Research Data Coordinator

University of British Columbia; Vancouver; On-site; CAD 5,000 - 7,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading educational institution in Vancouver seeks a Research Data Coordinator to manage datasets, conduct analyses, and support collaborative research projects. The ideal candidate has a graduate degree in a relevant field, experience in data management, and strong communication skills for mentoring team members. This full-time position offers an opportunity to engage in significant research projects focusing on ecological change and Indigenous communities.

Benefits

Extended health and dental coverage

Opportunities for mentorship and collaboration

Qualifications

• Minimum four years of related experience or equivalent education.
• Experience in ecological data management and statistical analysis.
• Fluency in verbal and written English.
• Willingness to mentor team members.

Responsibilities

• Manage long-term data storage and maintain databases.
• Conduct statistical and spatial analyses.
• Train team members in data science skills.
• Coordinate research activities and publications.

Skills

Data analysis

Data management

GIS

Statistical analysis

Programming (R, Python)

Communication skills

Education

MSc or PhD in relevant discipline

Tools

R

Python

GIS software

Job description

Overview

At UBC, we believe that attracting and sustaining a diverse workforce is key to the successful pursuit of excellence in research, innovation, and learning for all faculty, staff and students. Our commitment to employment equity helps achieve inclusion and fairness, brings rich diversity to UBC as a workplace, and creates the necessary conditions for a rewarding career.

Job Title and Details

Job Category Non Union Technicians and Research Assistants

Job Profile Non Union Salaried - Research Assistant /Technician 4

Department Research | Myers-Smith Lab | Department of Forest and Conservation Sciences | Faculty of Forestry

Compensation Range $5,220.98 - $6,124.46 CAD Monthly

Posting End Date November 2, 2025

Note: Applications will be accepted until 11:59 PM on the Posting End Date.

Job End Date November 15, 2026

Job Summary

We are seeking a Research Data Coordinator with experience in research and project management to join the research group (Team Shrub) of Prof. Isla Myers-Smith in Vancouver, Canada to support two major research programs, the Canada Excellence Research Chair (CERC) in Global Change Ecology of Northern Ecosystems and the ERC-synergy Project Pathways of Resilience and Evasion of Tipping in Ecosystem (RESILIENCE).

The CERC project in Global Change Ecology of Northern Ecosystems investigates how warming temperatures and shifting seasonality affect Arctic tundra, alpine and boreal forest ecosystems, including changes in plant growth, habitat composition, wildlife movement and species ranges. This research also examines the collective impact of these changes on the livelihoods of Indigenous communities in the Yukon Territory, Canada.

The RESILIENCE project aims to study how spatial patterns within tundra ecosystems confer resilience in ecological change. This work integrates satellite imagery, drone data and in-situ measurements from sites across the circumpolar Arctic to quantify spatial variability, especially in permafrost regions. By combining field data with mathematical and physical modeling, this international project aims to advance our understanding of the impacts of permafrost thaw beyond ecological tipping points. Understanding these impacts is critical for predicting landscape change and resilience.

The Research Data Coordinator will work with the principle investigator Prof. Isla Myers-Smith to coordinate the project datasets, conduct analyses and interact with the project team and Northern, Canadian and international collaborators. Specifically, the Research Data Coordinator will work with the PI in designing data storage architecture for the eight-year project, developing software and maintain hardware such as computer, storage systems and scientific equipment for the collection and compilation, analysis, version control and publication of datasets in public data repositories and scientific paper. The Research Data Coordinator will assist with data analyses, providing technical support in remote sensing, GIS, programming and project mentorship to students and staff within the Team Shrub research group and to our Indigenous and other research partners. The Research Data Coordinator will also plan and implement the collaboration with the project team and our Northern, Canadian and international collaborators, provide training and mentorship and will lead or participate in research activities including data syntheses and cross-site field research under the PI’s instruction.

The selected candidate will work with a multidisciplinary team of ecologists including graduate students, postdocs and will interact with northern partners and project collaborators. The Research Data Coordinator will be expected to actively participate in our research team meetings, collaborative initiatives and project activities.

