Data Steward - Alaska Satellite Facility

University of Alaska; Fairbanks (AK); Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Retirement benefits

Health insurance

Paid holidays

Tuition waivers

Job summary

University of Alaska Fairbanks seeks a Data Steward to manage and grow our NASA SAR data archive, currently over 30 petabytes. You’ll maintain ingest/archive health, monitor data flows, troubleshoot issues, and collaborate with NASA to define metadata standards and data agreements.

The Geophysical Institute at UAF emphasizes collaboration, strong benefits, and professional growth. The role is onsite at the Fairbanks campus with formal UA employment.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field and 4 years of progressive experience.
• Experience with data governance, archival systems, and metadata standards is preferred.
• Ability to troubleshoot operational issues and monitor data flows.

Responsibilities

• Manage and grow the SAR data archive (30+ petabytes).
• Keep ingest/archive systems healthy and monitor data flows.
• Define metadata standards and data agreements with NASA and providers.
• Ensure new datasets integrate smoothly into systems and documentation.

Skills

Data governance

Archive management

Operational monitoring

Stakeholder collaboration

Education

Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field

4 years of progressively responsible experience

Equivalent combination of training and experience

Job description

ASF is hiring a Data Steward to help manage and grow our archive of NASA Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data that is now over 30 petabytes. In this role, you’ll keep our ingest and archive systems healthy, monitor data flows, troubleshoot and resolve operational issues, and ensure our archive stays accurate, complete, and well-documented. You’ll also work directly with NASA and external data providers to define metadata standards, shape data agreements, and make sure new datasets integrate smoothly into our systems. If you enjoy working at the intersection of operations, data curation, and stakeholder collaboration and want your work to directly support a global community of Earth science researchers, we would love to hear from you.

The Geophysical Institute is a research-focused organization at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. The university offers a competitive work environment with strong benefits, including retirement and health insurance, generous leave policies, and tuition waivers for UAF courses. The Geophysical Institute values collaboration, accountability, and the exchange of ideas. We foster a professional and respectful environment dedicated to serving Alaska through applied science. Career growth and professional development are supported and encouraged.

As a public, regional, comprehensive university, UAF welcomes applications from individuals with a wide range of backgrounds and experiences.

To thrive in this role, the candidate should be highly detail-oriented, technically adept, and a good collaborator. Ideally, the candidate would have a background including work in some or all of these areas: data and data archive management, data governance, operational monitoring, and system configuration.

Minimum Qualifications:

Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field (i.e. Information Technology or other related field) and 4 years of progressively responsible experience, or an equivalent combination of training and experience.

Position Details:

This position is full-time, Grade 81, term-funded, exempt, 12-month position complete with a competitive salary and UA employee benefits package. UA provides a generous compensation package that includes retirement options, annual leave, 12 paid holidays per year, tuition waivers for employees and family members, and affordable medical, dental, and vision care coverage. New hires will be placed on the UA staff salary schedule, based on education and experience.

This position will be physically located at the UAF campus in Fairbanks, Alaska. The successful finalist will be expected to report to duty at the UAF office on the first day of employment.

We review applications on a rolling basis. Because we may close the posting once a sufficient pool of qualified candidates is established, we encourage early submission. Please note that once a viable pool is identified, further applications may not be reviewed.

This position is a term-funded position and is reviewed annually for contract renewal at the University’s discretion.

The University of Alaska (UA) is responsible for providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities throughout the applicant screening process. If you need assistance in completing this application or during any phase of the interview process, please contact the ADA team at [e-mail].

The University of Alaska is an Equal Opportunity/Equal Access Employer and Educational Institution. The University is committed to a policy of non-discrimination (www.alaska.edu/nondiscrimination) against individuals on the basis of any legally protected status.

The successful applicant is required to complete a background check. Any offer of employment is contingent on the background check.

Your application for employment with the University of Alaska is subject to public disclosure under the Alaska Public Records Act.

The University of Alaska reserves the right to require employees to work on-site at University of Alaska facilities. Remote work may be approved for employees based in Alaska at the discretion of the University. Remote work for employees based outside the State of Alaska may be approved only in exceptional circumstances or where required by the job duties of the position.

*Each university within the University of Alaska system publishes an Annual Security and Fire Safety Report which contains information regarding campus safety and security including topics such as: campus law enforcement authority; crime reporting policies; campus alerts (Timely Warnings and Emergency Notifications); fire safety policies and procedures; programs to prevent dating violence, domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking; the procedures the University will follow when one of these crimes is reported; and other matters of importance related to security on campus. The report also contains information about crime statistics for the three most recent calendar years concerning reported crimes that occurred on campus; in On-Campus Student Housing Facilities; in Noncampus buildings or property owned or controlled by the University or a recognized student organization; and on public property within, or immediately adjacent to and accessible from, the campus. The report also contains fire statistics for any fires occurring in an On-Campus Student Housing Facility during the three most recent calendar years.

Access to the reports is available at:

UAA:(Addresses Anchorage campus, Aviation Technology Complex, JBER - Elmendorf Extension, JBER - Richardson Extension, Kenai Peninsula College - Kachemak Bay campus, Kenai Peninsula College - Kenai River campus, Kodiak College, Kodiak High School Extension, Matanuska-Susitna College, Prince William Sound College, and Prince William Sound College - Cordova Extension)Online:https://www.uaa.alaska.edu/students/safety. Request a paper copy in person:UAA Police Department Office at Room 114 of Eugene Short Hall on the Anchorage campus / UAA Dean of Students Office at Room 122 of Rasmuson Hall on the Anchorage campus. Request a paper copy by mail: 907-786-1120 or [e-mail]/907-786-1214 or [e-mail].

UAF:(Addresses Fairbanks Campus, Bristol Bay Campus, Chukchi Campus, Community and Technical College, Kasitsna Bay Campus, Seward Marine Center, Tok Campus, Kuskokwim Campus, and Northwest Campus)Online:https://www.uaf.edu/orca/files/ASFSR.pdf. Request a paper copy in person:UAF Office of Rights, Compliance and Accountability on the 3rd Floor of Constitution Hall. Request a paper copy by mail: 907-474-7300 or [e-mail].

UAS:(Addresses the Juneau Auke Bay Campus, Juneau Technical Education Center, Sitka Campus, & Ketchikan Campus)Online:https://uas.alaska.edu/equity-and-compliance/docs/clery/UAS_ASFSR.pdf. Request a paper copy in person:Hendrickson Building, Suite 202 on the Juneau campus. Request a paper copy by mail: 907-796-6371 or emailing [e-mail].