Open Science Data Steward — FAIR Data Champion

Astera Institute; Emeryville (CA); On-site; USD 110,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Astera Institute seeks an Open Science Data Steward to oversee the full lifecycle of research data across science programs in person at our Emeryville office. You will maintain data quality, build scalable infrastructure, and champion FAIR data practices while collaborating with researchers and a growing team of data stewards.

The ideal candidate brings experience in data management, cross-disciplinary collaboration, and a commitment to responsible data sharing that advances scientific impact.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Science, Library Science, Data Science, or related field; advanced degree preferred.
• 3-5+ years of experience managing data in research organizations, academic institutions, or similar environments with complex data governance requirements.
• Deep understanding of data quality principles, data governance frameworks, and metadata standards, with demonstrated ability to implement these concepts in practice.
• Familiarity with scientific data formats, repositories, and standards.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to translate between technical data requirements and researcher needs.
• Strong organizational skills with meticulous attention to detail and the ability to manage multiple data projects simultaneously while maintaining high standards.
• High agency self-starter with the ability to work independently, identify opportunities for process improvement, and drive initiatives forward without constant oversight.

Responsibilities

• Partner with researchers across Astera's Science to ensure data are prepared and published to high quality and reusability standards.
• Oversee the complete lifecycle of research data from creation through publication and archival, ensuring data integrity.
• Create and maintain living documentation for data repository interactions and metadata standards.
• Identify patterns and challenges in data management and collaborate on scalable infrastructure improvements.
• Support integration of research data with open science knowledge graphs and AI/ML ecosystems.
• Provide training and guidance to new researchers and residents on data management best practices.
• Collaborate with software engineers to address data infrastructure gaps and tooling needs.
• Ensure data policies are followed onsite, handling edge cases with leadership guidance as needed.
• Balance open science with responsible data sharing and escalate complex cases to leadership.

Skills

Data management

Data governance

Metadata standards

Communication skills

Organizational skills

Independent work

Open science

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science

Advanced degree preferred

Tools

Data repositories

Knowledge graphs

Semantic Web tech

Open data platforms

Job description

Astera Institute seeks an Open Science Data Steward to oversee the full lifecycle of research data across science programs in person at our Emeryville office. You will maintain data quality, build scalable infrastructure, and champion FAIR data practices while collaborating with researchers and a growing team of data stewards.

The ideal candidate brings experience in data management, cross-disciplinary collaboration, and a commitment to responsible data sharing that advances scientific impact.