Required Background

The selected candidate should have a background in data analysis, data management, GIS, map making, web development, statistical analysis, in an academic setting or similar. They should have strong communication skills and be keen to train and mentor members of the research team and work closely with our partners and collaborators.

Organizational Status

The position will report directly to the Principal Investigator. Contract is for 12 months. Upon successful completion of probation, the position could be extended.

Work Performed

• Oversee long-term data storage by assessing team needs with the PI, maintaining databases, and supporting data migration to institutional platforms (e.g., UBC ARC Chinook).
• Compile and maintain datasets from drones, satellites, monitoring plots, experimental studies, and collaborators; maintain version control and prepares data for submission to public repositories and collaborative networks.
• Conduct statistical and spatial analyses of ecological and climate datasets.
• Implement software, hardware and workflows for the research team for data processing and visualization (including remote sensing, drone satellite data, mapping).
• Train other team members in data science skills including coding, statistical analysis, GIS, data visualization, map making and more.
• Coordinate research activities including scientific publications and field research expeditions.
• Collaborate with the project team and collaborators across Canada and internationally.
• Supervise early career researchers within the project team and provide training and mentorship to team members and coordinating data synthesis activities.
• Participate in scientific discussions and presentations in local, Canadian and international scientific meetings.

Consequence of Error/Judgement

The Research Data Coordinator will report to the PI and will be required to work independently, but will have work checked by the PI on a regular basis. The role involves data compilation, data and code management, data processing, data analyses, data and code version control, making data and code public, and writing manuscripts, reports and other publications. Consequences of data mismanagement would be delays in producing scientific papers, reports and publicly available datasets.

Supervision Received

The Research Data Coordinator will receive supervision from the PI, with opportunities for weekly meetings to check in about goals and progress. The work will be conducted through project management software and progress will be shared among team members.

Supervision Given

If required, the Research Data Coordinator will mentor and/or supervise student employees and provide input into staff selection and performance evaluation.

Minimum Qualifications

• Completion of a university graduate degree (MSc or PhD) in a relevant discipline or technical program (computer science, bioinformatics, environmental/ecological data science or other relevant degree).
• A minimum four years of related experience or an equivalent combination of education and work experience.
• Experience in ecological data management and statistical analysis.
• Proficiency in programming and data analysis tools (e.g. R, Python, GIS).
• Experience in remote sensing data processing and analysis.
• Fluency in verbal and written English; excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Willingness to train and mentor team members and work with partners and collaborators.
• Ability to organize, analyze and communicate scientific data in the form of publications.
• Proficiency in writing and documenting code and software applications.
• Independence and initiative in multitasking and working in a multi-disciplinary environment.
• Demonstrated ability to work in an interdisciplinary and collaborative environment as part of a diverse team.
• Willingness to provide mentorship to early career researchers on the team.
• Commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion; willingness to respect diverse perspectives.

Preferred Qualifications

• Strong analytical skills with data synthesis, remote sensing, spatial analysis and Bayesian statistics.
• Proficiency in R and/or Python; experience with GitHub.
• Experience conducting fieldwork; experience in northern ecosystems (Arctic, alpine or boreal).
• Experience with ecological data synthesis, HPC and cloud-based storage.
• Willingness to lead fieldwork in Northern locations.
• Experience with web design, map making, data visualization and/or graphic design.

Offer

You will be offered a full-time one-year position with the potential for contract extension through the duration of the project. UBC offers a wide-ranging benefits plan that includes extended health and dental coverage.

About the Organization

This position will be based at the Department of Forest and Conservation Sciences, Faculty of Forestry, the University of British Columbia, Vancouver campus, which is located on the territory of the Musqueam (xʷməθkʷəy̓əm) People.

The University of British Columbia is a global centre for teaching, learning and research. The faculty and university emphasize inclusivity and diversity. We encourage members of underrepresented groups to apply including Indigenous peoples and other communities.

Additional Information

For more information about this position, please contact Prof. Isla Myers-Smith (contact information at https://forestry.ubc.ca/faculty-profile/isla-myers-smith/).