space), we identify health risks and support preventive actions.

We are looking for a Data Steward to strengthen our team. You will contribute to the governance, FAIRification and interoperability of environmental health data within large Flemish and European research initiatives.

Key aspects of the role include ensuring legal and ethical compliance in the handling of sensitive personal data (GDPR), implementing FAIR data principles, safeguarding data quality, and applying or developing domain-specific standards.

Through your work, you will support researchers and external partners in the management, integration and reuse of health, exposure and chemical substance data. You will also contribute to improving the interoperability, discoverability and reuse of chemical and molecular health information across databases, standards and research infrastructures.

You will play a pivotal role in the European Partnership for the Assessment of Risks from Chemicals (PARC) and in the European Research Infrastructure for human Exposome (EIRENE), helping to position environmental health data within the evolving European data landscape, including the European Health Data Space (EHDS).

Are you driven by data and committed to making a positive impact on health and the environment? Read on!

Your tasks will include:

• Driving the adoption of FAIR data management and governance practices across national and international research projects.
• Developing and implementing data management plans, access procedures and data sharing agreements.
• Supporting researchers and partners in the management, integration, sharing and reuse of environmental health, exposure, biomonitoring and chemical data.
• Ensuring legal, ethical and security compliance, including GDPR requirements, for sensitive research data.
• Developing and improving FAIR data infrastructures, standards and semantic solutions that enhance data quality, interoperability, discoverability and reuse.
• Collaborating with internal and external stakeholders in European initiatives, such as PARC and EIRENE, and providing guidance and training on data stewardship practices.

Requirements

• You hold a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in a relevant scientific, health or data-oriented discipline. We welcome candidates with a strong interest in research data management, FAIR data principles and data stewardship.
• You have experience with data management, data stewardship, research support or related activities.
• You have demonstrated experience with the FAIR data principles and their implementation, e.g. through the development or use of metadata standards, ontologies or data repositories.
• You can apply your knowledge of legal and ethical requirements related to data obtained from population studies, including GDPR principles, in a research setting.
• You have experience working with health, exposure, chemical or molecular information resources, including databases, identifiers, controlled vocabularies and semantic technologies that support data interoperability and reuse.
• You have experience with using Python and scientific data processing libraries (e.g. pandas, Polars, NumPy, SciPy) and are comfortable understanding, testing and troubleshooting data processing workflows and data platform configurations.
• You are passionate about bridging research and technology, and enjoy working closely with both researchers and technical experts to translate data management requirements into practical implementations within data platforms, workflows and configurations. You are communicative and can express yourself fluently in Dutch and English (written and spoken).
• Experience or affinity with any of the following is considered an asset:
• Emerging European data initiatives, such as the European Health Data Space (EHDS), and their implications for research data governance and interoperability
• Working on collaborative projects.

If you are passionate about data stewardship and want to contribute to the FAIR management, interoperability and reuse of environmental health, exposure and chemical data, you could be the perfect fit for our team.

Apply now!

Offer

• We work 'activity-based', our activities bring us to our location. Our headquarter, and base location for this role, is in Mol. Part-time working from home or a satellite office in Antwerp-Berchem, Genk, Leuven, Ghent, Kortrijk or Ostend is possible.
• A competitive salary with a range of benefits, including allowances, insurances and a modular package of holidays.
• Innovation is our asset, so it goes without saying that we give our employees the opportunity to take additional training courses and stay up-to-date in their field. You will always have the opportunity to broaden your knowledge and discover new technologies.
• You will have the opportunity to be part of an organization with an international reputation, known for its cutting‑edge technological research and scientific consultancy.
• With us, you will contribute directly to sustainable developments at local, national and global level through your innovative applications. You provide answers to contemporary societal challenges.